All Episodes

July 19, 2020 41 mins
He could make people do whatever he wanted them to. Change their eating habits. Change the clothes they wore. Change whether or not they wanted to go to war. And he could make them think it was their own idea.
-------
“We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, and our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of…. It is they who pull the wires that control the public mind.”

That passage is from one of the most influential books of the twentieth century, and was written by one of those men who you probably have never heard of. That author also wrote that democratic society depends on “the conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses,” and that “those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country.”

The book was called Propaganda, and it became the basis for almost all media communication we consume today. Its author was Edward Bernays, a man who considered himself, rightly, to be one of the those ruling, invisible elites who was pulling the wires of the masses, a propaganda peddler who could make people do whatever he wanted them to. This is his story.
Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.

24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.