Lindblom - The Market System - Afghan Journalists' Committee

Persuading the Masses 213lions. With broadcasting, the size and frequency of audiencefor a unilateral message took another jump. It was a newworld of torrential unilateral communication. Mass isdrenched in product ads and other sales promotions, institutionaladvertising that praises or defends the enterprise,and political messages.Although you and I as ordinary citizens can hypotheticallyreach vast audiences through press and broadcasting,doing so is too expensive. Speech is costly rather than free.Newspapers and broadcasting stations are owned and operatedby market elites. For the most part, only other elitescan afford to buy print space and broadcast time. You and Ido not often talk back to the entrepreneurs who every dayaddress us. We do not much discuss their products withthem. But morning, noon, and night we read and hear whatthey choose to say about them.The intention of the market elites is to control. The intentionis to induce people to buy or to induce them tothink well of the enterprise and ill of its enemies, who areoften identified as politicians. Or it is to persuade people tothrow whatever weight they may have in politics—at leasttheir votes—into support of policies favorable to enterprises.We have all been taught that communications are amethod of conveying information, that communicationsedify. In fact, communication often intends no more thanentertainment—we laugh at a comedian rather than takenotes. But whether information is entertaining or informative,both purposes are subordinated to achieving control.Even in multilateral communication the control motivemay be dominant. “Eat your spinach!” does not edify; ittries to control. Clearly a politician intends not edificationbut control when declaring unilaterally “We all have to jointogether to get the job done.” So also an advertiser, who pre-