Freedom of the Press, Research Paper Example

Media Propaganda and Obamacare

American media has become in many respects representative of the distinct political divisions that exist among the population. It can be persuasively argued that politically neutral sources of information have functionally disappeared and what has followed in the wake of objective reporting is more or less open propaganda that is distributed along media lines in a predictable fashion. What is less clear is whether or not the average American is able to discern  blatant propaganda from verifiable fact. Whatever the intelligence (or lack thereof) of the average American citizen, one thing is certain and that is the reality that mainstream journalism  is no longer distinguishable from the agenda that drives any particular outlet. As mentioned by Croteau, “media have tremendous potential to inform citizens about events and issues in their world, they also have unparalleled potential for abuse by political partisans and commercial interests” (Croteau, 92). Nowhere is this statement for immediately verifiable than in the so-called “new” media of America, which may rely on digital technology but certainly seems steeped in the oldest and most base aspects of bias and slant.

One example is the way that the Affordable Care Act has been covered in American media outlets. For starters, this comprehensive health-care legislation is almost exclusively referred to in the media as “Obamacare.” The word itself reinforces the idea that the media serves a propagandistic purpose. What is interesting about the word “Obamacare” is that it is used by both supporters of the Affordable Care Act and detractors of the law. It is also proof of how ‘buzz words” or “dumbed-down” discourse in American media is used to try to define and shape public opinion. All that is necessary to substantiate these claims is to compare a number of recent articles on the subject and examine with an acknowledgement of the prevailing viewpoint that is evident in regard to the individual media sources.

A recent article by Jacob Linkins “ Obamacare Encourages Some Risky Behavior — And That’s A Good Thing” (2014) which appeared at Huffingpost.com offers a quintessential pro-Obamacare perspective. This is expected from a media outlet that is well known as a liberal news outlet. The article is actually merely a short synopsis for a longer more in-depth article at the NY Times Magazine. However, the article concludes that “When it comes to loosing America’s entrepreneurial spirit from the shackles of job lock, Obamacare was one of Mitt Romney’s better ideas.” (Linkins). This is a double-shot of pro-Obama and pro-liberal sentiment. Keep in mind that the article itself has not presented a single shred of evidence for either of these two claims: 1) that Obamacare is a liberator for working people and will allow them to pursue their dreams of owning a business or 2) that Obamacare can somehow actually be regarded as an idea or policy that came from Republican Mitt Romney who actually ran actively against Obamacare when he challenged President Obama for the Presidency.

Since there is no substantiation for the claims made by the article and there is ample evidence that the main points presented by the article are those routinely associated with the mainstream liberal perception of Obamacare, it is necessary to conclude that the article is an authentic piece of propaganda. As such it means little in regard to the obtaining of genuine information. It offers the average citizen absolutely nothing in terms of practical knowledge; it fails to offer anything that even comes close to being an insight or understanding about the mechanics of the implementation of the most massive social program in recent American history. It is nothing more than a pandering blurb that is meant to stoke up mindless support for the new healthcare legislation while simultaneously offering a juvenile insult to the Republican party.

Another example of biased reporting is the article “Has Anyone in America Actually Been Harmed by Obamacare?” (2014) by Kevin Drum. The article begins by answering the question posed by the headline and the answer leaves no doubt as to the agenda that is operating beneath the surface of the article. The first line reads “I’m beginning to think there’s not actually a single person in America who’s been harmed by Obamacare.” (Drum). The implication is that the reader should share this opinion by the time he or she is finished reading the article. What Drum offers as evidence for his claim is the refutation of a single case that Republican media had offered as a way of showing the bad impacts of Obamacare. In other words, the article is a thinly veiled attack on republican media, accusing the republicans of using propaganda to misinform the public. The irony is that the article is itself, a wonderful specimen of propaganda.

In regard to the case in question, the article concludes: “Let’s recap: Boonstra kept her doctor. Her new plan is, on net, less expensive than her old plan. And presumably she’s no longer required to compromise on the type of chemotherapy she receives. In other words, it appears to be superior on virtually every metric.” (Drum) Note the use of the word “let’s” because this is an important tool used by biased writers. The idea is that if you don’t agree with the article you are somehow at fault and perhaps just not smart enough to follow the (erroneous) conclusion that Obamacare is harmless to everyone in the country. Again, as with the article that appeared in The Huffington Post, the agenda here is to avoid any reference to the actual legislation, it’s actual regulations, or the impact of the law on anyone other than a single individual. Again, as with the previous article, Drum’s article is virtually worthless a source of information and barely qualifies as news. It is, rather, a typical piece of propaganda that would leave a neutral reader feeling only more confused than ever about the actual impact of the law in question.

As the preceding discussion shows the mainstream liberal media as represented by The Huffington post, Mother Jones Magazine, and by extension the NY Times Magazine, is disinterested in presenting news. The bad news is, the same is true for Right wing news outlets, such as Yahoo.com . For example, a recent article, linked from Reuters, “ Exclusive: AIDS patients in Obamacare limbo as insurers reject checks.” (2014) presents as alarming a picture of the impact of Obamcare as is possible, short of showing infants dying in their cradles. According to the article, “ Hundreds of people with HIV/AIDS in Louisiana trying to obtain coverage under President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform are in danger of being thrown out of the insurance plan they selected in a dispute over federal subsidies” (Begley). The specter of AIDS victims being left to die by the Federal bureaucracy is nothing less than a form of character assassination leveled at the President himself. The idea that a Democratic President would enact legislation that would ultimately harm AIDS patients is meant to cast the President in as ugly and brutal terms as is possible. No information is cited about the specific aspects of Obamacare that are placing these individuals at risk, and little attention is given to the fact that the potential problems are actually those which originate with the state, rather than federal, government.

Another recent article, “Obamacare may get sick if young Americans don’t sign up” (2014) grossly exaggerates the potentially harmful impacts on the legislation that may or may not occur if young people fail to sign up for health care in sufficient numbers. According to Krauskopf, “Critics of Obama’s Affordable Care Act say the market won’t attract enough young people to keep it financially viable, putting more pressure on government funds to compensate for any insurer losses.”(Krauskapf). Notice that the unspecified “critics” also suggested that the lack of enrollment into programs by young people would likely result in an expansion of the federal government’s power. No evidence is cited to back up this claim. Little evidence is cited that supports the article’s core-claim that young people are signing up in such insufficient numbers that a worst case scenario is likely or even a serious potential at this point.

Despite this fact, the article goes on to mention a “death spiral” that a small number of analysts have posited could occur under the worst conditions. The article states that “Such a spiral is thought to occur if insurers facing higher costs raise premiums, so only very sick people buy coverage … until the insurance market either disappears or shrinks to the point that it is not sustainable.” (Krauskapf). This latter claim is just shy of hysterical and is not bolstered by any statistics or scientific data. It is merely an observation by one person which is exaggerated into the article’s headline. This article is a piece of propaganda that is meant to frighten people and make them feel as though the entire health care system and perhaps even the entirety of “free enterprise” is at stake due to the Affordable Care Act. What is possibly most sinister about the article is not even its references to Obamacare, but its underlying propaganda that American society is even a free-market in the first place. Anyone who is the least bit informed knows that America is an oligarchy where huge corporate interests rule through massive financial power and there is little or no opportunity for small businesses to grow. The entire investment class of wealth of the country is controlled by 2 percent of the population.

The articles examined above show that propaganda and not information is the main focus of mainstream news sources. Although we have been told again and again that we live in an age of “new media” it seems that the new platforms have not presented much of an obstacle to those who wish to spread ignorance rather than awareness through openly biased coverage of current issues and events. The net result is that the average person is left without any credible source of news and must somehow determine the correct way to approach world events by sifting through contaminated sources or living in an echo chamber. It is enough to make an aware person wonder if this, along with the destruction of our civil liberties, our right to privacy, and the absolute corruption of our government systems, comprises a coordinated and conscious intent to destroy the foundations of American democracy and bend the population toward an autocratic society.

Works Cited

Begley, Sharon ;  Steenhuysen, Julie. Exclusive: AIDS patients in Obamacare limbo as insurers reject checks. 4-8-14. http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-aids-patients-obamacare-limbo-insurers-reject-checks-152316632–sector.html

Croteau, David R.; Hoynes, William, D. Media/Society: Industries, Images, and Audiences 4th (Fourth) Edition, Sage,  2011.

Drum, Kevin. Has Anyone in America Actually Been Harmed by Obamacare? 4-20-14. www.motherjones.com; accessed 4-23-14; http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2014/02/has-anyone-america-actually-been-harmed-obamacare

Krauskopf, Lewis. Obamacare may get sick if young Americans don’t sign up; 1-12-14; Yahoonews.com; accessed 2-23-14; http://news.yahoo.com/obamacare-may-sick-young-americans-don-39-t-130506211–sector.html

Linkins, Jacob. Obamacare Encourages Some Risky Behavior — And That’s A Good Thing. 2-2-14; www.huffingongpost.com;  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/24/obamacare-and-entrepreneurs_n_4848422.html?utm_hp_ref=obamacare