Communications and Media

Douglas Keliners Reading the Gulf War has clearly demonstrated the influence that mass media holds within their power in influencing the given society on pertinent topics that have the capacity of steering a nations course.  The unfortunate reality wherein the facts presented to the public had already been pre-destined by the powers-that-be to serve a particular purpose makes for a truly-compelling argument, as this would benefit them with the socio-political power to instill within the nations mindset, a particular thinking and belief in accordance to their caprices.  Nonetheless, as what is discussed in Keliners reading, this craft can be likened to a two-edged sword, wherein the wielder of this power holds no assurances that its effects are not self-injuring and that the populace will not be aware of the realities behind the perceived truths.

Of all the topics discussed, it is in learning that the administration had been deliberately exercising manipulative techniques, perhaps in search of higher approval ratings or offshore economic ventures, just to bolster its internal and global superiority, is depressingly intriguing.  It is a reality that has changed my perception on my veneration to the nations leadership, as it has demonstrated that it is willing to sacrifice countless American lives just to achieve this aim.  Likewise, I have been astounded with how the American media conglomerates, who are supposed to be the bastions of truth, have played willing pieces for the administrations scheme, as can be evidenced in ABCs report which stated that more than 200,000 Iraqi troops were in Kuwait, preparing for an invasion of Saudi Arabia, when in fact satellite photos had revealed a much insignificant number (Keliner, 1995, p. 204).  While it is true that these media conglomerates are corporations that naturally had to make profitable endeavors, it is likewise worth noting that their professions should be exercising ethical practices in exchange for their viewers patronage.  It is truly confounding why two of the most esteemed institutions of our democracy, the administration and the media, seemed to have deliberately misled the American general public into believing a set principle of the war in Iraq that in reality were only self-serving interests.

Reading Keliners work has resulted in my formation of two themes one is President Bush administrations intentional presentation of false truths surrounding the situation in Iraq and Saddam Hussein, and secondly, mass medias opting to play possum on these misleading facts in order to gain majority viewership.  Both of these were later to be unmasked, as can be witnessed in the succeeding years, with President Bush loosing both his popularity as well as his 1992 reelection campaign (Keliner, 1995, p. 224) and the en masse proliferation of the true figures of the war, i.e. the satellite photos showing the insignificant numbers of Iraqi troops, the low success rate of hi-tech missiles, the absence of chemical warfare capabilities of Iraq, and others.  However, even if all of these suggest a covert aim, which is to have control of a nation that is a major source of oil, I am inclined to believe that these were all executed with the good of the American nation in mind, as successfully doing this would ensure the smooth operations of the major industries, both industrial and government-funded, for decades to come.

Keliners work has resulted in altering my views on my perception with the mass media corporations.  It served to constantly remind me that first and foremost, these are corporation that needed to have substantial profits in order to maintain a high-level of influence among the populace.  It further created a necessity on my part not to accept the presented realities as absolute truths, but learn to think outside of the box that they propose by making my own studies on the subject from other independent or foreign institutions, and by trying to gain an understanding from the other side of the spectrum.  Hence from hereon, I consider them not as the bastions of truth, but as an integral part in my own pursuit of truth.