How Media Manipulation and Lies Shape Destructive Ways of Thinking
In every era, the dominant storytellers shape how people understand the world. Today, those storytellers are not just journalists or authors, but algorithms, influencers, pundits, and streams of curated content. When media is manipulated-through selective truth, exaggeration, omission, or outright lies-it doesn't just misinform. It actively reshapes how people think, reason, and react. Over time, this can create patterns of thought that are deeply destructive, both individually and collectively. The Power of Repetition and Framing One of the most effective tools of media manipulation is repetition. When an idea is repeated often enough-regardless of its truth-it begins to feel familiar, and familiarity is often mistaken for accuracy. This is amplified when information is framed emotionally rather than rationally. Fear, outrage, and tribal loyalty drive engagement, so media narratives often lean into...
