COMPARATIVE EXAMINATION OF MEDIA MANIPULATIONS: ‘WAG THE DOG’ MOVIE AND IRAQ WAR EXAMPLES IN THE CONTEXT OF POLITICAL DISCOURSES AND SHAPING PUBLIC PERCEPTION

Authors : İkbal Sinemden Oylumlu

Pages : 73-97

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Publication Date : 2025-09-01

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study examines the role of media manipulation in shaping public opinion. The parallels between the movie “Wag the Dog” (1997) and the Iraq War (2003) are examined to explore how media-construed realities influence public perception. While the movie “Wag the Dog” tells the story of the process of manipulating public opinion by creating a fake war with the cooperation of the media and politicians after the sex scandal of the American President, the Iraq War is a similar example in real life where the United States (U.S.) legitimizes the war by constantly keeping the allegations of weapons of mass destruction on the agenda in the media. The study examines how the media frame both events and shape public perception by applying media theories, including Agenda Setting Theory, Framing Theory, the Propaganda Model, and the Spiral of Silence. In the movie “Wag the Dog”, a fake war is created in Hollywood to ensure that the U.S. President’s scandal is forgotten, strategically manipulated to divert the agenda, and presented in the media. The study highlights the significant similarities between the methods and theories employed in the media strategies of the Iraq War and the film, which aimed to suppress anti-war voices within the U.S. globally, as well as create the justifications for the war.
Keywords : Kamuoyu, Medya Manipülasyonu, Wag the Dog, Irak Savaşı, Kamuoyunu Şekillendirme

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