Long before “fake news” became a trend, Noam Chomsky was warning that the real danger was quieter: a media system that looks free, but still filters what we see.
Trailer for “Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- The East Timor section is the killer example in the doc. Chomsky argues major U.S. outlets downplayed mass killings because Indonesia was a Western ally at the time.
- The doc spends a long stretch on The New York Times and East Timor, showing how mass violence can be pushed way down the news pile when the killers are U.S. allies.
- The creators built this from more than 100 hours of material, shot across 23 cities in 7 countries.
Watch “Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media”
You can watch “Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media” on Kanopy and Prime Video.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 93/100
- IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 94/100 (Users); 78/100 (Critics)
Director’s Note: Directed by Mark Achbar and Peter Wintonick, this 175-minute doc is based on Chomsky and Edward S. Herman’s 1988 book “Manufacturing Consent.” It is not light viewing, but it is one of the big modern docs on media power.
Release Date: 1992
Other Unique Stuff
- Chomsky barely raises his voice in the entire doc. He delivers the whole argument in a calm, professor-like tone while piling up newspaper clips, TV footage, and examples.
- The craziest part may be how early this all was. The doc came out in 1992 — years before social media, smartphones, Fox News dominance, or the term “fake news.”
Wrap Up:
“Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media” is one of the best docs ever made about how power shapes the news before it reaches us. It is dense, angry in a quiet way, and still feels painfully current.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc