A renowned linguist and philosopher, Chomsky co-authored the book and is known for his critiques of capitalism and American foreign policy, emphasizing the role of media in shaping and reflecting societal ideology.

The U.S. president during a period of increased media consolidation and interventionist foreign policy, whose administration is portrayed as influential in shaping media narratives through deregulation and anti-communist sentiments.

A journalist and media critic noted for his warnings about media concentration, whose work on the consolidation of news media is seen as influential in the authors' analysis of corporate influence on journalism.

Successive U.S. presidents who escalated American involvement in Vietnam, each employing media narratives to justify the war, illustrating the bipartisan nature of U.S. foreign policy as described by the authors.

Represented by the book as emblematic of mainstream media that often fails in its journalistic duty, the Times is critiqued for disseminating narratives that align with elite interests rather than providing critical scrutiny.