Inside the CIA's Media Web: Manipulating Public Opinion and Government Deceit (1987)

The documentary "THE CIA, CONGRESS AND THE PRESS" delves into the intricate relationship between the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), mass media, and public opinion manipulation. Former CIA insiders and authors intimately familiar with the agency reveal the pervasive infiltration of the media by the CIA, shedding light on how it's utilized to shape and control public sentiment.

Whistleblowers like John Stockwell share firsthand experiences of covert operations conducted worldwide, unraveling the intricate web of tactics employed to sway narratives and disseminate misinformation. As the film progresses, viewers are confronted with specific instances of disinformation, juxtaposed against broader governmental practices. The focus intensifies on the Reagan Administration, exposing a pattern of deceit, information distortion, and systematic manipulation of the press.

Throughout its 59 minutes and 25 seconds runtime, the documentary presents a stark portrayal of how governmental bodies, specifically the CIA, wielded their influence within media channels, underscoring the concerning implications for public trust and the authenticity of information disseminated to the masses. Recorded on June 10, 1987, it remains a compelling insight into the complexities of media manipulation and government misinformation tactics.

Media manipulation is a series of related techniques in which partisans create an image or argument that favors their particular interests.[1] Such tactics may include the use of logical fallacies, manipulation, outright deception (disinformation), rhetorical and propaganda techniques, and often involve the suppression of information or points of view by crowding them out, by inducing other people or groups of people to stop listening to certain arguments, or by simply diverting attention elsewhere. In Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes, Jacques Ellul writes that public opinion can only express itself through channels which are provided by the mass media of communication – without which there could be no propaganda.[2] It is used within public relations, propaganda, marketing, etc. While the objective for each context is quite different, the broad techniques are often similar.

As illustrated below, many of the more modern mass media manipulation methods are types of distraction, on the assumption that the public has a limited attention span.
Contexts
Activism
Main article: Activism

Activism is the practice or doctrine that has an emphasis on direct vigorous action especially supporting or opposing one side of a controversial matter.[3] It is quite simply starting a movement to affect or change social views. It is frequently started by influential individuals but is done collectively through social movements with large masses.[4] These social movements can be done through public rallies, strikes, street marches and even rants on social media.
Advertising
Duration: 1 minute and 1 second.1:01Subtitles available.CC
"Daisy", a TV commercial for the re-election of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. It aired only once, in September 1964, and is considered both one of the most controversial and one of the most effective political ads in U.S. history.
Main article: Advertising

Advertising is a form of promotion that seeks to persuade a certain audience to purchase a good or service. One of the first types of marketing, it aims to persuade its target market to either buy, sell, or carry out a particular action.[5] This tends to be done by businesses who wish to sell their product by paying media outlets to show their products or services on television breaks, banners on websites and mobile applications.

These advertisements are not only done by businesses but can also be done by certain groups. Non-commercial advertisers are those who spend money on advertising in a hope to raise awareness for a cause or promote specific ideas.[6] These include groups such as interest groups, political parties, government organizations and religious movements. Most of these organizations intend to spread a message or sway public opinion instead of trying to sell products or services. Advertising can not only be found on social media, but it is also evident on billboards, newspapers, magazines and even word of mouth.
Hoaxing
Main article: Hoax

A hoax is something intended to deceive or defraud. Misleading public stunts, scientific frauds, false bomb threats and business scams are examples of hoaxes.

Propagandizing is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position by presenting only one side of an argument. Propaganda is commonly created by governments, but some forms of mass communication created by other powerful organizations can be considered propaganda as well.