Communication

Communication is the basic form of transferring information from one source to another. This can either be a two-way transmission where the receiver also becomes the transmitter or it can be one-way where the receiver only receives and never transmits [1]. This one-way communication is what is dangerous. In mass communication it is the few powerful organizations that control the information and it has become a one-way transmission where unfortunately, the masses act as sheep. The organizations herd the sheep of the populace into buying certain products, voting for certain politicians, as well as other manipulations as shown by Max Horkheimer in Hardt’s essay, “the media profess to adhere to the values and freedom of the individual, but they ‘fetter the individual’ to prescribed thoughts, attitudes, and buying habits instead.” [2].

What separates democracy from totalitarian rule is the participation of the public in the act of making political decisions. However, if the public is being manipulated by those in power already, there is little that separates the two. Unfortunately this seems to be the case in America, as Hardt explains, "The current practice of mass communication confirms the dominance of a private, commercial agenda in a democratic culture that has failed to deliver on the promise of participation" [3].

The solution to this may be centered around the public mass communicating with itself. Websites with public forums where anyone may enter and state what they desire may provide a way for the public to compete with power organized groups. However, even then money can corrupt those online communities as well. It is simple for an organization to simply pay an employee to post propaganda on these websites as well, and at times bury the opposition in sheer quantity. The owners of the websites must also fight their own greed as companies may pay them to give priority to the companies propaganda. However, teaching the public to distrust mass communication and analyze data themselves is still a step in the right direction.

[1]- Hardt, Hanno. Myths for the Masses: an Essay on Mass Communication. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2004. Print. pg 8

[2]- Hardt, Hanno. Myths for the Masses: an Essay on Mass Communication. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2004. Print. pg 2.

[3]- Hardt, Hanno. Myths for the Masses: an Essay on Mass Communication. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub., 2004. Print. pg 3.