Hidden Dangers of Manipulative Communication
Every word is a tool in someone’s hands, shaping thoughts, influencing actions, and framing realities.
Parts in Order
Table of Contents
Introduction (to the series)
The Power of Communication
Different Approaches to Manipulation
Rhetoric Isn't Manipulation
Resources
Introduction (to the series)
This series of articles was compiled from a script for a video I am currently working on that is over 11000 words long. Suffice it to say, this is a subject I am quite passionate about.
I believe that the effects of media in all its forms need to be studied and carefully unpacked so that we can protect ourselves from reckless instrumentalization and manipulation.
In recent months, I have had many conversations about the looming dangers of the future. Artificial intelligence, nuclear weapons, tyrannical leaders, and mental health have all come up, to name a few. While these are certainly important challenges we need to be aware of, one concept has never been mentioned (directly) as a source of danger in its own right.
The media.
I'm not against the media. Don't get me wrong. But what I am trying to show in the coming chapters and parts is that the media, with all its tools for maximizing ratings and using polarization for engagement, is playing a dangerous chess game. We are not spectators in this game. In order for the vast media machine to function, it is paramount that we see ourselves as pieces on the board.
Again, I am not against the media. I am against covert manipulation.
In five parts and a subsequent video essay + podcast, I intend to outline the dangers of manufactured communication, the research that supports the way media frames narratives and shapes public opinion, numerous examples that illustrate the mechanisms at play, and a mitigating strategy to counter communicative manipulation.
This is an attempt to raise awareness, because awareness cancels out almost all attempts at deception. This is also supported by research.
A list of resources/links is provided at the end of each section (where appropriate).
The Power of Communication
Do you think about how much you communicate every day? How do you do it? What words you choose to use at what time?
Do you think about how others have communicated with you? What factors or motives play into the simplest form of narrative and rhetoric? Unless you're in a public position or spend most of your time writing speeches/manuscripts, I doubt it. Quite normal for the vast majority of people.
People who work in communications definitely do. Their livelihoods depend on the way narratives are presented and their ability to draw people to them. This is the key factor that turns many different media landscapes into a dangerous game of manipulative communication for profit.
Prof. Dr. Geetha Bhasker of Bangalore University has written a paper entitled "General Semantics and Effective Communication" in which she describes a number of factors that influence communication. She begins by quoting author Groff Conklin, who says, "Effective communication depends not so much on what is said as on why and how it is said."
How something is communicated seems to be much more important than the message itself.
Albert Mehrabian, a professor of psychology at the University of California, has studied nonverbal communication extensively and concluded that the spoken word conveys only about 7% of the final message. The rest is split between vocal elements (28%) and visual elements (55%).
Seems strange, I know, but the longer you think about it, the more sense it makes.
Different Approaches to Manipulation
There are many tools that can be used to distort conversations, lead to unfair outcomes, or strain relationships and plant mental seeds. These can be used intentionally or unintentionally.
A comprehensive deep dive into all the methods of conversation manipulation would require a series or at least an article of its own, but this list should suffice for our topic.
Here is a short list of the categories with some examples:
Choice of Words
Loaded Language
Buzzwords/Jargon
Ambiguity: Vague language to obscure meaning and avoid accountability
Euphemisms: To soften potentially harsh truths to make them less offensive ("collateral damage" instead of "civilian casualties")
Logical Fallacies
Straw Man: Misrepresenting and only arguing against the misrepresentation of the point
Begging the Question: Assuming the conclusion of an argument within the premises (circular reasoning)
False Equivalence: Comparing two things as though they’re similar when they’re not
Non-Sequitur: Making a conclusion that doesn’t logically follow from the previous statement
Psychological and Social Manipulation
Gaslighting
Mirroring: to build rapport
Shifting Goalposts
Future Faking: Promises towards the future to influence current events and circumstances
Overwhelming someone with flattery or affection to create a bond, often followed by manipulation
Information Control and Persuasion Techniques
Cherry-Picking
Selective Disclosure
Quoting Out of Context
Anchoring: Presenting a specific figure or piece of information early in a conversation to set a reference point, biasing later judgments
Deflection: Avoiding responsibility by shifting the focus to someone else or something unrelated
Social Manipulation and Group Dynamics
Peer Pressure: Leveraging social group dynamics to make someone feel compelled to comply
Forced Teaming: Using inclusive language ("we", "us") to create a false sense of unity or obligation to the person you're arguing with
Scapegoating: Shifting blame onto someone to divert attention from oneself or others
Verbal
Rapid-Fire Questions: Asking questions in quick succession to overwhelm the other person
Leading Questions: Asking questions in a way that implies the "correct" answer the person asking wants to hear, steering someone to agree
Double-Binds: Offering only choices where the outcome benefits the manipulator
Tone Policing: Focusing on the tone of the other person's response to distract from the content of their argument
Non Verbal
Body Language Mimicry: Building rapport
Feigning Indifference: Acting uninterested/unphased to get others to try harder and mess up
Intimidating Body Language: Using stance, facial expressions, or physical positioning to appear more dominant
Rhetoric Isn't Manipulation
Sure, you can use manipulative language to strengthen your argument, but doing so will hurt your overall cause if you are arguing in good faith.
Rhetoric would be a better tool for strengthening your arguments and positions.
While rhetoric is persuasive and is about finding the best way to convince someone of your arguments, rhetoric respects agency. Persuasion is not coercion. Rhetoric cannot be reduced to manipulation because it gives the listener the choice to follow the argument.
The person using rhetoric is playing with open cards, overtly demonstrating through argumentation and presentation his or her point of view in a palatable way, rather than covertly trying to confuse or mislead someone into another way of thinking, which is the core of manipulative speech. But what exactly are the dangerous tools used by the legacy, alternative, and social media landscape?
In Part 2, I will present the theoretical framework with a wealth of research to understand media deception of all kinds, and then be able to avoid these dangers.
Resources
If you are interested, you can take a look at these resources. They consist of the sources mentioned, but also provide further reading material.
Dr. Asya Akopova, Linguistic Manipulation: Definition and Types (2013)
Geetha Bhasker, General Semantics and Effective Communication (2013)
Lodestone Safety International, The 7 Things Predators Do to Turn People Into Prey
David Isaksen's blog post: What Is The Difference Between Rhetoric and Manipulation?