The Mind Managers

by Herbert Irving Schiller

Book Overview

How the master puppeteers of politics, advertising, and mass communications pull the strings of public opinion. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 080700507X
• ISBN13: 9780807005071
• Release Date: January 1975
• Publisher: Beacon Press (MA)
• Length: 214 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Theorist Ahead of His Time

Herbert Schiller was far ahead of his time in the field of political economy in communications. He was among the first, and consequently one of the most influential, theorists to study the systematic connections among the media (in the largest meaning of the term), industry, economics, and government. This book from the early 70s is a very prescient examination of these inequitable connections, with some surprises like a very early look at the market power of Disney, which at the time wasn't even yet among the top 500 largest companies, plus a look at the unheralded influence of the military on American public education. While some specific examples used here are outdated, Schiller was right on the money when pointing out the concentration of the media, and its political effects, well before those trends became the pervasive burdens that they are today. The problem with this book is that Schiller's writing style is not very persuasive, with few applications of his theories to the other sides of the argument, as if he only expected to be writing for those who already agree with him. Schiller also piles on pieces of evidence regarding connections between power players, and assumes that these will prove his theories without the need for any concluding analysis. There are very few reflections on why these trends are necessarily harmful in and of themselves, or how things could really be any different in the American political environment. [~doomsdayer520~]

A very important contribution to media criticism

Herbert Schiller has been describing for years theconsolidation of power through media control and manipulation ofinformation. Originally published in 1973, The Mind Managers elucidates some of the mechanisms through which corporate interests filter information and control what actually is presented as fact. Schiller discusses a wide variety of information sources from governmental agencies to the big tv networks and gives many examples of how the filtering and manipulation of information work. This is a clearly written book which is accessible to any reader. Due to the fact that it was written in the late sixties and early seventies, one might be skeptical as to it's current value. Every example is still applicable even though some government agencies have merged, ceased to exist or changed in name. The conglomeratization of corporate enterprise was in full swing in 1973 and most of the entities discussed are still fortune 500 companies. The interests of 1990's corporate America are still the same and have not diminished but have only grown more powerful and excercise that power in a wider, more comprehensive sphere of influence which is backed by the same political institutions. Among the mechanisms discussed which enable informational filtering and manipulation are polling, public relations, network news, government restriction and censure, advertising, and fragmentation of information. If you read Noam Chomsky, Douglas Kellner, Ben Bagdikian, ZMagazine, or any other authors dissenting with the staus quo, Schiller helps to make clear the role of the major media. If you don't believe these claims about the role of the media in mind management, give the book a try. The Mind Managers also demystifies how media players are themselves forced in some cases to present issues within certain parameters or ignore altogether other important issues and information.