In their seminal work, Manufacturing Consent, Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky explore the political economy of the mass media. Their critical analysis reveal media outlets as propaganda tools for corporate and state powers, shaping public opinion in a way that supports the agendas of companies and government officials.
On Wednesday, September 24 at 8pm at the Nyack Center, Rivertown Film will present clips from four films written and directed by Nyack resident Greg Mitchell that present examples of the media manipulation Herman and Chomsky indict.
The films – produced in 2022 – 2025 – are all different but all deal with various forms of manipulation that chronicle how the media and the government are adept at controlling the messages they want to get out and erasing events that counter the government’s narrative.
The films:
“Atomic Cover-Up” – Long suppressed footage of the human suffering caused by the US nuclear bombing of two Japanese cities in August of 1945 is uncovered.
“The First Attack Ads” – When author and socialist Upton Sinclair swept the Democratic primary for governor of California in August 1934- MGM producer Irving Thalberg ordered the creation of the first “attack ads” to appear on a screen.
“Memorial Day Massacre: Workers Die, Film Buried” – On Memorial Day in 1937, striking workers at Republic Steel in Chicago gathered for a picnic. When some marched towards the plant police killed ten of them, but newsreel film of the massacre disappeared.
“The Atomic Bowl: Football at Ground Zero – and Nuclear Peril Today” (53m) – A few months after the second atomic bomb blast, over Nagasaki, the U.S. military staged an all-star football game on a killing field, amid lingering radiation levels. Why? And why does this provide so many lessons and warnings for us today?
Greg Mitchell is the former editor of Editor & Publisher, Nuclear Times, and Crawdaddy, and has written for dozens of leading publications. He is the author of thirteen books.
As media companies fire hosts that satire the same government that must approval their billion dollar deals, Mitchell’s work and his insights are invaluable to those who wish to restore a free and independent press and free speech in America.
ArtsRock director and WQXR host Elliott Forrest will lead a post-screening discussion.
The films begin at 8 p.m. at the Nyack Center, 58 Depew Avenue, Nyack. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.. Tickets are $13/General Admission, $11/Students & Seniors, and $9/Rivertown Film Members
Get more info and buy tickets on Rivertown’s website.
Rivertown Film is a non-profit organization which was founded in 2001. Their mission is devoted to celebrating, exploring and promoting the art of the motion picture through film screenings and educational programs. The organization is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts and with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and our corporate sponsor is Elena Schloss, Happy Dwellings with Elena/ Julia B. Fee, Sotheby’s International Realty.
Community Partners are ArtsRock and Big Red Books.
