21st century skills

Media & Truth(s)

The Power of Audiovisual Media in Shaping Public Opinion and Policy.


Audiovisual media highly influences public opinion and policy. Understanding its role in storytelling, argumentation, and rhetoric is crucial. Media literacy is essential in this dominant landscape. Promoting education empowers informed participation in political decision-making.

You should not be worried about the tech-progress of AI-generated images and videos per se. But rather of the human-controlled usage of wide spread misinformation and miscommunication which we’ve never seen before in the history of media communication. The manipulation of images and videos for certain purposes is as old as the media itself. We know about his topic since ever. The but the quantitiv and the “self-referenced” multiple digital worlds are new.

The crucial role of Audiovisual Media in

(1) Information Consumption #infowars #infotainment #informationcrisis
(2) and hidden power for Political Decision-Making


In today's rapidly evolving landscape of information consumption and political decision-making, audiovisual media has emerged as the dominant force shaping public opinion and policy. While this multimedia approach has the potential to inform and engage audiences on a profound level, a significant challenge prevails: many individuals lack a comprehensive understanding of how media operates as a tool for visual storytelling, persuasive argumentation, and convincing rhetoric.
With audiovisual content commanding unprecedented attention across various platforms, the ability to critically assess and interpret this form of media has become an essential skill. Whether it's deciphering the nuances of a political speech, analyzing the visual elements of a news report, or evaluating the credibility of online videos, the need for media literacy has never been more pressing.
As society navigates this new era of media dominance, there is a growing imperative to equip individuals with the knowledge and tools to deconstruct, discern, and engage with audiovisual content effectively. By promoting education and discourse around the workings of visual storytelling, persuasive arguments, and convincing rhetoric, we can empower citizens to navigate the complexities of modern media and engage in more informed, active participation in political decision-making processes.

The emotionalization of content, powerful imagery, and targeted storytelling in pseudo-science infotainment is indeed a significant concern, presenting a threat comparable to generative AI tools like deepfakes. While generative AI-generated images and videos poses risks by creating realistic but fabricated content, pseudo-science infotainment leverages emotional manipulation and persuasive storytelling to disseminate misleading or false information.


Emotionalization of content in pseudo-science infotainment exploits human emotions to influence beliefs and behaviors. By using powerful imagery and carefully crafted storytelling, this form of content can sway individuals towards accepting unreliable information, leading to misconceptions about scientific principles and societal issues. This can have wide-ranging and detrimental effects on public discourse, policy-making, and individual decision-making, mirroring the potential impact of generative AI-generated deepfakes.
Furthermore, the targeted nature of storytelling in pseudo-science infotainment enables the manipulation of specific audience segments, amplifying the spread of misinformation within vulnerable communities. This precision targeting can exacerbate the societal division and erode trust in credible sources of information, ultimately posing a comparable threat to the trustworthiness and authenticity challenges posed by generative AI-generated content.
Ultimately, the emotionalization of content, powerful imagery, and targeted storytelling in pseudo-science infotainment undermines the public's ability to discern between credible and deceptive information, thereby posing an equal threat to society as generative AI-generated deepfakes. Both phenomena necessitate vigilance, critical thinking, and proactive measures to mitigate their detrimental impact on an informed and just society.