Excellent post, friend.
I do think the mass media/corporations may have missed something though..(as dinosaurs tend to do)
The speed of information (internet), and the speed of distribution.
Techniques like the ones you mention above, (lies, distraction, mind manipulation) work when there is no 'live' forum.
'Live', (or close to) discussions - on issues reported in the propaganda rags are obliterated before they have time to grow into a 'truth'.
Unlike yesteryear.
Then, they could change opinion much easier, before people had a chance to talk about it..
Dead media walking, (imo.)
(I am an optimist, though.)