Chomsky answers the question he poses within the title of this writing What Makes Mainstream Media Mainstream, by first categorizing the different media types, associating them with intellectual contemporary institutions, and then historically referencing their emergence into the “whole intellectual culture”.
By deconstructing mainstream media, first through the idea that it is in of itself an institution to be hypothesized through a scientific method, he poses questions, to answer questions that slowly break down the purpose and product of such institutions. He then goes on to classify, based on the output target group, and private funding, of Mass Media versus Elite Media. The only difference between the two categories, Chomsky defines as mainstream, is the outlet they target and the large corporate funding backed by each. He classifies Mass Media, as sit-coms, reality television, sports programming, basically anything bastardized through Hollywood. Chomsky says these are created as a diversion tactic, taking people away from the things that really matter. This programming is set to target the masses, the Everyman.
On the reverse spectrum of communication sits the Elite Media, hidden from public view, for the most part, these organizations are much more powerful and manipulative than Mass Media. The Elite Media is supported monetarily through some of the wealthiest institutions found within the realms of the United States. These are large corporations set out to create an agenda, leading them to also be branded as the Agenda Setting Media. Run tyrannically, created for the privileged, having associations within the political arena, their full purpose is to “organize the way people think and look at things”. These institutions, which support the Elite Media, range from governmental organizations, other corporations within corporations, all the way to the scholastic Universities!
Chomsky reiterates over and over how within either of these institutions independent thought is not an option, ever. And if there were a possibility of a free thought it would get pummeled before it saw any light of day. There is in reality a forum of free flowing ideas, these which get censored, filtered and then reworked until they become part of the one massive set of ideologies that are the only agreed upon ideologies. There is no place for independence, true freedom of thought or a diversion for what is coined the “norm”.
Directing most of his blame within the university institution, an institution that prides it’s self on educating, Chomsky sites that such institutions are set to socialize to a predicted pattern and detour from freedom of thought. If taken off this predicted path, one is no longer part of such a system of learning. It is within this organization that the basic thought of “the general population (being) ignorant and meddlesome outsiders”, progresses and manifests to back-up the position that only the learned know what is really going on within society. Chomsky says this is a working example of Leninism, “we do things for you and we are doing it in the interest of everyone”. He believes this is connected to power, and who holds it. Whichever doctrine is more empowered is the one people will most likely be attracted to.
The evolution of this power structure, within the United States, surfaced during the First World War, and was sustained and encouraged within the second WW. It was through the propaganda machine of the British Ministry of Information that sought out the aide of the United States during WWI. The Ministry of Information “was mainly geared to send propaganda”, their intent was “geared to American intellectuals”, and whole purpose was to “control the thought of the entire world”. They believed the American intellectuals to be most “gullible and most likely to believe propaganda”. Which in turn is why the educational system is a great breeding ground for propaganda. Without the creation of propaganda aimed towards the Americans there would have been no way the British would have won the war.
It is within these internal mechanisms of thought that feed these inherent bred ideologies. The idea that the educated knows what’s best for everyone progresses these belief structures.
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