Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c154IR // #c154Synthesis

The mass media are drawn into a symbiotic relationship with powerful sources of information by economic necessity and reciprocity of interest. The media need a steady, reliable flow of the raw material of news. They have daily news demands and imperative news schedules that they must meet.

— In our words · Source: Manufacturing Consent (Noam Chomsky & Edward S. Herman)

[Use when]

When official sources dominate a story and nobody asks why.

[Why it matters]

The sourcing filter: beats, press conferences, and official leaks are cheaper than reporting — so power becomes the default source.

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