Media Propaganda and Public Belief in America

Media Propaganda and public belief in America

"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want,

and deserve to get it good and hard" (Mencken, 1880-1956, satirist and social critic). Even though democracy is a substantial value in any society, it could bring confusion to the public. It is well known that the United States is a democratic country, which allows the majority to decide their own rules directly or indirectly by their representatives. Regardless of the financial situation, educational level and social class, all American adults have the complete right to participate in the procedures of choosing their own law and electing the president who seems to meet their demands. More simply, democracy represents freedom and provides equality to each individual in all aspects. Americans citizens, according to the first amendment which is protected by the U.S. Constitution, have the political right to the "freedom of speech" which is the expression of one's opinion clearly and peacefully, even if this belief is against a high authority such as a government. The constitution also protects the "freedom of the press" which prohibits the government from interfering with the publication of information or the media. While, the government is not allowed to run its own media, the audience should be exposed to all kinds of publications, as stated in the constitution. However, the previous rights and privileges raise many questions; are American aware of everything around them? Are they receiving neutral messages from the media? Is the U.S. government committed to not interfere with the media? What is the role that propaganda plays in a democratic society? In order to find answers for these questions, this research will provide a definition of media propaganda. Later the effects of media propaganda, particularly the political one, on the American public attitude will be discussed. Finally, the relationship between media propaganda and conflict will be...