Truth or Illusion? "Wag the Dog" and the Power of Media Influence
“A dog is smarter than its tail, but if the tail were smarter, then it would wag the dog”
From childhood, we've placed great importance on what we see on television, believing it as absolute truth. Don’t we? When we are expected to believe, do we actually question? These questions have various answers in media studies. According to Stuart Hall, there are different types of audiences in front of the media. One type receives information as it is without questioning it at all because it "was said on television." Another type approaches media information critically, aware of the underlying discourses in every news story.
Stuart Hall, a visionary in media studies, profoundly reshaped our understanding of audiences and media. He argued that audiences are not passive recipients but active participants who interpret media messages through their own cultural lenses. Hall's theory of encoding and decoding revealed that media producers encode messages with intended meanings, but audiences decode these messages in varied ways, influenced by their own experiences and perspectives. This dynamic interaction suggests that media consumption is a complex, active process, challenging the notion of a homogenous audience and highlighting the power of individual agency in interpreting media.
In this blog post, we dive into the fascinating world of media manipulation as portrayed in the film Wag the Dog. This film begins with a scandalous news story about an American president accused of sexually assaulting a young girl. With elections only two weeks away, this news threatens to destroy the president’s chances of re-election. Desperate to turn the tide, the president's team hires a brilliant director to concoct a distraction.
The director devises an elaborate plan to create a fictional war, complete with a film set and actors. This staged event is designed to divert public attention from the scandal and boost the president’s image. This setup allows the media to manipulate the masses, directing their attention to where the power wants it. As stated, “The media can direct the masses as desired and manipulate them by emphasizing the issues they are sensitive about” (Arslan, 2006).
The president's team, working with the director, constructs a film set that captures the audience’s attention. According to the Agenda Setting theory, the media selects and presents news strategically, determining the topics that people discuss and think about (Geçer and Şimşek, 2017). The images shown to news channels include a fictional Albanian girl fleeing a war zone with a cat, and a soldier captured by the Albanians wearing a shirt that reads “Hang in there, Mom!” The public, moved by these images, forgets the scandal and unites for the nation's success.
National sentiments and historical events have the power to unite the masses. In Wag the Dog, the public is manipulated with war images, and the initial scandal is forgotten. This manipulation is highlighted in the film with the quote, “You remember the picture for 50 years, but forget the war.” The masses see not the truth but a produced reality, convincing them of the war’s existence.
Let's consider this within the framework of the post-truth concept. Post-truth, first used by Steve Tesich in 1992 and declared the word of the year by the Oxford Dictionary in 2016, suggests that truth is produced through images. In Jean Baudrillard's terms, simulations now surround us. Baudrillard's controversial claim that the Gulf War did not actually occur emphasizes the show's power over reality. “What the masses seek is the show. Yes, only the show” (Baudrillard, 1991).
Reflecting on the original title of the film, Wag the Dog stems from a political issue in America in the 1870s. Just as a dog wags its tail, not the other way around, the people should shape the rulers, not the state shaping the people. However, in our post-truth era, the media manipulates the masses, turning them into subjects desired by those in power.
In the age of media manipulation, every individual needs to develop media literacy. Only then can we critically evaluate the information presented to us and understand the true motives behind it. Media literacy is more crucial than ever in today's information-saturated world. It empowers individuals to critically analyze the vast array of media messages they encounter daily, discerning between fact and fiction, bias and objectivity. By developing media literacy skills, people can navigate the complex media landscape, recognizing the techniques used to shape public opinion and understanding the underlying motives behind various media productions. This critical awareness not only fosters informed decision-making but also promotes active citizenship, enabling individuals to engage thoughtfully with media and resist manipulation by powerful entities. In an era where misinformation and media manipulation are rampant, media literacy stands as a vital tool for safeguarding democracy and personal autonomy.
Watching this movie made me realize the power of media in shaping our perceptions and the importance of critical thinking. Have you ever noticed how a major news story can suddenly disappear, replaced by something seemingly trivial? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Let’s discuss how we can become more media-savvy and not just passive consumers of what we see on our screens.
Director: Barry Levinson
Screenplay: Hilary Henkin, David Mamet, Larry Beinhart
Cinematography: Robert Richardson
Editing: Stu Linder
Music: Mark Knopfler
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche, Woody Harrelson, Denis Leary, Willie Nelson, Andrea Martin, Kirsten Dunst, William H. Macy
Country, Genre, Duration: USA / Comedy-Drama / 97 min.
P.C. This article which has been published before in a culture-art journal has been translated form Turkish.