RE: Is Unbiased Journalism Still Possible?
[English below]
Während der Corona-Zeit gab es Anti-Corona-Maßnahmen, und für diese wurde mächtig Propaganda gemacht. Es war geradezu ein Lehrstück in diesem Thema. Durch Befragungen stellte sich (angeblich) heraus, dass Gebildete dafür MEHR anfällig waren als Ungebildete. Falls das stimmt - wie ist es möglich?
Ich glaube, die Antwort ist so trivial, dass man sie lieber nicht überdenken möchte: Die Ungebildeten haben weniger Interesse am Polit-Zirkus (weil sie in der Regel mehr mit sich selbst beschäftigt sind) und sie haben weitaus geringeres Vertrauen in die Mainstream-Nachrichten (weil sie diese schon lange als Staats-Propaganda betrachten).
Hinzu kommt, dass (herkömmliche, formale) Bildung noch längst nicht Politische Bildung beinhaltet, das muss ich leider so sagen. Zu Politischer Bildung gehören unabdingbar Geschichtsbewusstsein (das ist nicht dasselbe wie Geschichts-Wissen) und psychologische Durchdringung von Machtstrukturen innerhalb des eigenen Ichs. Nur so bekommst du ein ungefähres Gefühl für Intrigen, Lügen, für die Gründe von Desinformationen.
Die Wahrheit erreichst du damit leider natürlich noch längst nicht. Aber ich möchte darauf aufmerksam machen, dass "die Massen" ein elitärer Begriff ist. Und ich glaube, diese 'Massen' sind weit weniger durch Medien lenkbar, als es die Machthaber wünschen. Was uns leider aber allen gemeinsam ist, bleibt die Manipulierbarkeit speziell durch Angstmacherei.
During the coronavirus pandemic, anti-coronavirus policies were implemented and heavily propagandised. It was a veritable lesson in this subject. Surveys (allegedly) revealed that educated people were MORE susceptible to this than uneducated people. If this is true, how is it possible?
I think the answer is so trivial that it's better not to overthink it: uneducated people are less interested in the political circus (because they are usually more preoccupied with themselves) and they have far less trust in mainstream news (because they have long regarded it as state propaganda).
In addition, (conventional, formal) education still does not include political education, I'm afraid I have to say. Political education necessarily includes historical awareness (which is not the same as historical knowledge) and psychological insight into power structures within one's own self. Only then can you get a rough idea of intrigue, lies and the reasons for disinformation.
Unfortunately, this still does not bring you any closer to the truth. But I would like to point out that “the masses” is an elitist term. And I believe that these “masses” are far less susceptible to media manipulation than those in power would like. Unfortunately, what we all have in common is our susceptibility to manipulation, especially through fearmongering.
Translated with DeepL, proof-read by ty-ty
Your perspective is indeed fascinating!
In a Reddit discussion, a user quoted Noam Chomsky saying something like:
“Propaganda often works better on the educated than the uneducated… because educated people read more, so they receive more propaganda.”
~ Reddit
I experienced this firsthand during wars or skirmishes. The people around me who didn’t really know what was happening were actually less worried. And yes — as you said, they weren’t glued to the news minute by minute. Most of them didn’t have free internet access either, and with so many other things to take care of, they simply couldn’t sit around following every update. In a way, that made them more immune to the propaganda.
EXACTLY
Exactly — this is what I’ve been saying all along. The vultures in so-called journalism thrive on fear because fear sells. Whether it’s misleading captions on YouTube or sensational headlines on Instagram, their entire game is built on exploiting human anxiety. They know that panic keeps people hooked, so they deliberately exaggerate, distort, and dramatize.
AND If you ever happen to watch Indian media , THE MAINSTREAM one — provided you can understand it — you’ll be stunned. Honestly, you won’t find this brand of absurdity anywhere else in the world. Their newsrooms turn into theatre stages: sirens blaring in the background, fake bomb explosions, AI-generated videos masquerading as “breaking news.” The whole thing looks less like reporting and more like a second-rate action movie.
What’s even more disturbing is the lack of accountability. We’re not talking about gossip or celebrity scandals here — these are nuclear powers, nations whose words and narratives can tilt the balance between war and peace. Yet the carelessness is staggering. It’s not just poor journalism; it’s dangerous. The dramatics may bring them higher ratings, but they erode trust and feed hatred. And I can’t imagine that their own people are blind to it — surely many must feel ashamed of how low the standards have sunk.
This isn’t journalism. It’s reckless propaganda, and it has consequences that ripple far beyond ratings and clicks.