1 OWNERSHIP The first has to do with ownership. Mass media firms are big corporations. Often, they are part of even bigger conglomerates. Their end game? Profit. And so its in their interests to push for whatever guarantees that profit. Naturally, critical journalism must take second place to the needs and interests of the corporation.

2 ADVERTISING The second filter exposes the real role of advertising. Media costs a lot more than consumers will ever pay. So who fills the gap? Advertisers. And what are the advertisers paying for? Audiences. And so it isnt so much that the media are selling you a product their output. They are also selling advertisers a product YOU.

3 THE MEDIA ELITE The establishment manages the media through the third filter. Journalism cannot be a check on power because the very system encourages complicity. Governments, corporations, big institutions know how to play the media game. They know how to influence the news narrative. They feed media scoops, official accounts, interviews with the experts. They make themselves crucial to the process of journalism. So, those in power and those who report on them are in bed with each other.

4 FLAK If you want to challenge power, youll be pushed to the margins. When the media journalists, whistleblowers, sources stray away from the consensus, they get flak. This is the fourth filter. When the story is inconvenient for the powers that be, youll see the flak machine in action discrediting sources, trashing stories and diverting the conversation.

5 THE COMMON ENEMY To manufacture consent, you need an enemy a target. That common enemy is the fifth filter. Communism. Terrorists. Immigrants. A common enemy, a bogeyman to fear, helps corral public opinion.

What is your initial reaction? Did you find it surprising? Why or why not? Would these filters be considered a form of 'media bias'? Do a quick visit to the website of any major news outlet (CNN, Fox News, National Public Radio, Reuters, MSNBC, etc.) can you identify any of the Chomsky Filters?