# Manufacturing Consent by Herman and Chomsky

18 Hacker News commenters recommended Manufacturing Consent by Herman and Chomsky and 3 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 10 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** People recommend it for its propaganda model of mass media, backed by historical examples. Critics call it outdated and object to the author's politics.

## Why people recommend it

- Explains the media propaganda model (2 comments): "Reminds me a lot of the book Manufacturing Consent, where it breaks down the split between 'journalism' and 'propaganda'." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48663511)) "are you familiar with manufacturing consent’s propaganda model of the mass media?" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49097616))
- Persuasive, excellent, favorite read (3 comments): "I've read Manufacturing Consent more than once - it's one of my favorite books" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46278328)) "imo quite persuasively argue in Manufacturing Consent" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47889753)) "Manufacturing Consent is an excellent read" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49450063))
- Backed by historical examples and evidence (2 comments): "If you read Chomsky & Herman's 'Manufacturing Consent', you'll get examples from the 1970s and 1980s" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46891783)) "provides hard statistical evidence for this: Manufacturing Consent." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49470641))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [The Cuckoo's Egg by Cliff Stoll](https://hackerapproved.com/p/cuckoo-s-egg.md): 40 recommend
- [Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman](https://hackerapproved.com/p/amusing-ourselves-to-death.md): 36 recommend
- [The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt](https://hackerapproved.com/p/anxious-generation.md): 24 recommend
- [Bullshit Jobs by David Graeber](https://hackerapproved.com/p/bullshit-jobs.md): 20 recommend
- [Enshittification by Cory Doctorow](https://hackerapproved.com/p/enshittification.md): 19 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0099533111?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780099533115) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Manufacturing Consent by Herman and Chomsky", https://hackerapproved.com/p/manufacturing-consent/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).