Tag: propaganda

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Documentary Documentary Film Reviews

OUTFOXED: RUPERT MURDOCH’S WAR ON JOURNALISM

OutfoxedOutfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism, directed by Robert Greenwald is ten years old July 2014, but the picture it paints of Murdoch, and Fox News is more relevant and correct now then it was when it was released. This fast-moving seventy-eight minute documentary begins with Murdoch’s purchase of Fox and the steady move toward a non-journalistic approach to covering topical subjects that stretch the meaning of the word “news.” Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism is an inside look at how Fox News evolved and where it is today. This exploration begins with how Murdoch and his Australian company, News Corp, were able to get around FCC guidelines regulating foreign ownership of US Media and subsequently start a forth television network.

This documentary is a must see since Rupert Murdock is now, 2014, trying to buy and add Time Warner to his media empire. Ten years ago Senator Bernie Sanders, seen in Outfoxed, appeared to believe that concentrated corporate control of the media is not good for our democracy.  Since that time media corporations have gotten even larger, with Murdoch’s News Corporation now one of the largest.

Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism is aptly titled. The Murdoch organization doesn’t care about a journalistic approach to reporting the news. There are only two agendas in play at Fox News and The News Corporation in general. The first is making money and the second, ideologically based exploitation of topical issues. This is tabloid journalism as pure propaganda. The documentary explores these ideas through tracing the history of Fox News since Murdoch took over and soon after put Roger Ailes, an experienced Republican strategist, in charge of the entire operation.

The documentary includes clips featuring Fox News Reporters and pundits including Fox regulars like Sean Hannity, Britt Hume and Bill O’Reilly among others. There are also interviews with former Fox employees who candidly talk about their experience at Fox and the kind of manipulation of news that is practiced and encouraged. For example a “daily memorandum” comes out every morning telling reporters how to approach subjects of the day, what to say and what not to say. Other interviews in the documentary with Walter Cronkite, Christiane Amanpour, Tom Brokaw, and other industry professionals give added perspectives on the situation.

According to the filmmakers, the Outfoxed team “created a system to monitor Fox News 24 hours a day for months.” “Volunteers around the country scrutinized every hour of Fox News programming, noting examples of bias in its coverage.” Many examples are used in the documentary as media experts provide commentary.

As the film progresses there are many clips of Fox News personalities doing their thing, examples of the type of broadcasting they practice. One such segment shows a score of clips of Bill O’Reilly telling his guests to “shut-up,” after he tells someone he only said “shut-up” once, to one person. O’Reilly also turns up being rude and caustic to Jeremy Glick the activist son of someone killed on 911. Glick manages to hold his own in the interview, which infuriates O’Reilly. Al Franken in an interview about the incident concludes that it may be difficult to sue O’Reilly for his untruthful, on air attacks on Glick since O’Reilly may be a pathological liar – who doesn’t know when he’s lying. This idea might apply to the entire staff of Fox News.

Another interesting segment is Fox reporters using the term “some people say…” to interject their own or managements opinions into an interview. Once you start to listen for these qualifiers it’s amazing how often they turn up on Fox News. The slogan, “Fair and Balanced News,” adopted by Fox, is proven to be far from that reality, then and now.

Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism is an excellent documentary, well-directed and edited. It tells a story that we all need hear. In the end it isn’t about Fox’s right wing propaganda agenda, it’s about understanding that there has to be unbiased sources out there where people can get facts and news to help them make decisions critical to the needs of a democracy. News and information should not be disseminated by a few sources, owned by a very small number of people.

Review by J R Martin, author Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia.

 

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Documentary Documentary Film Reviews

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DOCUMENTARY AND PROPAGANDA

By James R Martin

“If you repeat a lie enough times people will believe it to be true.” Joesph Goebbels Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda – Germany WWII

There seems to be confusion about what is a documentary and what is propaganda. When I hear a broadcaster on NPR or pundit on TV news call an obvious propaganda film like “Obama’s America 2016” a documentary it makes me think of the propaganda films the Nazi Party in Germany put out against the Jews.  German propaganda films played in theaters too! Far right-wing groups, with a political agenda,  financed this propaganda film.  A quick look at the preview for “Obama’s America 2016” on You Tube makes it obvious that the film is propaganda. I guess anyone who watches Fox Fake News on cable TV is into propaganda and may enjoy paying to see more of it.

I wonder if people in the media even know the difference between propaganda and documentary. There is a difference between propaganda and an advocacy documentary that says what its subject and point-of-view are up front and then explores issues surrounding the topic. Whereas propaganda  hides it’s true intent, inventing fictional realities while pretending to be nonfiction.

Michael Moore makes advocacy documentary films. He does not make a secret of the fact that he has a liberal or progressive point-of-view.  His films explore the issues and show opposing viewpoints. Opponents of his advocacy positions have tried to call his films propaganda. But there is a big difference between advocacy and propaganda.  Michael Moore’s documentaries do not start out with trumped-up accusations and an undisclosed agenda. His documentaries look at facts that are substantiated by reality not ideology or politics. Political action groups or secret wealthy donors do not finance Michael Moore’s documentaries. Moore’s work does not include unsubstantiated theories by unknown sources. He does not use racist or ethnic “dog whistles” to demean anyone. His documentaries explore issues and ask questions in a sincere attempt to show truth.

Most serious documentary filmmakers do not get involved in making propaganda because its purpose is to manipulate people into believing a biased or skewed idea presented in a fake, mock documentary style. Propaganda distorts reality and/or promotes an ideological, political or religious point-of-view.

Propaganda Definitions:

Propaganda distorts and skews reality, actuality and facts to present an alternative reality that is false.

Propaganda promotes a bias that a government, political party, religion, cause, or ideology espouses, showing only one biased and usually hidden agenda.

Propaganda seeks to manipulate the viewer by altering actuality with untruths and distortion to create a reality favorable to whatever ideology or cause it favors.

It’s unfortunate that the news media and the public have generally lost the ability to distinguish between “spin” and facts; between hardcore propaganda and documentary based on actuality and facts.

Propaganda vs Reality in Documentary Film – Scientology vs Going Clear Documentary Film   …or this documentary threatens us by exploring realities we would rather not talk about.

Written by J R Martin

This post in part based on excerpts from Create Documentary Films, Videos and Multimedia by James R Martin – Copyright 2014

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ORWELL ROLLS IN HIS GRAVE

“Who controls the past… controls the future – who controls the present controls the past.” — Orwell, 1984.  

“Orwell Rolls in His Grave” is a social, historical, and advocacy nonfiction work about television and print media. It asks questions and explores issues using an objective reality format that presents facts, prompting you to think about the world you live in today.

Public’s Need to Know

Using quotes from George Orwell’s novel “1984,” the documentary film “Orwell Rolls In His Grave,” written, directed, and edited by Robert Kane Pappas, examines the role of media in today’s world. It is a prophetic documentary delivering a message that feels even more urgent now than when it was made in 2004. The film raises controversial questions about political and corporate control of the public’s right to know. Pappas, supported by knowledgeable individuals, analyzes recent events, revealing what they see as the Orwellian aspects of modern life.

 

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“Who controls the past… controls the future – who controls the present controls the past.” — Orwell, 1984.

Quotes From Orwell’s Novel “1984”

Using quotes from George Orwell’s novel “1984,” the documentary film “Orwell Rolls In His Grave,” written, directed, and edited by Robert Kane Pappas, explores the role of media in today’s world. It is a prophetic documentary conveying a message that seems even more urgent today than when the film was made in 2004. Orwell Rolls In His Grave asks controversial questions about issues related to political and corporate control of the public’s need to know. Pappas, aided by some knowledgeable people, deconstructs recent events, bringing to light what they believe is the Orwellian nature of modern life.

Does the Media Control Our Thinking?

The documentary raises several important questions. Are we living in a ‘mediaocracy”? Has the media become the authority on what news and information reaches the public? Is “news” about events or simply marketing for viewership? These and many other topics are examined beyond the Fox News fake “fair and balanced” format. The documentary features clips of Michael Moore speaking, interviews with Vermont Representative Bernie Sanders, Charles Lewis, director of the Center for Public Integrity, Greg Palast, author of The Best Democracy Money Can Buy, Vincent Bugliosi, a former L.A. prosecutor and legal scholar, and others.

The documentary’s format combines interviews, graphics, narration, news clips, statistics, quotes, and archival footage to create a narrative that feels relevant to today’s reality, both in the United States and possibly worldwide. While foreboding background music underscores quotes from Orwell and other scenes, the film does not try to manipulate viewers; it presents facts, asks questions, and clearly supports a viewpoint backed by evidence.

“If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it.” —  Joesph Goebbels Orwell Rolls In His Grave presents facts that every American should consider

One topic discussed in the film is how the media failed during the 2000 election, especially during the dispute over Florida’s vote count between Al Gore and G.W. Bush. The film also questions why the media has not investigated the sharp increase in wealth for a small elite, despite most citizens experiencing a decline in earnings.

Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister, said: “…what you want in a media system [is] ostensible diversity – that conceals actual uniformity.”

The film explores modern media within this context and others. If all newspapers, television, radio, and cable systems are owned by a few corporations, how much diversity truly exists? The myth of the ‘Liberal Media” is examined against the reality that the media is owned by corporations with conservative interests. While individual reporters or writers may hold progressive views, do those ideas reach a broad audience?

“Orwell Rolls In His Grave” is a social, historical, and advocacy nonfiction story. It questions and explores issues using an objective reality approach, presenting facts to encourage reflection on today’s world. This documentary clears away the foggy lenses of indifference and spin to reveal a world that would make “Orwell Rolls In His Grave.”

Review by

James R Martin – Author –Documentary Directing and Storytelling

ORWELL ROLES IN HIS GRAVE – 2004 – 105 MINUTES – DIRECTED BY Robert Kane Pappas – Go Cart Films and SAG HARBOR – BASEMENT PICTURES

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