Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media: The Companion Book to the Award-Winning Film

by Mark Achbar

Overview

Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media is the companion book to the celebrated film of the same name about world-renowned linguist and social theorist Noam Chomsky.

Winner of 15 international awards, Manufacturing Consent played commercially to packed theatres in over 300 cities worldwide and aired on national TV in 15 countries. At the box office, it is the most successful Canadian documentary in history.

The film charts the life of America's most famous dissident, from his boyhood days running his uncle's newsstand in Manhattan to his current role as outspoken social critic.

This companion volume explores the breadth of Chomsky's thought, from his pioneering work in linguistics, to his radical politics, to his analysis of professional sports.

A complete transcript of the film is complemented by key excerpts from the writings, interviews and correspondence of Chomsky, co-author Edward S. Herman, and others. Also included are further exchanges between Chomsky and his critics, additional historical and biographical material, filmmakers' notes, a resource guide, and 300 stills from the film.

Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media has been designed to help readers easily survey the breadth of Chomsky's thinking.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781551640020
Publisher:	Black Rose Books
Publication date:	06/01/1994
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	264
Product dimensions:	8.75(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction
Notes on Process

I. The Man
Early Influences
Vietnam - A Turning Point
On His Role

II. The Media
Thought Control in Democratic Societies
A Propaganda Model
The Gulf "War"
A Case Study - Cambodia and East Timor
Concision - A Structural Constraint
"Sports Rap with Noam Chomsky"
A Cabal of Anti-Conspiricists
Media in Media, Pennsylvania
Alternative Media

III. The Linguist
Basic Premises
Nim Chimpsky: Chimpanzee
And the Elusive Connection to His Politics

IV. The Social Order
On Education
Anarchism/Libertarian Socialism
Resistance and Critical Analysis

V. The Critics (Media-Based)
William F. Buckley, Jr. - "Firing Line"
David Frum - Journalist, Washington Post
Jeff Greenfield - Producer, "Nightline"
Karl E. Meyer - Editorial Writer, The New York Times
Peter Worthington - Editor, The Ottawa Sun

VI. The Critics (Other Elites)
Fritz Bolkestein - Former Dutch Minister of Defense
Michel Foucault - Philosopher
Yossi Olmert - Tel Aviv University
John Silber - President, Boston University
Tom Wolfe - Author
The Frat Man From Laramie
L'affaire Faurisson: An Issue of Peculiar Persistence

V. The Middle East
Support for Palestinian Rights
After the Accord

VI. Central America
Invasion of Panama
Nicaragua
El Salvador

VII. The Film
Chomsky's Reactions
Dedication to Emile de Antonio
Production Chronology
Who's in the Film
The Filmmakers
Festivals and Awards
How to Order the Film

Resource Guide

Index

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the Film: "An invigorating introduction to one of the least soporific of American minds." - The New York Times "A juicily subversive biographical/philosophical documentary bristling and buzzing with ideas - it may have you groping in vain for the remote control to rewind back to the last thought. [It] is politically and intellectually potent, even infuriating, whether you agree with Chomsky or disagree with him." - The Washington Post "Challenging without being wild-eyed, controversial without stooping to aphorism. What we have here is the unravelling of ideas at a pace neither brisk nor languorous, listen carefully and you can easily follow the thread." - The Globe and Mail "An immensely accomplished, entertaining examination of the man and his ideas." - The Philadelphia Enquirer "A sparky and provocative portrait." - The Guardian "A gem of a biography" - The Sunday Times

From the Publisher

Chomsky is in the prophetic tradition and you can no more truly argue with him than you could have with Isaiah or Ezekial. In an age of equivocation and moral muddle, Chomsky knows what is good and strives to serve it.

The Guardian