James Few

ENGL 101
Prof. McCampbell
11/18/15
James This is well-written and neatly organized, and the topic is important. As you look over
your supporting examples, consider how you could offer more authoritative support. You tend to
give general descriptions which could have much more impact if they were supported with
statistics or specific examples.
Media Manipulation 122/135

Fig. 1 American soldiers give an Iraqi soldier a drink from their canteen (Constantino).

This powerful image shows the true capability the media possesses to control, to a certain
extent, the way the people view current events. Though coming from an unknown source, the

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photo appears on multiple different websites keeping people aware of the power of the media.
Based on the Iraqi uniform of the soldier being detained in the middle, the picture was likely
taken somewhere in the Middle East where the U.S. previously participated in active combat.
The complete picture, shown in the middle, actually portrays four men. The man detained in the
middle, with two U.S. soldiers on either side of him, is most likely an Iraqi soldier. One of the
U.S. soldiers is giving the Iraqi soldier water from his canteen, and the fourth man, whose assault
rifle can be seen in the top left corner, is also a U.S. soldier. Though one might think the rifle is
being pointed at the head of the Iraqi soldier, the man holding the rifle is simply closer to the
point from which the photograph was taken, giving the appearance of the gun being held to the
Iraqi soldiers head. The picture in the middle shows two U.S. soldiers simply giving the Iraqi
soldier a drink of water. However, having another soldier with a rifle in the vicinity shows the
soldiers maintain a healthy recognition that the man being detained could certainly still be
dangerous. The cropped photo on the left was reportedly published by Qatar based news
organization, Al Jazeera. While Al Jazeera claims completely unbiased news coverage, one can
plainly see that this published image does not represent an unbiased source. This image
seemingly intends to manipulate the viewer into believing that the U.S. soldier ruthlessly kept the
Iraqi soldier under force. Whereas the cropped photo on the right, published by CNN, seemingly
attempts to show only the positive nature of the situation, making the viewer oblivious to the
harsh realities of war. As evidenced by the manipulation on both sides, this issue affects people
all over the world.
James Madison once said, The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only
guardian of true liberty (James Madison to George Thompson). If true knowledge guards
liberty, then knowledge, specifically about the affairs of ones country, is of the utmost

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importance. However, this raises one key issue currently, citizens obtain the majority of this
knowledge pertaining to the state of their country, whether in the United States or elsewhere,
through mass media, and because they are unaware of the medias techniques for the diffusion of
such knowledge, media manipulation may ensue. As evidenced in the image above, photo
cropping exists as only one of the myriad of different ways the media manipulates, sometimes
simply for its own gain, the citizens of its country.
Before addressing the methods the media uses to influence the views of their audience,
one must understand the sheer power the media possesses. Though the media does not have
direct control over the actions of their audience, they have significant influence over the way
citizens view current events. No matter how much an individual attempts to disregard the news,
electronically accessed or not, it infiltrates his or her life at every turn in the form of television,
smartphone ads and notifications, billboards or even buddies repeating what they have heard.
The majority of this news comes in the form of information from politicians, medical
professionals and other elites of society whose opinions would generally be considered more
important, and when mass media sources are able to control access to elite discourse and the
respective institutions they work for, manipulation becomes exponentially more dangerous (van
Dijk 12). One might argue that individuals can simply choose to obtain their information from
other non-manipulative media sources. However, assuming the common citizen notices this
manipulation occurring, when nine massive conglomerates dominate the U.S. media
landscape, other viable options are not present, posing an immediate and growing threat to our
republic (McChesney, par. 1).
While the majority of the medias power comes from their access to the elites of
society, some of their power derives from the techniques they use to manipulate. Michael

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Parenti, an internationally known American political scientist and media critic, lists the following
techniques of structured, intentional media bias as the most common: suppression by omission,
direct attack, labeling, face-value transmission, false balancing and framing, with suppression by
omission as the most common form of media misrepresentation (5-7). In suppression by
omission, the media either leaves out vital parts of information pertaining to the story or the
whole story itself because doing so plays into their own best interest. As an example of
suppression by omission, the United Sates, in 1965, financed the Indonesian overthrow of their
communist government. Fighting against communism certainly stands as a noble cause, but some
estimate that over a million people were killed during this overthrow. Though this was the most
heinous act of political mass murder since the Nazi Holocaust, Americans heard only
murmurings of this event three months after the overthrow (Parenti 5-7). When the media
decides to use direct attack, they use unrelenting force to constantly attack their target day after
day; these direct attacks may be nothing more than a barrage of lies. In 1996, multiple major
media sources directly denied the CIAs involvement in shipping crack cocaine through U.S. funded gangs in Nicaragua, even though the public now knows the truth behind the situation
(Parenti 5-7). Also a prime example of such unrelenting force, perhaps used in a positive manner,
may be the relatively recent barrage of attacks against the NSA after Edward Snowden released
classified information. The media labels with a positive or negative title when they desire to
predetermine the peoples perception of a subject. When using face-value transmission the media
will accept at face value what are known to be official lies, uncritically passing them on to the
public without adequate confirmations. In the early 1950s, the medias support of Senator
Joseph McCarthys unsubstantiated accusations of communism and treason is one of the most
popular examples of face-value transmission. In false balancing, both sides of an issue do not

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receive equal representation and lastly, framing, evidenced in the figure on page one, uses
emphasis and embellishments to create a desired impression of a topic (Parenti 5-7)..
These types of manipulation may pertain directly to a countrys politics, whether in wartime or peace-time. Douglas Kellner, the current George Kneller Chair in the Philosophy of
Education in the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of
California, Los Angeles, stated that after the 2001 attack on the U.S. World Trade Center, in
order to sustain widespread public desire for military intervention, large media networks
played show after show detailing the harm done to victims of the bombing, kept their cameras
aimed at ground zero to document the destruction and drama of discovery of dead bodies, and
constructed report after report on the evil of bin Laden and the Al Qaeda terrorists who had
committed the atrocities (50). Whether or not one agrees with the opinion of the media, this
purposeful extra coverage certainly represents an attempt at war-time media manipulation. In
respect to peace-time political manipulation, a careful look at headlines referring to political
candidates of any party will reveal heavy use of mudslinging, which would fall under the
category of framing or direct attack.
Media manipulation can legitimise [sic] the actions of the powerful, and facilitate
change at the collective level, but can also limit and shape the behaviours [sic] of individuals
which are central to wider social change (Happer and Philo 321-326). Media manipulation
exists in more ways than one might originally think, and the media can either use this
manipulation for its own gain or positive societal change. However, citizens maintain the
responsibility to meticulously evaluate the information they receive from mainstream media and
continuously search for the truth.

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Works Cited
Constantino, Mary. Media Manipulation. n.d. Digital Image. Blogs.longwood. WordPress.
Web. 1 November 2012.
Happer, Catherine, & Greg Philo. "The Role of the Media in the Construction of Public Belief
and Social Change." Journal of Social and Political Psychology [Online], 1.1 (2013):
321-336. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.
"James Madison to George Thompson (Quote)." Sea of Liberty. Monitcello, n.d. Web. 18 Dec.
2015.
Kellner, Douglas. "9/11, Spectacles Of Terror, And Media Manipulation." Critical Discourse
Studies 1.1 (2004): 41-64. Humanities International Complete. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.
McChesney, Robert W. Rich Media, Poor Democracy: Communication Politics in Dubious
Times. New York: New Press, 2000. Lehigh.edu. Web. 9 Nov. 2015.
Parenti, Michael. "Methods of Media Manipulation." Humanist 57.4 (1997): pg. 5-7.
EBSCOhost. Web. 6 Nov. 2015.
van Dijk, Teun. Political Communication in News Media. Cresskill: Hampton Press, 1995.
Discourses.org. Web. 6 Nov. 2015.
General Education Rubric: English 101/102: College Composition I/II
General
Education
Competency

Related
Assignment
Requirement
5 points

4
Exemplary
Exceeds
Expectations
5 points

3
Accomplished
Meets Expectations
3 4 points

2
Developing
Approaches
Expectations
2 points

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Written and
Oral
Communication
>66

10 points
Introduction 5
points -5
Thesis 10
points -8
Conclusion 5
points -3
Structure
(including TS)
10 points -10
Coherence 10
points -10

Errors 1 point
per error -20

Diction/clarity
10 points -10

Image
description and
analysis
>10

Critical
Analysis and
Reasoning > 14

10 points

Describe
features of the
image and
analyze their
significance to
the social or
cultural impact
which leads to
your research
into a broader
topic.
NOTE: this
description and
analysis sets the
stage for your
informed opinion
(thesis) which is
supported by
thoughtful
research and
reasoning.
20 points
Argue for your
position by
generating
reasons and

9 - 10
Presents a unified
central idea that is
supported by
exceptional
evidence and
displays unusual
insight.

6 - 8 points
Presents a unified central
idea that is supported by
relevant evidence.

3 5 points
Presents a unified central
idea that is supported by
adequate evidence.

Uses a logical order for

paragraphs.

Uses a logical order for

paragraphs.

Free of errors in
usage/mechanics, but for
minor errors which do not
impede meaning.

Contains some major

grammatical or usage
errors or many minor
errors.

Style reflects appropriate

vocabulary and varied
sentence patterns.

Style may include

imprecise diction,
ineffective transitions,
and unvaried sentence
patterns.

68

35

Identifies more
than three
features of the
image, describes
them in the
context of the
broader
researched topic
and shows a
thoughtful
connection
between the
images features
and how they
reflect the specific
issues related to
your thesis and
subsequent
research.

Identifies three features

of image and describes
them in detail. The
description leads to
interpretation of their
significance to a broader
social or cultural issue
which you will present a
well-developed thesis,
supported by expert
evidence and insightful
reasoning.

Identifies one or two

features and describes
them. There may be
some interpretation
which will lead to
identifying a broader
social or cultural issue,
but the connection is not
made explicit. There
may be a general
reference to a thesis
which will be supported
with researched
evidence.

Ge
wh
wh
Th
m
m
lar
iss
int
fe
m

17 20 points
Ideas are
thoroughly
developed and
presented in a

13 16 points
Ideas are developed and
presented in a logical
manner that is easy to
follow with clear

8 12 points
Ideas are mostly
developed and presented
in a mostly logical
manner that is easy to

0
Ide
an
or
fo

Uses a logical
order for
paragraphs and
presents them in
an interesting or
original manner.
Free of errors in
usage/mechanics,
but for minor
errors which do
not impede
meaning.
Style reflects
precise and vivid
vocabulary and
varied sentence
patterns.
9 10

Do
un
do
ad

Ha
or

Co
gr
er
er

St
im
ine
an
pa

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providing
evidence for
your views.
Details/RENNS;
at least three
are cited
20 points

Information
Literacy>18

5 points
Use a minimum
of three
academically
appropriate
secondary
sources in
addition to any
assigned
primary
source/s. 5
points -5

Demonstrate
academic
integrity through
source
integration and
documentation.
5 points-4

5 points-4

5 points -5

Technological
Competence>1
0

The inserted
object should be
relevant to the
content of the
essay and
should be placed
thoughtfully
within the
essay. 5 points
-5

logical manner
that is easy to
follow with clear
reasoning.
Displays insightful,
in-depth reasoning
and depth of
thought.
5 points
Exceeds the
number of
required sources;
sources meet the
highest standards
for credibility and
relevance.

Source information
is introduced with
appropriate
qualifiers and
accompanied by
comments
clarifying its
relevance to thesis
support.
Source information
is smoothly and
effectively
paraphrased,
summarized, or
quoted.
Sources are
correctly
documented in
parenthetical
citation and on a
Works Cited page
or Bibliography as
appropriate to the
style format in
use.
The inserted
object is especially
suited/ related to
the essay thesis or
other content, and
the object
placement is
smoothly
integrated without
any visual
awkwardness.

reasoning.

follow.

Displays moderate depth

in reasoning and
thought.Ideas are
developed well, but you
lack specific evidence to
support your viewsYour
examples are general.
3 4 points
Incorporates the required
number of sources;
sources meet minimum
standards for credibility
and relevance.

Displays an attempt at
depth in thought.

2 points
Incorporates the required
number of sources; some
sources do not meet
minimum standards for
credibility and/or
relevance.

Inc
th
so
so
sta
an

Source information is
introduced with qualifiers
and sometimes
accompanied by
comments clarifying its
relevance to thesis
development.

Source information is
simply inserted with
qualifiers or other
attempts at source
integration; source
relevance to thesis
development is
sometimes unclear.

So
sim
qu
at
int
so
th
un

Attempts are made, but

sources are not correctly
documented in
parenthetical citation and
on a Works Cited page or
Bibliography as
appropriate to the style
format in use.

So
un
pa
Wo
cit

The inserted object

clearly relates to the
essay thesis or other
content, and the object
placement is smoothly
integrated without any
visual awkwardness.

The inserted object has

marginal connection to
the essay thesis or other
content, or the object
placement lacks smooth
integration in the essay.

Th
litt
th
co
ha
th
no
th

Document format follows

style guidelines with only

Document format follows

style guidelines with only

Do
sty

Source information is
sometimes paraphrased
or summarized, not
exclusively quoted.
Sources are correctly
documented in
parenthetical citation and
on a Works Cited page or
Bibliography as
appropriate to the style
format in use.

Di
illo

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Local and
Global
Diversity>4

Use appropriate
style format for
essay, including
font and margin
size, as well as
header and page
number location.
5 points-5
In analyzing the
issue, consider
the social,
historical, and/or
political factors
at play.
5 points

one minor alteration.

minor departures.

so

Includes references to
social/historical/political
factors and shows
moderate/acceptable
depth or development in
analyzing those factors.

Includes reference(s) to
social/historical/political
factors but shows little
depth or development in
analyzing those factors.

Inc
so
fa
lac
re

Document format
follows style
guidelines
perfectly.

Includes
thoughtful and
insightful analysis
that demonstrates
an aware-ness of
social/historical/
political factors.

Revision
To begin the revision, I cited the source from which I obtained the Thomas Jefferson
quote. I then added much needed information into the fourth paragraph. This information
included more support for certain stated concepts of media manipulation and the sources for the
support. In paragraph five, I spoke more on the authority of Douglas Kellner, and in paragraph
six, I finished the revision by properly citing my last in-text citation.