According to the documentary, the American public "bought" the war that the government was selling through its advertising campaign in mass media, mainly newspapers and television talk shows.
Because of the fear that resulted from the horror of September 11, 2001, the media was largely unwilling to go "out on a limb" and question the government's messages; they did not want to appear contrarian or anti-patriotic.
This reminds me of the culture of "P.C. police" today being similar to "patriotism police" in the early 2000s. The message is different, but the methods are similar. Anyone dissenting from the popular viewpoint is threatened and villified, even though they may just be exercising scrutiny and critical thought.
Overall though, the problem is that someone owns and controls the media networks. They are, as one interviewee said, "huge international conglomerates". As another speaker said, "The front page is a billboard for what the editors are telling you are the most important stories of the day". The reason they are doing this is because their boss has told them to make certain stories a priority.
So, the key thing to remember when analyzing any media is that whoever wrote the story has a boss, who has a boss, who has a boss, etc. and there is rarely room for individual critical thought in mass media. The agenda is being pushed. No need for critical thought. Just pick a side. Because if we, the masses, are busy fighting with each other, we won't have time to question the things we see in the media.
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