How the media influence public opinion and what to do in order not to fall for tricks

What are the tricks used media

Intentionally cause the desired association with the hero of the story

Information in such cases can serve a variety of ways. Here are the main ones.

Veiled supply. One of the options - the use of cunning tricks layout. Therapist Samuel Lopez De Victoria leadsMedia Manipulation of the Masses: How the Media Psychologically Manipulates an example from a newspaper editorial which had its point of view about the actions of a single policy.

In one of the issues close to his portrait, they placed a clown photograph illustrating another article. But the association is started so: it seemed that the picture of this character refers specifically to political material.

Drawing parallels. For example, the story between the hero and a nasty person with a dark history, proven questionable actions. Up to frank slanderTo cause the desired - in this case negative - Association.

Selection of relevant illustrations. The articles often do not put pictures of the hero, and his caricatures, as if humorous, images. Usually only those funny drawings contain unambiguous overtones: a person put in a bad light or focus on its inherent negative traits or actions.

Sometimes unwanted character picked a worse picture, which can only be to reinforce negative perceptions of audiences and consolidate association.

They talk about one issue, but ignores other

Sergei Zelinsky, psychologist, writer and journalist, writes"The manipulation of the masses and psychoanalysis"That the media are deliberately "ignore" one problem, but are willing to focus on the other. Because of this, the really important news lost on the background of the minor, but often flashed before us.

Political psychologists Donald Kinder and Shanto Iyengar conducted an experimentExperimental Demonstrations of the "Not-So-Minimal" Consequences of Television News Programs. The researchers divided the subjects into three groups, each of which shows the edited news stories focusing on three different issues.

A week later, participants of each group believed that it was the problem, which has received more media coverage, should be solved first. And each group had its own, different from other theme.

It turns out that our perception of the problem is changing not only because of its real scale, but also because of the frequency of mention in the media.

Moreover, the subjects were also evaluated the president's, based on the way he solves the problem that after watching the edited news they considered a priority.

Teaches negative news as something ordinary

Information that can evoke in the reader or listener unwanted emotions, served as an unremarkable. As a result, over time, a person ceases to perceive the bad news critically and begins to treat them as something quite normal, as each day sees and hears what journalists say this with a straight face. That is gradually getting used to the negative information.

use contrasts

The news, which should cause a positive response, fed on negative stories, and vice versa. This makes it much more noticeable and advantageous. For example, a decrease in its crime rate region message would be perceived more positively after a series of news about the robbery, robbery or financial fraud in a distant country.

Operate "majority opinion"

It is easier to do something if we get the approval of others. When the "78% of the population are dissatisfied with the prevailing situation in the region" or "more than half of the citizens believe that life is better," the man remains only to choose to join any majority.

Admission is also often used in advertising, when it is said, for example, that "80% of housewives choose the flour is our brand." As a result, a woman who looks infomercial, there is a subconscious desire to be in the majority. And next time, it might still buy "that same brand." And suddenly, and she, too, like it?

shifts focus

Messages about the same event can be presented in different ways. Even change the wording of the title often shifts the focus of the plot. Though he remains true, because of the specific supply we distorted his perceptionWe are focusing precisely on the fact that the media carried the fore.

This method sociologists often accompany a good example - Jokes about race secretary general of the USSR and the US president, which was won by the latter.

US media wrote: "Our president came first and won the race." Soviet media also published the news: "The Secretary General came to the second, and the US president - the penultimate." And like the truth and there and there, but perceived it still differently.

Filed a report based on a "sandwich"

A social psychologist and publicist Victor describes Sorochenko"Encyclopedia of propaganda techniques" two steps: "poisonous sandwich" and "sugar sandwich." The first is used to hide positive information between the two negative reports. The second - to a negative context optimistic lost between the beginning and end.

They cite studies that were not

In the story mentioned, "our source said ...", "a group of scientists discovered that ..." or "large-scale study has proven ...", but did not give any references. Such terms are likely to only be used for a greater emphasis has been said and not under a real reason.

Create intrigue where it does not exist

Sometimes journalists have resorted to klikbeytu: add titles and endure unnecessary sensationalism catchy words it does not convey the essence of the article, but make us open it. And - as a result - to get a complete disappointment because of the content.

Often klikbeyta use the word "shocking", "Sensation", "you will not believe that ..." and so on. But sometimes simply ignore important details, misleading the reader.

For example, you got a headline: "A resident of N came to the exhibition and destroyed the famous painting by Aivazovsky." You follow the link in the first paragraph and learn that the man bought a reproduction in a souvenir shop, and then cut it into shreds. Why did he do it - is unclear, but the incident has no relation to the original picture, which is not obvious from the title.

Allocate the necessary information on the charts

For example, the difference between the rates of several competing companies It appeared impressive, we may show only part of the bar graph scale - from 90% to 100%. The difference of 4% on this segment seems sensible, but if you look at the scale completely (from 0% to 100%), all companies will be almost on the same level.

Similar techniques are used in constructing graphs indicating different duration of time intervals between the critical level, thereby selecting the best peak moments. Then the line going up or down, will be significant.

By the way, indicate the number as a percentage, too profitable. For example, the phrase "the company's profit increased by 10% in the last month" sounds pretty good, but "this month, the company earned 15 000 rubles more," - is not so impressive. Although then, and then - the truth.

How not to fall for these tricks

Develop the critical thinking. It is necessary to handle large amounts of information, analyze evidence, arguments and opinions of others, to think logically. And yet this kind of thinking makes the question the facts and get to the bottom.

Here are steps to help you learn to distinguishDealing with Fake & Manipulative Media reliable information from false and recognize manipulation:

• Read books of critical thinking or other useful materials on the subject.
• Study and memorize the tricks and techniques that are most commonly used media and marketers.
• Develop media literacyMedia Literacy - a means of manipulation. This is an essential human skill of living in the digital age. It defines media literacy possibility of critical thinking: a man is able to distinguish reliable sources, analyze the content and understand the culture media.
• Communicate in social networks - or any other way suitable for you - with people who can give an objective impartial assessment of your issue.
• Question their own judgment, try to look at things from a different angle and look for the root of the problem.
• Learn to read and understand statistics. When they say that "75% of people want to live better," it does not always mean that they are bad now live. Many respondents commented on your answer below as follows: "I am satisfied with life, but there is no limit to perfection." In addition, the sample can be negligible, and questions during the data collection will likely wondered so that people subconsciously chose the right answer - it just was not worthy alternatives.