COMPARATIVE EXAMINATION OF MEDIA MANIPULATIONS: ‘WAG THE DOG’ MOVIE AND IRAQ WAR EXAMPLES IN THE CONTEXT OF POLITICAL DISCOURSES AND SHAPING PUBLIC PERCEPTION

Year 2025, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 73 - 97, 01.09.2025

İkbal Sinemden Oylumlu

Abstract

This study examines the role of media manipulation in shaping public opinion. The parallels between the movie “Wag the Dog” (1997) and the Iraq War (2003) are examined to explore how media-construed realities influence public perception. While the movie “Wag the Dog” tells the story of the process of manipulating public opinion by creating a fake war with the cooperation of the media and politicians after the sex scandal of the American President, the Iraq War is a similar example in real life where the United States (U.S.) legitimizes the war by constantly keeping the allegations of weapons of mass destruction on the agenda in the media. The study examines how the media frame both events and shape public perception by applying media theories, including Agenda Setting Theory, Framing Theory, the Propaganda Model, and the Spiral of Silence. In the movie “Wag the Dog”, a fake war is created in Hollywood to ensure that the U.S. President’s scandal is forgotten, strategically manipulated to divert the agenda, and presented in the media. The study highlights the significant similarities between the methods and theories employed in the media strategies of the Iraq War and the film, which aimed to suppress anti-war voices within the U.S. globally, as well as create the justifications for the war.

Keywords

Public Opinion , Manipulation , Wag The Dog , Iraq War , Shaping Public Opinion

SİYASİ SÖYLEMLER VE KAMU ALGISININ ŞEKİLLENDİRİLMESİ BAĞLAMINDA MEDYA MANİPÜLASYONLARI: ‘WAG THE DOG’ FİLMİ VE IRAK SAVAŞI ÖRNEKLERİNİN KARŞILAŞTIRMALI İNCELENMESİ

Abstract

Bu çalışmada, medya manipülasyonunun kamuoyunun şekillenmesindeki rolü ele alınmaktadır. “Wag the Dog” (1997) filmi ile Irak Savaşı (2003) arasındaki paralellikler üzerinden, medya aracılığıyla kurgulanan gerçekliklerin toplumsal algıyı nasıl etkilediği araştırılmaktadır. “Wag the Dog” filmi, Amerika Birleşik Devletleri (ABD) Başkanı’nın seks skandalı sonrası medya ve politikacıların iş birliğiyle sahte bir savaş yaratarak kamuoyunu yönlendirme sürecini anlatırken, Irak Savaşı da ABD’nin, kitle imha silahları iddialarını medyada sürekli gündemde tutarak savaşın meşruluğunu sağlandığı gerçek yaşamdaki benzer bir örneği teşkil etmektedir. Çalışmada, Gündem Belirleme Teorisi, Çerçeveleme Teorisi, Propaganda Modeli ve Sessizlik Sarmalı gibi medya teorileri kullanılarak, her iki olayın medya tarafından nasıl çerçevelendiği ve halkın algısını nasıl şekillendirdiği incelenmektedir. “Wag the Dog” filminde, sahte bir savaşın ABD Başkanı’nın skandalının unutulmasını sağlamak amacıyla Hollywood’da yaratılan ve stratejik olarak gündemin başka bir yöne çekmek için manipülasyon yapılarak medyada gösterilmesi sağlanmıştır. Çalışmada, film ile Irak Savaşı’ndaki medya stratejilerinde ABD’nin kendi halkındaki ve dünyadaki savaş karşıtı seslerinin bastırılmasını hedefleyen ve savaşın gerekçelerini oluşturulurken kullanılan yöntem ve teorilerin önemli benzerliklerine işaret edilmektedir.

Keywords

Kamuoyu , Medya Manipülasyonu , Wag the Dog , Irak Savaşı , Kamuoyunu Şekillendirme

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