The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media

The American media business is “a creature of politics and technology” (103). The relationship between the American government and media goes back to the country's founding. Two things predicate this relationship: the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of the press and the government's fear that "discordant speech" (21) about the government threatens the nation's safety. Because of this, the American government has a history of suppression and manipulation of the American media.

The government argues that “certain rights must be suspended” when the nation faces “a mortal threat” (21); this kind of suppression works best during wartime. Multiple American presidents passed laws during wartime to prevent any kind of speech that could “harm the war effort” (22) or dampen patriotism; this kind of suppression often gets a pass with consumers because of concerns about national security. However, sometimes—as during the New York Times' coverage of President Nixon's Watergate scandal or the embedded reporting on the atrocities of the Vietnam War—the media can “expose corruption and build pressure for change” (33). These changes come in the form of policy, or the access level afforded to reporters.

Additionally, Congress is “the safest landing strip for journalists who would challenge or criticize the White House” (45).