Chomsky illustrated

Two residents wade through chest-deep water after finding bread and soda from a local grocery store after Hurricane Katrina came through the area in New Orleans, Louisiana.(AFP/Getty Images/Chris Graythen)

A young man walks through chest deep flood water after looting a grocery store in New Orleans on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005. Flood waters continue to rise in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina did extensive damage when it made landfall on Monday. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

Hurricane Katrina is one of the worst natural disasters America has ever faced. A friend of mine, whose relatives are in Louisiana, tells me that something like this happened in 1965 too, but then there was no looting. In Daily Kos, I found this comment about looting in New Orleans from which I quoted the above two photos with captions.

So, when the whites do it, it is finding food. When the blacks do it, it is looting!

We believe the media. We have to. We do not live in New Orleans. So, when forming our opinion about New Orleans or Katrina or looting or blacks or anything for that matter, we have to believe someone. This is where the power of the media comes in. And this is exactly how the dominant, privileged section of the society foists its view upon the rest. Subliminally. Subversively.

This is not just a problem with the right-wing, commercialised, big media houses. (I believe this is where Chomsky is wrong, or just too specific) Every media outlet colours reality with its own objective, own agenda. All we can probably do is be aware of the particular bias of the source when we filter the information. Blogs are a boon in this respect - they may not yet be primary source of news, but they are doing an excellent job of dissecting the inherent biases in the mainstream news media.