Hyperbolic images and statements are used to shatter the audience’s assumptions that the media is a sincere institution. This is done through presenting Mike as an absurd caricature and as a very foolish person. For example, in the episode “We ain’t got Dames” the fact that Mike is presented as such a fool undermines the credibility of the process of telling the truth. In the episode, crude noises are put onto Mike’s computer, with him unable to fix the problem or stand up to Marty who did it. Furthermore, this foolishness presented by the host of the program undermines the media’s authority as an institution to tell the truth. Even Mike’s very appearance seems to be ridiculous, for example his hair. Mikes hair is fashioned by hairspray to look perfect, which looks ridiculous. Craig Reucassel and Chris Taylor who are presented as anchors on CNNNN are also caricatures of real hosts. They, like Mike, exaggerate mainly gestures and on screen reactions to stories to make them, appear to be sincere, yet at the same time exposing the insincerity of the institution.
Moreover, media institutions can pick stories to determine their infotainment value, or their usefulness to the people in power. This is most apparent in the Frontline episode “Smaller fish to fry” where a big fish is presented to Mike Moore yet he cannot chase it because of the interests of the station from upstairs. This is a prominent example of a media institution choosing a news story because of the effect it would have on the rich and powerful that controls it. “They’re not making it up but they’re choosing what they’re covering…that’s the way its happened all our lives” Professor Barry Glassner as quoted from Bowling for Columbine. In this section, the professor was referring to the amount of violence by young, black males reported on the news and especially how gun violence was favourably reported over any other story. These stories are almost always manipulated by the station playing them to become “infotainment” for viewers, as opposed to truthful, newsworthy stories. Much the same way as Frontline in the episode “Add Sex and Stir” who believe that a story about women in sport won’t create enough ratings alone, so a sexual element had to be created to result with infotainment.
The technique of editing is reflected in the Frontline episode “Add sex and stir” where Brooke rerecords sections of the interview and cuts them together to give the appearance of authenticity. Brooke changes the questions eg “How many girls in the team are gay” after the interviewee leaves the room and edits the answer to suit the infotainment that would create the ratings Frontline were after. In Bowling for Columbine, Moore uses irony, satire, caricature and black humour to show the absurdity and stupidity of violence, particularly gun violence, in American culture. “Bowling for Columbine” is widely regarded as exposing the truths of the media as an insincere institution regarding gun control and various other social, moral and political values in America. However, the composer Michael Moore too positions his viewers to receive his truths in a particular way. For example, the scene where NRA president Charlton Heston raises a gun above his head and commands “From my cold dead hands,” the scene following this goes on to explain that Charlton was in Columbine directly after the high school shooting. However, he did not make this insensitive comment at this particular time, it was in fact made both months before and after the shooting. Moore has positioned viewers to believe the opposite with smart editing and pacing of the documentary, although he is wearing a different suit in the short next shot only an astute viewer would notice this and Moore has taken advantage of creative editing. Moore has positioned his viewers effectively to push his point the same way that the media have pushed their point over the years amongst society. However, the light hearted, almost mocking speech Heston did give following the Columbine incident is cut with an emotional speech given by victim’s father. This puts the incident and the truth behind it into perspective using the technique of editing.
The process of telling the truth is a construction in the hands of the composers who decide what aspect, if any; of the truth the viewer will receive. Through the use of techniques the composers are able to represent their construction and the values they place in esteem. In the case of Frontline, obviously the use of satire is the main way they criticise the media as an unscrupulous, insincere institution. Although, each text has its own way of presenting the truth and thus, Frontline, CNNNN and Bowling for Columbine merely represent one such way.
