Labor Department social media campaign depicts a White male workforce [View all]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/labor-department-social-media-campaign-depicts-a-white-male-workforce/ar-AA1PZgj3

Labor Department social media campaign depicts a White male workforce

Story by Meryl Kornfield

A year ago, the Labor Department’s social media messaging focused heavily on portraying a diverse assortment of employees and laborers, both in gender and race.

But the agency has made a dramatic shift during the Trump administration, launching a social media campaign with illustrations that appear to be AI-generated and that almost exclusively feature White men — part of an effort to promote the hiring of American citizens over foreign workers.

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Renee Hobbs, a University of Rhode Island professor who teaches media literacy, said the Labor Department’s social media campaign checks all the boxes of what she teaches as the four features of propaganda: It activates strong emotions, simplifies information and ideas, attacks opponents, and appeals to people’s deepest hopes, fears and dreams.

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But Brody said he was not asked for permission by the Labor Department. He especially didn’t approve of seeing his painting included in a messaging campaign that he views as a far cry from the diverse country the American Dream has come to represent.

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This isn’t a dog whistle,” Conti said. “This is a loud trumpet blaring that White men who are supporting their wives and children are worthy of good jobs.”

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(Maybe someone can post the pics…?)