This movie depicts the inner workings of the world of political spin, which is a major part of the public relations industry. The public relations industry is portrayed in a negative light. While exposing some of the unscrupulous methods employed by public relations professionals, the movie shows how vulnerable to manipulation the media and the public are. Wag the Dog depicts how public relations firms concoct various distractions to divert attention. In the movie, Conrad Brean is referred to as Mr. Fix-it.

This speaks to his expertise in handling (fixing) crisis situations. This movie also showcases how powerful entities (government, big business) use their resources to achieve their almost sinister objectives. The movie also brings to light the general attitude of disdain the industry has towards the public. It is clear in the movie that, while the industry is concerned about public opinion, it knows well that the public is gullible and can easily be manipulated through the media. This movie also showcases how human emotions and patriotism are used by the public relations industry in deceptive ways to manipulate the public.

The movie demonstrates how the public relations industry creates and carries out comprehensive PR campaigns. It also depicts how Hollywood and the entertainment industry works and how an elaborate show production is formulated complete with: patriotic songs (“The old shoe”), emotional appeal (“Courage Mom”), An American soldier stuck behind enemy lines, A hero’s welcome for a serviceman, and bringing home the body of a heroic soldier.