Media Manipulation Techniques

verb to gratify or indulge someone's desires or tastes, often in a negative or insincere way

• It is unethical for a politician to pander to special interest groups.
• I can't believe she's just pandering to get more votes.
• Stop pandering to him just because you want him to like you.
• She refused to pander to his ego and stood her ground.

noun a style of writing or communication that is intended to provoke excitement or interest by exaggerating facts or using shocking language

• The journalist was accused of using sensationalism in his reporting to attract more readers.
• I don't trust that news source, they're always full of sensationalism.
• The tabloids are known for their sensationalism, but people still buy them.
• The movie's plot was full of sensationalism, making it an entertaining watch.

noun a rapid turning or whirling motion

verb to turn or cause to turn rapidly

adjective spinning or rotating quickly

adverb in a spinning or rotating manner

• The scientist conducted a spin experiment to study the behavior of electrons.
• She gave the wheel a spin and watched it go round and round.
• Let's take the new car for a spin around the block.
• The politician tried to spin the story in his favor during the press conference.

noun a defamatory statement or representation

• The politician faced vilification from the public after his controversial remarks.
• She couldn't handle the vilification from her classmates for being different.
• The celebrity received a lot of hate and vilification on social media.
• The vilification of her character was like a dark cloud hanging over her reputation.

noun A spin room is a place where political operatives or spokespersons attempt to shape the interpretation of events to favor their candidate or party.

• The spin room is where political candidates go to speak to the press after a debate.
• Let's head to the spin room and see if we can catch any juicy gossip.
• I heard there was a lot of drama in the spin room last night.
• Sometimes it feels like my head is stuck in a never-ending spin room of conflicting information.

noun a rhetorical technique that involves deflecting criticism by pointing out the flaws or wrongdoings of others

adjective describing the act or practice of engaging in whataboutery

• The debate was derailed by the constant whataboutery from both sides.
• Stop with the whataboutery and focus on the main issue at hand.
• I'm tired of your whataboutery, just admit you were wrong.
• His whataboutery was like a shield, deflecting any criticism thrown his way.

noun the act or practice of producing fake or manipulated photographs

• The art critic exposed the fauxtography in the gallery's latest exhibit.
• I can't believe people still fall for fauxtography on social media.
• That fauxtography is so obviously edited, it's not fooling anyone.
• His words were like fauxtography, distorting the truth to fit his narrative.