Basic techniques of media manipulation WHAT IS MANIPULATION

Basic techniques of media manipulation

WHAT IS MANIPULATION? This is the type of social influence that aims to change the behavior or perception of others using abusive, deceptive, or underhanded tactics.

TECHNIQUES OF MEDIA MANIPULATION • Diverting the Attention It is necessary to divert the attention of the public from important things to those unimportant, for example from political scandals and focusing people’s attention on environmental problems.

• Creation of Problems It is necessary to create the problem in order to make public react on it, for example breaking the constitution and democracy.

• Awaking emotions Arousing the sense of fear, anger, unfriendliness, for example fear of immigrants.

• Using children’s language If you talk to mature people as if you are speaking to the kids, you are achieving two effects. The public is pushing back the criticism and the message is making a deeper impact on people. This approach is massively used during advertising.

• False experts Presenting opinions of people with academic titles as authorities on the subject. This approach is massively used during advertising, too.

IMMIGRATION IN MEDIA The perception of immigrants, refugees and ethnic minorities largely depends on the image of them in media because media has become the main source of information about ‘the others’. We will focus on the significant role played by the media in shaping an attitude that can be described as outright hostility towards refugees. The cause lies in one-sided media messages which exacerbate the stereotypes and prejudices. The research illustrates how strongly young people are influenced by media messages rather than by direct personal contact when it comes to immigrants.

In September 2015 covers of weekly magazines ‘W Sieci’ and ‘Do Rzeczy’, along with the daily tabloid Super Express described the “immigration crisis. ” The cover of the issue W Sieci presents three Muslims crossing the border with one of them holding the Polish emblem. The first page carries the slogan “September 2015 they are coming!” The photo reminds the reader of 1939, when Nazi soldiers started the Second World War and invaded Poland.

On the front cover of Do Rzeczy one can find the subtitle: “They are not refugees, they are invaders. Let’s shut Polish borders before them. ”

Super Express alarms the readers that 90, 000 Arabs will overwhelm Poland.

In reality, Poland a country of 38 million (counting citizens without guest workers), is already home for over one million Ukrainians. Most of them decided to emigrate after military conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine in 2014, when the currency value of hryvnia plummeted and prices rose.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! How are immigrants presented in media in your country?