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The Propaganda Multiplier | |
|---|---|
| Author | Swiss Policy Research |
| First published | 2016 |
| Type | Article |
| Source | https://swprs.org/the-propaganda-multiplier/ |
Click on the source link for the full article
About
This article, published by Swiss Policy Research (SPR), argues that international news coverage in the West is dominated by a "Propaganda Multiplier." This effect is driven by a heavy reliance on a small handful of global news agencies, which allows governments and intelligence services to broadcast specific geopolitical narratives to a worldwide audience with minimal scrutiny.
The following summary breaks down the core arguments and findings of the report. 1. The "Invisible Nerve Center"
The article reveals that nearly all international news in Western media originates from just three global news agencies:
The Associated Press (AP) (USA)
Agence France-Presse (AFP) (France)
Reuters (UK/USA)
National agencies (like the German DPA or Swiss SDA) generally copy and translate reports from these three "Big Players." Because media outlets often hide these sources behind obscure abbreviations or rewrite them to look like original editorial content, the public is largely unaware of this central bottleneck.
2. The Role of Correspondents
The report challenges the image of the "on-the-ground" foreign correspondent. It argues that:
Resource Constraints: Even major newspapers have very few correspondents compared to the global agencies.
The "Bread Factory" Effect: Correspondents often don't perform original research; instead, they "wrap" agency reports in their own words.
Safety and Language: Many reporters cover conflicts (like the Syria war) from neighboring countries or hotels, relying on agency feeds because they lack the local language skills or safety to conduct primary interviews.
3. Propaganda and Systematic Manipulation
The article asserts that the centralized nature of news makes the system vulnerable to manipulation by "interested parties," specifically:
Military and PR: The Pentagon and intelligence agencies (CIA, etc.) use these agencies as "multipliers." If a story is successfully "injected" into a major agency, it automatically populates thousands of newspapers worldwide.
Dubious Sources: The report highlights the "Syrian Observatory for Human Rights" as an example of a one-man operation whose unverified reports were treated as fact because global agencies distributed them.
Socialization: Media researchers like Noam Chomsky are cited to explain that journalists aren't "told" what to write; rather, they are selected and promoted because their views already align with the prevailing transatlantic power structures.
4. Case Study: Syria War Coverage (2015)
To prove its point, the article analyzed 381 articles from nine leading European newspapers during the 2015 Russian intervention in Syria. The findings were:
78% of all articles were based on news agency reports.
0% of articles involved original investigative research.
Bias in Perspective: 82% of opinion pieces favored US/NATO intervention, while "propaganda" was only attributed to the opposing side (Russia/Assad).
5. Conclusion: The "First Law of Journalism"
The article concludes by citing Altschull’s Law: "The news media are instruments of those who exercise political and economic power." It suggests that traditional media serves the interests of the transatlantic alliance because they are funded by the state or corporations dependent on that alliance. While the internet has allowed for "uncontrolled news" to emerge, the "Big Three" agencies still form the backbone of the digital news cycle.