Post 1 : Ideology or propaganda

Figure 1: Quote by Malcolm X

Question: 
Based on the poster, what is the ideology/ propaganda message?

Answer:

"If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing “is a quote from Malcolm X, an African-American Muslim minister and a human rights activist. Based on the poster and quote, what I interpreted from it consist of the power of media. The ideology portrayed in the picture attached is a point of view on how perception of an individual can be manipulated through mass media. The statement (in Figure 1) is a message to ensure that people do not perceive news to be the ultimate truth as it is never a guarantee, knowing that it is also written by a human being. The phrase "if you're not careful" at the beginning of the sentence is used as a reminder to be aware and not easily fooled. The quote could've ended at "...people who are being oppressed," and it would have delivered the message that media have the power to control how a story is portrayed but instead Malcolm X added "...and loving the people who are doing the oppressing" which I decoded as a reminder that perception is often made based on how something is portrayed.

In my opinion, this statement is not only concerning how much damage someone's life could be when a media ruins it by publishing false news, but also when people spread rumours those are yet to be proven as truth to the public. There are many occurrences that appear to be toxic in the current world regarding false statements. Hearsay and rumours are the perfect example on how a life could be ruined. Perception of an individual is sometimes viewed from one perspective and is shared by many which results in a similar response. For instance, the recent story of the RapidKL Bus driver being chased by a group of men riding motorcycles caused the bus driver to drive recklessly resulting in a massive traffic jam and accident. When the story was first shared, it was through social media. The incident was focusing on how the driver ran to save his life but ended up being beaten half alive by the motorcycle riders. Few hours later, police investigated the incident and told the press that it is proven the RapidKL bus driver was high on meth. After the news are published by the media, the response on social media shifted from sympathetic to furious. This is a great representation of how fast a point of view can change. However, there are also people who believe that the truth is a propaganda as some facts doesn't add up. Some people are doubting the usage of meth due to statement given by the employer of the RapidKL bus driver which states that he has a good record for the last two years. Nevertheless, people will always have a view on how an incident is portrayed but those that do not analyse and believe completely in what is shared will always be an easy target to fool.   

In the era of advanced technology and mass media dominating the world, it is certain that information is easily spread to public either directly or indirectly. The rise of social media in this era is an example of the evolution of media and how it is accessible by almost everyone on earth.

I believe that there are always three sides to a story, which is the story from the person that are involved, the story that are perceived by journalist and the truth of what really happened. However, the perception of truth are often the ones that are published, whatever information that are shared through newspaper are ought to be facts by public. This is due to the fact that newspapers are one of the trustworthy materials when it comes to inform recent story. The validation of newspaper is sought to be truth even when it is manipulated or purposely misleading with an intention.

The importance of analysing facts lies in research from multiple sources and avoid being bias. I believe that if we are aware of how the media works, we could avoid believing 100% in the source shared through media. As audiences of the mass media, we should be aware that there are always agenda involved in delivering news to public. Either it is good or bad, we should always have opinions and our own point of views as we are entitled to have one. Do not simply believe and agree with the information shared by others, always speak your mind and be considerate.