WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
Documentary producer/writer/director Robert Kenner takes us on a journey into the world of corporate deception and the art of spin in this film, his ninth directorial offering. Watching the news, listening to the radio, or reading the paper, we as the American people are daily bombarded with statements from so-called intellectuals and thinkers speaking on behalf of some of the corporate world’s biggest industries. Representing such platforms as the tobacco, global warming, and chemical companies, these hired “experts” are the ones telling us, most often, of there being no definitive proof that harm comes from any product these companies crank out, even in the face of “scientific consensus”. To prove this, when the researchers, scientists, and journalists interviewed dug deeper, the truths that actually exist completely contradicted what was being presented as “the facts”, even showing that the harmful effects of said products had been known for a decade or more. Further research then showed that the same group of pundits were being utilized multiple times by multiple companies to be the professional voice backing the spin companies desired to place on a given facet of their industry or product issues when brought into question, often paying these opinion-givers a lot of money to do so. Ultimately, it was all about spreading everything from fear, to disbelief, to skepticism in order to preserve the money-making machine these organizations and companies had as well as the underlying endgame concept of regulation within the various industries.
As can be, and frankly should be, the case with documentaries about existing issues, “Merchants of Doubt” shines an all too sobering light on this strategic positioning of hired guns to be the “experts” when addressing any issue regarding the products they provide to us. And when the real truths are being hidden, then exposed a decade or more later, it only prompts the companies to create another spin on the issue, promoting even more confusion. Kenner deftly presents all of the takes on the art of spin via real experts, as mentioned above, in the fields of science, journalism, and research, all who are more than happy to be very up front and blunt about the lasting effects spin has on the citizens of this country. And the fact that serious policymaking decisions may have been undermined on many issues for the sake of regulation thanks to influence of these “experts” is just as alarming. Overall, this film is one that will not appeal to everyone, as you do need to have at least a passing interest and willingness to find out that so much of what you’ve heard about these issues was of a contrary nature, a deliberate misleading by larger corporations and organizations. If anything, it certainly brings out the message that we need to be less naïve and be willing ourselves to research the facts on issues that impact us and discover the actual truths behind the spin.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
