Sheldon Rampton

The cover caught my eye as I'm sure it did many others and the title instantly describes in just a few words the reality of the world we live in today, bombarded by propaganda as we are. I thought it might be a little dated as it was written before the internet was impossible to escape, but I was pleasantly surprised by the significance of the story being told while pondering the acceleration of such practices as a result of internet dominion and mass/social media control over us. We live in show more a world where "war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength" (thank you Mr. Blair, aka Orwell), where information has become weaponized and the news is manufactured by public relations firms, for corporations and governments alike. This book lays out the beginnings and the history of a completely amoral and sometimes (more often than not?) sinister industry that influences the products we buy, the causes we support, the actions of the powers that (should not) be, and more. We are taken on a journey with the early PR/propaganda practitioners like Ivy Lee and Edward Bernays, the bogus campaign for support of the first Iraq war, a few environmental and occupational disasters, the spin that was put on those stories, as well as an ironically true story about a PR campaign to convince people that, wait for it... "toxic sludge is good for you!" Includes some interesting stories and forgotten history about PR campaigns for politicians and celebrities still in the news today, e.g. Clintons and Trumps. Despite the comedic cover and title, 'Toxic Sludge' is certainly a serious, well researched and documented, informative and interesting read, even from 1995. A book still relevant today as relentless PR and media explode. They "inform" our perceptions of the world in which we live as media continues to consolidate, sanitize information and limit its access.

One of the most revealing quotes from this book is found in the introduction by Mark Dowie:
"Academicians who study media now estimate that about 40% of all "news" flows virtually unedited from the public relations offices, prompting a prominent PR exec to boast that "the best PR ends up looking like news."

And that was in 1995! It's a brave new world, indeed.

"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of." Edward Bernays, Propaganda, 1928

Now onto 'Trust Us, We're Experts' by the same authors. show less

This book is so well written that despite what could be a boring topic, it kept my interest for three weeks and I looked forward to being able to read it almost every night. The authors draw on some real examples of overstepping and manipulation by the PR industry which doesn't seem very hard to find. The book was written in 1996 so the examples, while dated, continue to be very relevant, especially with the news we read about today - "fake news" is here. One may need to have been born show more before the early 1960s to fully appreciate the examples provided: the Iran/Contra scandal, a bit of Watergate, and many others. The book is very well-paced and the conclusion is particularly gratifying show less

This book looks at how the Republicans, now in control of every major part of the federal government (Congress, the White House, the Supreme Court and the mass media), are now working to maintain and strengthen that hold through manipulation of the American political culture.

Republicans have worked hard, and very methodically, for at least the last 20 years, to build the conservative movement. It now ranges from conservative think tanks, like the Heritage Foundation, to K Street lobbying show more firms, to right wing media (especially talk radio). Starting from the grass roots, Republicans have become very good at getting their message to the public. The weekly Republican "must attend" meeting in Washington is run by tax opponent Grover Norquist. It is there that the message of the week is chosen. Democrats are nowhere near as organized.

Even inside the Republican Party, moderation and disagreement are squelched, and traditional oversight agencies are stripped of their influence. The National Cancer Institute's website was altered to say that abortion increases a woman's chance of getting breast cancer, even though actual research overwhelmingly shows the opposite. The CDC's website has been altered, in that information showing that condom use is effective in preventing AIDS has been removed. This is in line with the Christian Right's opposition to sex education.

Woe unto that person or group who uses their constitutional right to oppose the war in Iraq. Tennessee State Senator Tim Burchett has advocated the deportation of war critics. Who can forget the experiences of the Dixie Chicks? A number of recently published books equate liberals with hating America, and generally betraying the nation. Ann Coulter has called Democrats the Treason Party. It has now become popular among Republicans to label any dissenter, whether environmentalist or senior citizen, as a terrorist.

This is an excellent book from Rampton and Stauber. The brains behind PR Watch, they have created another Must Read look at how the US Government really works. This is highly recommended. show less

A shamelessly biased, yet relevant read about media manipulation and the public relations industry. I am a MA Public Relations student, so this was required reading. However, this is good for anubody who wants a better than average awareness of media.

I highly recommend, plus I don't have to warn you to take the info with a whole heap of salt. The authors are so blatant in their condemnation of PR, you'll have no other choice. But still, what they say is (I believe) true and very important.