After reading our agenda setting readings, I instantly thought
of this video.
My sister showed me this video last spring. Derren Brown
primed these two men by subtlety providing the details for the “Animal Heaven” advertisement
on the drive to the office. I remember being amazed by the power of subliminal messages.
Brown expertly wielded this power to show how advertisements unconsciously get
ingrained in our minds for a short period. Essentially, one person, through advertising, can decide what your brain
takes in. In politics, they call these people agenda setters. Agenda setters,
just like Derren Brown, tell the public what to think about.
In the first reading, Agenda-Setting
Function, McCombs and Shaw call agenda setters: news editors, guardians, gatekeepers, decision
makers, media handlers, and spin doctors. That is a lot of varied definitions
for one job. Additionally,
having my news edited by a spin doctor does not sound comforting.
In the second reading, Craig Timberg says, “Search engines
have the potential to profoundly influence voters without them noticing the
impact.” I find this even more frightening. Ads influence your thoughts while an
algorithm influences your vote.
Is this right? Microsoft and Yahoo say no, but Google says, “Providing
relevant answers has been the cornerstone of Google’s approach to search from
the very beginning.” But this begs the question, what is relevant? Doesn’t that
depend on the person? A Republican would say every fetus is a life. A Democrat
would say a woman’s right to choose is important. Both stances are relevant to
their individual platforms.
Google is Derren Brown. Throughout our day Google shows us
ads and gives us “relevant” news. Intentionally
or unintentionally Google creates its own agenda through subliminal messages.
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