MOST, if not all, media practitioners and analysts are oblivious of the fact that they are pawns and mouthpieces of the ruling class.
MOST, if not all, media practitioners and analysts are oblivious of the fact that they are pawns and mouthpieces of the ruling class.
In The German Ideology Karl Marx wrote, "The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas, that is, the class, which is the ruling material force of society is at the same time its ruling intellectual force.
"The class which has the means of material production at its disposal, has control at the same time over the means of mental production.".
In his The State in a Capitalist Society Ralph Miliband explains that the ruling class controls not only the means of material production but also the means of mental production.
That is, the ruling class also controls the mass media and institutions of civil society.
On the evening of February 11 on SABC's Motsweding FM I noted that Nelson Mandela was not the only person involved in the struggle for liberation.
I mentioned Robert Sobukwe, Zeph Mothopeng, Japhta Masemola, Onkgopotse Tiro and Steve Biko as people who also fought for this country's liberation.
The following morning, in a veiled reference to what I had raised, a Motsweding FM presenter said if one mentions South Africa and freedom then they talk about Mandela and not Sobukwe.
I want to put it to that radio presenter and all his colleagues who think like him that to say that Mandela is the sole liberator of SA reflects the beliefs and values of ruling class ideology and instils a false consciousness in the masses.
Sam Ditshego,
Kagiso
Analysts are mouthpieces of ruling class
MOST, if not all, media practitioners and analysts are oblivious of the fact that they are pawns and mouthpieces of the ruling class.
MOST, if not all, media practitioners and analysts are oblivious of the fact that they are pawns and mouthpieces of the ruling class.
In The German Ideology Karl Marx wrote, "The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas, that is, the class, which is the ruling material force of society is at the same time its ruling intellectual force.
"The class which has the means of material production at its disposal, has control at the same time over the means of mental production.".
In his The State in a Capitalist Society Ralph Miliband explains that the ruling class controls not only the means of material production but also the means of mental production.
That is, the ruling class also controls the mass media and institutions of civil society.
On the evening of February 11 on SABC's Motsweding FM I noted that Nelson Mandela was not the only person involved in the struggle for liberation.
I mentioned Robert Sobukwe, Zeph Mothopeng, Japhta Masemola, Onkgopotse Tiro and Steve Biko as people who also fought for this country's liberation.
The following morning, in a veiled reference to what I had raised, a Motsweding FM presenter said if one mentions South Africa and freedom then they talk about Mandela and not Sobukwe.
I want to put it to that radio presenter and all his colleagues who think like him that to say that Mandela is the sole liberator of SA reflects the beliefs and values of ruling class ideology and instils a false consciousness in the masses.
Sam Ditshego,
Kagiso