How does the mass media function in American society? Is the media landscape really an egalitarian one, wherein news outlets aim to attract audiences by presenting information in a value-neutral way? According to Noam Chomsky and Edward Herman, nah: they say the mass media is a system of propaganda that functions, ultimately, to preserve and protect the interests of media company shareholders, their advertisers, and governmental and corporate sources. But are they right? How has their model, originally published in 1988, stood up to the test of time? Are there distinctions to be made between organizations like The New York Times and Fox News? We're dissecting the mass media not as a cabal of nefarious execs scheming to deceive the public, but rather as a set of bureaucracies and incentives oriented, fundamentally, around the bottom line and maintaining the status quo.

Before that: when to shower during quarantine, cologne is superfluous trash, and the myth of Elon Musk as a self-made innovator who's invested in the welfare of humanity (he's not).

Intro and break music courtesy of Chris Giuliano.

Works Cited

Alex Graham: A Deep Dive Into Elon Musk's Investments

Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky: Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media

Jerry Hirsch: Elon Musk's growing empire is fueled by $4.9 billion in government subsidies

Julia Carrie Wong: Tesla workers say they pay the price for Elon Musk's big promises

Matt Robinson and Zeke Faux: When Elon Musk Tried to Destroy a Tesla Whistleblower

Noel Randewich: Musk's Tesla stake worth $30 billion after electrifying stock surge

Philip de Wet: Elon Musk's family owns an emerald mine in Zambia

Will Evans and Alyssa Jeong Perry: Tesla says its factory is safer. But it left injuries off the books