Media Manipulation Terms

adjective blatant - (of bad behavior) done openly and unashamedly

adverb blatantly - in an open and unashamed manner

• The company's blatant disregard for safety regulations led to a serious accident.
• It was blatant that he was lying about his whereabouts last night.
• That was a blatant foul, the ref totally missed it!
• Her blatant disregard for other people's feelings is really starting to bother me.

verb to deceive or trick someone

adjective deceived or tricked by someone

• The con artist hoodwinked the elderly couple out of their life savings.
• I can't believe he hoodwinked us into buying that old car.
• She thought she could hoodwink her way out of trouble, but she got caught.
• The magician hoodwinked the audience with his sleight of hand tricks.

noun a person who seeks to influence others, especially through the use of political power or personal connections

• The investigation revealed that the individual was operating as an influence peddler within the political circles.
• I heard that guy is an influence peddler, always trying to get people to do what he wants.
• Stay away from that influence peddler, he's bad news.
• In the world of business, some people are like influence peddlers, always trying to sway decisions in their favor.

• The politician's opponent spread a malicious roorback about his financial dealings.
• I heard a juicy roorback about our neighbor's new business venture.
• Don't believe that roorback, it's just gossip.
• The rumors swirling around the celebrity were like a roorback that couldn't be stopped.

noun a person who spreads fear, panic, or alarm

verb to spread fear, panic, or alarm

• The politician was accused of being a fearmonger, spreading misinformation to instill fear in the public.
• Don't listen to that fearmonger, he's just trying to scare you for no reason.
• I can't stand fearmongers who just want to stir up trouble.
• The fearmonger in her mind kept her from taking risks and pursuing her dreams.