It is hard to know what the American people really think about Donald Trump and the war in Iran. The common perception, one that, in my opinion, Trump is desperately trying to manage, is that he is widely supported by the MAGA base, and they are behind every decision he makes. Is that true, though? After his address on April 1, 2026, it seems he would have lost a great deal of support, as it was a disaster. Everything about the war in Iran is an utter mess, and truthfully, there is no winning. He has isolated himself from our allies while bringing undue hardship to nations dependent on oil from the region. It is only a matter of time before the people of the United States begin feeling those hardships as well. Just keep in mind, it is for long-term gain. It also seems that the Epstein issue would have been the line in the sand for many Trump supporters. If you remember—and I am not sure many people do because they do a great job of moving us from one crisis to the next—he said he didn’t want your support if you believed the Epstein hoax. Since when did it become a hoax? One of the primary promises made by Trump, and people like Dan Bongino, was to bring justice and closure to the issue. Is there still a large number of voters out there chanting the MAGA song? It is hard to know for sure because the news and social media are working to manage perceptions and keep the divide of the false right/left paradigm alive.
Much of what is seen in social media is algorithm-driven, meaning the algorithm is feeding what is shared the most, not the truth. Bots and fake accounts are growing rapidly, making it hard to know if users are engaging with real people, or AI-generated opinions simply reflecting popular sentiment. All of this, along with a news media that keeps us trapped in our perspective political narratives, works as a tool of perception management. What is that? According to an article entitled Perception Management in the Media, published in the International Journal of Social and Economic Sciences, it is a method of propaganda intended to bring people into compliance with the propagandist’s perspective, through media narratives. In other words, it is a method of persuasion meant to manipulate the cognitions of the target audience. How do they do this? Just as it is with all propaganda, they first gain an understanding of the target audience’s values, beliefs, and culture. They are essentially reflecting back to you what you already believe to be true. Perception management can go by different names, like public relations or public diplomacy. This largely depends on whether it is being employed internationally, or within a country’s borders. Either way, the intent is the same. To gain control of the perceptions and opinions of the target audience through the use of media communications.
Read Full Article: https://thewashingtonstandard.com/managing-perceptions-through-algorithms-persuasion-propaganda/
