The Role of Media in How the Public Perceives Reality

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Garland Nixon and Lee Stranahan discuss how the mainstream media pivots from one story to the next and reframes events to push specific narratives. How does this method of operation impact how the public views the news & world events, and what impact does social media have on the modern flow of information?

Guests:

Patrick Henningsen — Journalist & Founder of 21stCenturyWire.com | Julian Assange and Attacks on Independent Journalism

Phil Giraldi — Former CIA Case Officer and Army Intelligence Officer | Are the DC Foreign Policy Hawks Pushing President Trump Towards War?

Ryan Cristián — Founder and Editor of The Last American Vagabond | The Yellow Vests in France & The Crackdown on Social Media and Alternative Media Sources

Much of the mainstream media has reported on Julian Assange and WikiLeaks in a negative light for many years and continues to do so following Assange's recent arrest. Journalist Patrick Henningsen joins today's show to discuss why the majority of the media takes this stance regarding Assange, how the mainstream media reframes and spins stories, and the threat independent journalism presents to the legacy media and political establishment.

Despite Donald Trump's anti-interventionist rhetoric as a Presidential candidate, his administration has taken a far more aggressive approach to foreign policy during his time in the White House. Former CIA Case Officer and Army Intelligence Officer Phil Giraldi returns to the program to talk about why he views the current US foreign policy establishment as itching for a fight, how labeling organizations as terrorist groups sets the stage for a potential military incident that could escalate into a major war, and why Congress appears to be on-board with this approach to modern geopolitics.

For the final two segments, Garland and Lee are joined by Ryan Cristián, geopolitical analyst & Founder of 'The Last American Vagabond', for a conversation about both the ongoing "Yellow Vests" protest movement in France and the increasing crackdown on non-mainstream media sources/dissenting points of view on social media. Does the massive sum of money that has poured in to help rebuild the damaged Notre Dame Cathedral prove the point of the "Yellow Vests" that the French elites care about their own interests but not those of the working class? Additionally, what conclusions can be drawn about the media crackdown in Sri Lanka following its recent terrorist attack and how it parallels with increasing online censorship in the United States?

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