Thread by @ccpolitics123

1. Short thread about how the mainstream media uses subtle propaganda to influence how we think.

Here is an example of media treatment of @BarackObama vs. @TulsiGabbard with regards to gay rights.

2. I am not here to argue that what Tulsi said in the past is okay or that her comments then were not hurtful to people. I just want to explore how the media narrative can completely change the way we think about a person or an issue.

3. You can see that when it came to Obama’s stance on gay marriage, he was embraced with open arms. Tulsi is still met with doubt despite the fact that she supported gay marriage BEFORE Obama and has a 100% LGBT voting record in Congress according to @HRC.

https://twitter.com/_nalexander/status/1125532328133054464

4. Look at the way the stories are framed. Obama’s evolution was “remarkable”, he “came full circle”, he was “embraced” by LGBT advocates. He made a “historic announcement”. Look at the pictures used. They show rainbow pins featuring Obama. They show him smiling and waving.

5. The Tulsi stories, on the other hand, are framed by focusing on her “history” of opposing LGBTQ equality and her anti-LGBTQ views from her past. Her past is scrutinized. They do not focus on her current views at all. In the pictures she looks troubled.

6. Notice the use of quotes.

- Tulsi Gabbard’s ‘Evolution‘ suggests she hasn’t evolved.
- “Tulsi Gabbard ‘regrets’ her history” suggests that her regrets are not genuine.
- The @NBCNews article puts “past positions” in quotes hinting that her positions may not have changed.

7. Even in articles that have absolutely nothing to do with this, the media will still insert smears about Tulsi to try to draw attention to her past views. Keep in mind these are things she did or said as a teenager and in her early 20s.

https://twitter.com/ccpolitics123/status/1154451068337762314

8. None of the articles about Obama question his stance. There are no quotes around “evolution”. They don’t even look at the POSSIBILITY that it could have been calculated even though he announced it just 6 months before the 2012 election and right after public opinion flipped.

9. It wouldn’t be hard to write a story titled “Tulsi Gabbard’s remarkable evolution on gay rights”. In fact, it would be quite fitting considering her conservative upbringing.

Unfortunately, these days the MSM cares more about propping up their chosen candidates than the truth.

10. It can sometimes be difficult to recognize these little details that are used to influence our thoughts and opinions, but this article by @caitoz about propaganda is a good place to start.

medium.com/@caityjohnston…