When it comes to the most attention-grabbing news in November, it is undoubtedly the recently concluded U.S. presidential election. In a surprising turn of events, Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris with an overwhelming advantage to become the latest President of the United States. This election garnered unprecedented attention due to major incidents such as the Trump assassination attempt, Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race, and Elon Musk’s endorsement of Trump. According to NPR statistics, the Democratic and Republican parties collectively spent approximately $10 billion on this election, $1 billion more than the previous one. I will analyze how the Republican Party utilized the Propaganda Model to promote Trump’s political ideology.
According to the Propaganda Model, the media is not neutral. Its content and stance are often influenced by capital interests.They are funded largely by advertisers who are also profit-seeking entities, and who want their ads to appear in a supportive selling environment.The model identifies five factors that act as filters for media content: ownership, advertising, source, flak, and ideology. During and before the Cold War era, ideology was heavily characterized by anti-communism and was frequently used to deter criticism of actions against smaller states labeled as communist.
In the U.S., due to political and geographical factors, most media outlets take a clear stance well before elections. Conservative-leaning outlets like Fox News, The Washington Times, and The New York Post serve as the main propaganda tools for the Republican Party during elections.
Taking Fox News as an example, it is one of the most influential and widely consumed right-wing media outlets. Founded by Australian Rupert Murdoch, who also owns The Sun, Fox News has maintained consistent support for the Republican Party since its inception in 1996, despite being based in Democrat-dominated New York. While there is no direct financial relationship between the Republican Party and Fox News, the network’s primary audience consists of middle-aged and older Americans,who is the core supporters of Republican
Trump’s campaign popularized highly provocative phrases such as “Make America Great Again,” “Sleepy Joe,” and “Border Czar.” These slogans effectively galvanized his supporters and painted his opponents in a negative light.
Following the assassination attempt on Trump, Republican media outlets leveraged rising nationalism and conspiracy theories to portray Trump as a heroic figure, while suggesting that the attempt was orchestrated by Democrats. This narrative was instrumental in helping Trump gain substantial support in key swing states
The election highlighted a deep ideological conflict. Amid economic recession caused by the pandemic and regional conflicts, Trump vigorously promoted policies such as anti-immigration, anti-LGBTQ rights, and climate change skepticism. He framed these policies as necessary steps to restore jobs for native-born Americans by targeting illegal immigrants and prioritizing American workers.
In addition to traditional media, Trump posted a large number of tweets on his social media platform, Truth Social, bypassing traditional media to communicate directly with voters and supporters. This allowed his messages to reach the public in an unfiltered manner. Furthermore, he engaged in deep collaboration with Elon Musk, the richest man in America and the owner of Twitter. Leveraging his influence in the internet and business sectors, Elon Musk helped promote Trump extensively.
Conclusion
As one of the world’s most attractive elections, this presidential race demonstrated the real-world application of the Propaganda Model. In the realm of media, no coverage is entirely neutral or free from external influence. As readers, it is essential to approach information with critical thinking and a discerning perspective to understand the nuances behind the narratives we encounter.
Reference
Reference list
Herman, E. (2020). The Propaganda Model Revisited The Jus Semper Global Alliance In Pursuit of the People and Planet Paradigm Sustainable Human Development November 2020 ESSAYS ON TRUE DEMOCRACY AND CAPITALISM. [online] Available at: https://www.jussemper.org/Resources/Democracy%20Best%20Practices/Resources/EdwardHerman-PropagandaModel.pdf.
Montanaro, D. (2024). More than $10 billion has been spent on ads in the 2024 election. [online] NPR. Available at: https://www.npr.org/2024/11/01/nx-s1-5173712/2024-election-ad-spending-trump-harris.
