If you have an interest then you have to get a number of different angles about the topic. Even trying to seek different views. It’s important for individuals to even have their ideas confronted so they don’t get complacent with their personal ideology. Even look up the stated facts from various sources.

I think that this is an issue that Daniel rails against. Various “news” outlets come out with similar “commentary” and even “get the facts”, “TCO study” and dare I say it “Statistics”. All of these are skewed to various view points. Many other “news outlets” pick up the story and run with whatever seems to be the popular opinion.

I don’t know how many times I have seen a news outlet characterise Microsoft as revolutionise the PC industry with Windows. That they invented the GUI? Brought the “user friendly” experience to the unwashed masses? The people to hear don’t care as long as they get their E-mail, facebook, porn and can fill their iPod with music from iTunes.

I know I wandered but… this is all the same. Everyone has their own agendas based on ideology and money. You can’t really believe anyone, you have to get a second opinion and third and fourth. Even to the point of finding dissenting views. It’s a given. It’s why your here and not reading cnet right now, right?

The images, the sound mixing – and most importantly of all: The content. All is formed by the auteur to push a (usually) pre-determined message.

Indeed – if you have just watched a “message documentary”, you can be pretty certain that you have just been subjected to a far more comprehensive PR campaign of selective omission, stylistic manipulation and carefully selected topics than any common public relations campaign could get away with. Images are powerful, no? But comparative reading of texts is usually a better way of actually informing yourself.

I hope you’re recovering well – keep up the great work.

after watching them, it’s like having a superpower when you leave the house. like a superpowered bullshit detector.

thanks for posting these and keep up the great analysis, political and technological alike.

[Thanks for the link. I'm watching "The Trap," another series on Google Video but not on Archive it appears. I don't think any of these have ever been broadcast in the US. Curtis said there was "no way" that US TV would have shown "Power of Nightmares." I saw the first episode on Wholphin (a DVD series of short films). They are apparently not available on DVD themselves, so I was excited to find them on Google Video.]

I am sure everyone is taught in school how advertising manipulate things to make you want to consume but I never fully imagined how insidious these manipulations where until I saw this documentary.