Media Manipulation Tactics

noun a language that is meaningless or is made unintelligible by excessive use of technical terms

verb to speak in a way that is intentionally ambiguous or evasive

• The politician was accused of engaging in double talk during the debate.
• I can't stand listening to all that double talk from the salesperson.
• Stop with the double talk and just tell me the truth.
• Her actions spoke louder than her double talk.

verb to make something seem less important or serious than it really is

• The company tried to play down the negative impact of the financial report during the press conference.
• Don't play down the importance of studying for your exams, it's crucial for your success.
• She always tries to play down her achievements, but we all know she's amazing.
• He tends to play down his emotions, but deep down we know he cares a lot.

noun a political strategy or tactic used to discredit someone by accusing them of being a communist or socialist

• Red baiting is a tactic used to discredit someone by accusing them of being a communist.
• I heard they were red baiting him at the office because of his political beliefs.
• Don't listen to those rumors, it's just some red baiting nonsense.
• The politician resorted to red baiting in order to divert attention from the real issues at hand.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being

• The company engaged in a catch and kill strategy to prevent the release of damaging information.
• They tried to catch and kill the story before it spread.
• They were caught red-handed trying to catch and kill the evidence.
• Sometimes we have to catch and kill our doubts before they hold us back.