Public indoctrination through control of the media is easily the most pressing problem of our days. Far more important than that of the global warming, for example, simply because it blocks meaningful discussion on the subjects that really matter.
While the public opinion is manipulated both in the US and in Russia, the methods and outcomes are vastly different. For a diligent study of the US media manipulation I highly recommend Chomsky's book "Understanding Power" [2]. You may disagree with his opinions, but they are still worthy of consideration because Chomsky backs up each observation with a verifiable reference, to the point where all of the references combined make an entire separate book of equal volume. If you don't like Chomsky's answers, you will at least appreciate the questions he's trying to tackle.
I haven't read the headline book yet [1], but it has the potential to shed some light on how things are done over in Russia. Between the two works, I hope, one can gain actual knowledge of the methods of the public opinion manipulation. The kind of knowledge to replace both the blind faith in the media and it's twin brother - the entirely counterproductive nihilistic disregard of all news.
While the public opinion is manipulated both in the US and in Russia, the methods and outcomes are vastly different. For a diligent study of the US media manipulation I highly recommend Chomsky's book "Understanding Power" [2]. You may disagree with his opinions, but they are still worthy of consideration because Chomsky backs up each observation with a verifiable reference, to the point where all of the references combined make an entire separate book of equal volume. If you don't like Chomsky's answers, you will at least appreciate the questions he's trying to tackle.
I haven't read the headline book yet [1], but it has the potential to shed some light on how things are done over in Russia. Between the two works, I hope, one can gain actual knowledge of the methods of the public opinion manipulation. The kind of knowledge to replace both the blind faith in the media and it's twin brother - the entirely counterproductive nihilistic disregard of all news.
[1] "Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible", Peter Pomerantsev http://www.amazon.com/Nothing-Is-True-Everything-Possible/dp...
[2] http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Power-Indispensible-Chom...