My problem with Glenn Beck

Glenn Beck is probably a good guy. I likely agree with much of what he says. It is the way he says it that bothers me. My problem with him harkens back to my days teaching civics. We spent a lot of time teaching propaganda techniques which are as follows:

• Name Calling
• Glittering Generalities
• Transfer
• Testimonial
• Plain Folks
• Card Stacking
• Band Wagon

I will not take time to define each of these. One may do so with a simple Internet search. Propaganda techniques are used to distort or cover the truth. I just wish Glenn Beck had been broadcasting when I was teaching propaganda techniques. He would have made my job much easier, but at the time, network news and the newspapers did a more than adequate job. 

A couple of years ago, Beck came out with an exceptional claim, "Obama is a racist." Later he apologized, but the message had come through loud and clear. This is the most egregious example, but Beck listeners note that Beck uses name calling frequently. It is a common tactic in politics. The use of name calling does not make it right. In a civil society, name calling ought to be left in the dust.

Beck is often heard to say, "We all know..." or "You know..." then the distortion. We don't all know any thing. We certainly don't all agree on anything. Beck has brought out the band wagon.

Note also, that Beck uses a lot of clips taken out of context repeated very quickly. The average person does not have time to process what is being said. It is easy, especially if one generally agrees with Beck's political philosophy, to just accept what has been tossed out as truth.

Another Beck trick is to rapidly change the subject. He will make a statement, go on to something else quickly so the mind does not have time to process the previous statement.

I challenge readers of this blog to spend time with Beck (not too much) or another radio talking head and contribute what you find that may fit the profile above. It is not just the conservatives who engage in such things, although they seem to have a corner on the market right now. Air America, before it went broke, was just as guilty. Walter Cronkite, highly respected, used to end the CBS evening news with "That's the way it is." Not! That broadcast was the way it is according to Cronkite and the brain trust at CBS. They could and did twist it however they wanted. Their broadcast was always filtered and colored through their biases.

I believe, in a free society, that there should be access to rational, objective reporting. Unfortunately, such a concept has all but disappeared in our society. Most of us gather information about the world from two or three sources. It is important to recognize the slant of these sources, recognize them for what they are and form our own opinions.