Critical Thinking: Is It Easier Than Ever Before For The Mainstream Media To Deceive Humanity?

If someone was able to go back in time a few hundred years, the only way that they would be able to find out about what is going on in the world is by reading a newspaper and speaking to others. Now, if they were to go forward in time, they would soon have a radio to inform them and then a bit further down the line, they would have a TV that would do the same thing.

After this, they would soon arrive at the point in time where the internet was invented and a little while after, they would have access to devices that would allow them to stay up to date no matter where they are. Going from having a newspaper to being able to listen to radio will be a massive difference and going from watching TV to walking around with a device that is smaller but does far more will be an even bigger difference.
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The Next Phase

The big question is what will be the next thing after this? Will people have the opportunity to insert something into their brain or body that tell them directly about what is going on around them?

They won’t need to carry anything around with them and won’t need to worry about running out of battery either. This, of course, will bring a totally new meaning to being ‘plugged in’.

A Big Difference

Anyway, when there were only newspapers available, it was primarily all about words on a sheet of paper, along with a few black and white images here and there after a certain period of time had passed, and when it came to the radio, it was all about words being spoken. After this, with the invention of the TV, it was not just words being spoken and the odd image; there was also video footage of what was going on.

Once the internet and the different devices were available, images, audio and video could be viewed on-demand. What also played a part in all this was the invention of the camera, the video camera and the digital camera.

A Greater Influence

Naturally, seeing words on a sheet of paper is not as impactful as it is to watch a video on a screen. For example, reading that there is a war is not the same as seeing footage that shows a war is taking place.

Considering this, it is a lot easier for the media to let people know what is going on and for them to really connect to it too. So, if in the past someone felt as though they were on the outside looking in, they can now be very much on the inside.

Seeing Is Believing

Once someone has seen the footage or even an image that relates to a certain event, they can believe that they know what is going on. But, as they will have seen what is going on with their own eyes, why wouldn’t they come to this conclusion?

And, the more footage and images that they are exposed to, perhaps primarily by looking at their device, the greater this belief will be. What can also help to enforce what they believe will be the validation that they receive from people who have also been exposed to the same footage and images.

Stepping Back

However, what if some, if not all, of the footage that they are exposed to, is not necessarily fake but doesn’t relate to what is going on? What if the footage that is used relates to other events and is years old, for instance?

As for the images that they are exposed to, what if these images are not necessarily fake either but they also relate to other events and are years old? Upon hearing this, someone could dismiss what has been said and see this as the view of a conspiracy theorist, for instance.

Not On Board

They could say that there is no chance that this is could be the case as they have seen what is going on and so many people have also seen what is going on, so it is clear that this is what is actually taking place. Additionally, they could say that the mainstream media is there to inform, not to deceive; that’s all there is to it.

What this will illustrate is that they are not willing to acknowledge, let alone look into the fact that this source of information continually engages in what it accuses others of doing. This source routinely accuses other sources and others of creating fake news and spreading disinformation.

Direct Competition

It wouldn’t be right to say that this source is the only source that does this and other sources, such as the alternative media, doesn’t. There is a lot of fake news and disinformation out there.

But while this is something that is well-known, thanks to what the mainstream media accuses this and other sources of, what is not as well-known is that this source is also full of it. The trouble is that this source is generally seen as a bastion of truth and it positions itself as being above those sources that are out to deceive humanity.

Final Thoughts

If someone doesn’t believe that the mainstream media would deceive them, it might not matter what they are told or shown that proves that this source creates fake news and produces disinformation. This can partly be seen as a consequence of how effective this source is at deception and their unwillingness to think critically.

At the same time, if it wasn’t for the latter the former wouldn’t be very effective. Nonetheless, as the average person hasn’t got the time or energy to question everything they see or hear, it is not a surprise that the mainstream media is so good at deceiving others.