Chomsky explains how propaganda and systemic biases function in corporate mass media. The model seeks to explain how populations are manipulated and how consent for economic, social, and political policies, both foreign and domestic, is “manufactured” in the public mind due to this propaganda.

Stereotypically there are two ends of a political spectrum, authoritarianism in countries such as China, and libertarianism in countries such as the US, however Chomsky says that we are being controlled by the mass media (because people in power produce their ideologies and distribute it through mass media) to manufacture the general publics consent- while big conglomerates also own most mass media heavily reducing the public sphere by narrowing the beliefs of other companies and people, as people are being told “facts” from media without comprehending the idea that media will also have a political compass. The I for example might seem more leftist however it is still right winged just less right winged from the daily mail – both are owned by DMGT which the 4th Viscount Rothermere is the chairman for (70% of newspapers are owned by just three companies) and Lord Rothermere was also friends with Adolf Hitler which we can say is a link to the establishment regarding Chomsky’s theory of the 5 mass filters of media. As the public gains knowledge from the media- they are also being programmed through advertisement and media exhibition (Laswell’s passive consumption model- hypodermic model) to view the world through the political compass of the media product. Building on Lasswell consumption model Shannon and Weaver adapted the model and introduced the idea of noise and error disrupting the passive model, active consumption can be enabled by educating yourself about the tactics of the media and start thinking your own thoughts and to keep an eye out on the Chomsky theory of 5 Filters on the mass media machine- and how those filters prevent media from representing all sides of the political compass and how they are mostly right winged authoritarian. Link to Roland Barthes and semiotics presented in the media and how that manipulates public consent.

The 5 filters of the mass media machine:

 1.Structure of ownership

Most media companies are concentration of ownership through vertical and horizontal integration, most media owned by mass media conglomerates.

2.The role of advertising

To produce money to cover the cost of production and distribution of Media through advertisement and sponsors.

You need advertisers to fill the cash gap, we buy media for cheaper than it will ever be produced, and advertisements are being sold to us, but we are being sold to advertisers by mass media and we are the product.

3.Links with the establishment

Media representers or distributers are in debt and work with the people in power, those who go against them are pushed to the margins and not seen as much.

4.Divisionary tactics- ‘flack’

People and other media sources who aren’t helping the people in power are divided away by flack, other sources discredit their views and divert the story onto something else to make the opposing media seem unreliable.

5.Uniting against a ‘common enemy’

Your enemy’s enemy is your friend, uniting against something we don’t like, media exploiting and stereotyping something that is commonly disliked in the area to attract attention and exhibition.