When Media Hides Behind A Hidden Agenda: How Media Manipulation Can Produce Undesirable Results

The insanity of the cartoon satarizing the assassination of President Barack Obama featured in The New York Post mid week has yet to illicit the type of headlines it so deserves.  On CNN late Friday, a farce of a discussion was debated half-heartedly by three male political commentators: two Caucasian and one African American. The conversation was ridiculous and lukewarm at best and unsurprisingly the only African American on the panel was oreo in texture, weak in tone and void of true substance. This particular commentator once peppered the Bush cabinet. That figures.

The New York Post should be held responsible for nurturing a counter-productive environment that thrives on ignorance and racial bias. The “apology” that the editorial staff of The New York Post offered wasn’t really an apology at all. It was another attempt to blow a smoke screen over the truth. The truth is that this particular newspaper, that happens to be minority owned, practices a wicked brand of propaganda that breeds a complex set of circumstances with tragic results.

Throughout America’s history, the media has been used to sell all kinds of misleading garbage to further one group’s agenda over another. Usually, these are collective groups with a singular identity, coupled with a never ending supply of money, investments and political clout. That is how groups as these succeed. However, the power that they wield can lead to devastating results. Case in point, Nazi Germany.

When Adolpf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in the early 1930′s, his agenda became crystal clear. Through the formation of the Third Reich, and in turn the creation of the SS, Hitler was able to wrestle control of the media,  and in essence, control the thoughts of a nation. Through his horrendous propaganda machine, Hitler was able to thoroughly emasculate those he deemed undesirable and unfit. This systematic programing and wiring of a nation was spoon fed daily through the government owned newspapers. Soon, an entire country was desensitized. When that was accomplished, the out and out slaughter of millions upon millions of innocent human beings commenced. An entire nation was seduced by the cunning propaganda of one prominent group of people who chose to exterminate those it labeled unworthy to live.

How did this happen? Through the media, courtesy of the local newspaper.

How about the assassination of Malcolm X? This is an excellent study in using a media platform to further or carry out an expressed agenda. Upon being subsequently forced out of the Nation of Islam in late 1963 due to a jealous, power hungry and ego-tripping unstable religious hierarchy, Malcolm X experienced media harassment. This intense media harassment came from two ends of the spectrum. Secular and religious.

Muhammad Speaks was a prominent community newspaper that Malcolm created to showcase the activities of the Nation of Islam, spread the message of Islam, as taught by the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, and advertise local Muslim businesses. With Malcolm at the helm, the newspaper had validity. After Malcolm’s departure, the editors of Muhammad Speaks decided to declare a jihad on him.

In the name of Allah, faithful readers were systematically fed lies about Malcolm that bred an intense hatred. The tone of Muhammad Speaks became volatile by the usage of key words that meant a great deal to Nation of Islam followers. Words such as “traitor”, “Devil,” hypocrite,” “loyalty,” and “betray.” The language in Muhammad Speaks and the sheer magnitude of hate propaganda helped to fuel the electric atmosphere that crackled around Malcolm X and disgruntled Nation of Islam members.

Satiric cartoons, as the one displayed above, succeeded in assisting in the psychological execution of Malcolm X. All that was needed was some sick and demented person or persons to ‘righteously’ defend the honor of Elijah Muhammad in the name of God. Hence the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965. Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan has since admitted that his role as editor of Muhammad Speaks, fueled the hatred that led to Malcolm’s death.

So, what does this mean? It means that with the lack of public outcry over such a blatant attack on not just President Barack Obama, but African American men in general, and African Americans as a collective, the scene has been set for ignorant people to continue to wallow in the depths of hatred and degradation of human beings that they have marked as moving targets. Traditionally, these type of individuals dwell in secrecy and in a cloak of darkness. With the continued support of media representation like The New York Post, those with the same diabolical agenda will soon venture further into the mainstream. Many are already visible.

The desensitizing of America has been underway for decades now. Hundreds of years in the making. With a violent past as a nation that enslaved human beings, and a violent present that has seen America launch a preemptive strike  against a defenseless country based on falsified documents, it is no wonder why The New York Post was able to get away with an “apology,” that in fact sounds more like a justification.

This is a symptom of a problem that Americans do not want to address now, especially with the historic election of America’s first African American president. There are some who believe that racial intolerance died on January 20, 2009 at 12 noon.

Obviously, this is not the case.