ellie (dyke arc) 🖤 :nb_heart: on Nostr: while I'm already talking about how news media is a propagandistic endeavour that ...
while I'm already talking about how news media is a propagandistic endeavour that exists to convince us of the legitimacy of our own oppression on behalf of the rich, I'd like to take the opportunity to point out one of the most normalised rhetorical exercises that german-speaking corporate news engages in: they refer to capitalists as "Arbeitgeber" and to workers as "Arbeitnehmer", which is "work-giver" and "work-taker" respectively. it's an intentional inversion of who is actually doing the giving and who's doing the taking. this is literally 1984. not an ironic "literally 1984", this is literally literally 1984.
"but Ellie" I hear you say "isn't it a bit conspiratorial to suggest that this linguistic quirk exists to intentionally shape the way people think about capitalism?" to which I reply: first of all, just because something is conspiratorial doesn't mean it isn't true, but also, no it isn't. the way journalists use language is codified, they have style guides for a reason. words like Kapitalisten/Eigentümer/Chefs/Profiteure & Arbeiter/Angestellte do exist, but they're never the ones that're used, are they? most of these, especially Kapitalist & Arbeiter are somewhat politically tinged, by which I mean they do not full-throatedly reinforce the status quo (remember, only going against the status quo is political, upholding it is just what's normal). because of this, their usage is considered unprofessional. in other words, gregory remez, the hack who wrote this propaganda piece, didn't need to be told by anyone to make the capitalists look like the good guys, nor did he really have to choose to do so. rather, this piece is a product of an institutional culture shaped by the political and economic interests of the news media and its owners. if greg was actually inclined to report critically about this ghoulish hypercapitalism, then he wouldn't have this job to begin with. I suggest you read Manufacturing Consent.
also, an editor telling a writer to change an article to more effectively serve a certain politics definitely still happens every so often, I'm just saying it doesn't need to happen.
in conclusion, we're all surrounded by propaganda and these fuckers are trying to manipulate us at every turn. the language we use matters and it shapes how we think.
"but Ellie" I hear you say "isn't it a bit conspiratorial to suggest that this linguistic quirk exists to intentionally shape the way people think about capitalism?" to which I reply: first of all, just because something is conspiratorial doesn't mean it isn't true, but also, no it isn't. the way journalists use language is codified, they have style guides for a reason. words like Kapitalisten/Eigentümer/Chefs/Profiteure & Arbeiter/Angestellte do exist, but they're never the ones that're used, are they? most of these, especially Kapitalist & Arbeiter are somewhat politically tinged, by which I mean they do not full-throatedly reinforce the status quo (remember, only going against the status quo is political, upholding it is just what's normal). because of this, their usage is considered unprofessional. in other words, gregory remez, the hack who wrote this propaganda piece, didn't need to be told by anyone to make the capitalists look like the good guys, nor did he really have to choose to do so. rather, this piece is a product of an institutional culture shaped by the political and economic interests of the news media and its owners. if greg was actually inclined to report critically about this ghoulish hypercapitalism, then he wouldn't have this job to begin with. I suggest you read Manufacturing Consent.
also, an editor telling a writer to change an article to more effectively serve a certain politics definitely still happens every so often, I'm just saying it doesn't need to happen.
in conclusion, we're all surrounded by propaganda and these fuckers are trying to manipulate us at every turn. the language we use matters and it shapes how we think.