Media: Press is powerful tool to disrupt, obstruct

Re: “4 protesters arrested at Olympia rally in support of Trump,” (TNT, 3/5).

Politicians and their associates including the news media have fully grasped the power of communication technology to mold and shape perceptions and opinions. The headline on this article is a case in point. The four who were arrested were part of the anti-Trump protest that gathered in response to the rally, a total distortion.

The media has become an essential tool for totalitarian control of American public opinion. Politicians, their associates and a complicit media have staged massive outdoor rallies and raucous town hall meetings. These events have produced scenes of public adulation for disruption and obstruction of our political system.

When totalitarian ideologies go unchallenged, they only dampen the power of the free press and turn mass communications into a potent lever with which to move public opinion

In regards to the media Thomas Jefferson said: “ Our citizens may be deceived for awhile, and have been deceived; but as long as the presses can be protected, we may trust to them for light. They (the people) may be led astray for a moment, but will soon correct themselves.”

This story was originally published March 13, 2017 at 5:36 PM with the headline "Media: Press is powerful tool to disrupt, obstruct."