Think about it. The media decide
whether you are worthy to be mentioned.
They decide which events are important
enough to draw attention to.
They decide when to “break” a story.
They determine who’s right.
They decide who’s wrong.
They determine whether
something makes the front page
or is buried somewhere.
Not only do they tell us
what to think but they also
tell us how to feel.
Today’s television “journalists” offer
as much opinion as fact.
And they won’t even apologize for it.
Ever wonder where the
Anthrax killer went?
I guess he just “went away.”
Everything seems to go away.
San Bernardino went away.
Nice’s truck terrorist only
took eighty something people out.
“It” went away.
Orlando shooting? Say what?
Who cares about the priest who
was beheaded in Normandy or
the Germans gunned down
at the mall?
Wait a minute.
Wait just one minute.
Doesn’t grief last more than
a day?
How many times do we have
to hear “our prayers are with
their families?”
No they’re not.
By the time you read this…
who knows what else will
have happened.
What we do know is that Hillary
and Donald’s every utterance is
of gigantic importance.
Don’t dwell on terrorism…
just focus on their hair.
The media believe
we have no memory.
They think that we believe
everything that they tell us.
Maybe Marshall McLuhan was right
when he observed:
“All media exist to invest our lives
with artificial perceptions and arbitrary values.”
So if the media have no respect for us
why should we respect them?
They deserve to be manipulated.
Not lied to, but manipulated.
We must realize that they thrive on chaos,
controversy and conflict.
They insist on sensationalizing just about
everything.
At times it seems that they speak
another language…
a language that selectively edits
out the mundane
and hyperbolizes indiscriminately.
What is "news" anyway?
If you are looking to influence the media
you have to translate your message
into their language.
If you have a new product that
will enhance productivity
don’t describe it casually… describe
it as a revolutionary breakthrough.
If you manufacture a sports car
don’t say it’s fast, call it a rocket ship…
If your CD rates are better
than anyone else’s don’t say they’re great,
say they’re the best.
You see, humility, hesitation and any
semblance of introspection is misinterpreted
by “them.”
They see these qualities as weaknesses
and may elect to ignore you because of them.
Or worse, they’ll hyperbolize your product…
Their way.
That’s why it’s better to manipulate them.
That way you control the editor and they print
or air your words not theirs.
Is this manipulation?
Perhaps.
But if you want to win the media match
you have to know how to play the game.