PROPAGANDA

WILLIAMS

2012

WHAT IS PROPAGANDA?

PROP-A-GAN-DA

NOUN:

1. Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular cause or point of view

2. Information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.

Sound familiar?

You may be asking yourself, “What ISN’T propaganda??”

PROPAGANDAPropaganda is..

• Influence

• Persuasion

• Appeal

• Manipulation

PROPAGANDA: FRIEND OR FOE?

PROPAGANDA CAN BE USED TO INSPIRE… …AND TO DESTROY.

PROPAGANDA: HOW DOES IT WORK?Propaganda employs a variety of techniques in order to persuade its audience to a desired view or position.

• NAME CALLING

• GLITTERING GENERALITIES

• TRANSFER

• TESTIMONIAL

• PLAIN FOLKS

• CARD STACKING

• BANDWAGON

• LOGICAL FALLACIES

PROPAGANDA:NAME CALLING• Uses derogatory

language or words that carry a negative connotation when describing an enemy.

• Attempts to arouse prejudice among the public by labeling the target something that the public dislikes.

PROPAGANDA: GLITTERING GENERALITIES• Uses words that have

different positive meaning for individual subjects, but are linked to highly valued concepts.

• Words often used as glittering generalities are honor, glory, love of country, and freedom.

PROPAGANDA: TRANSFER

• An attempt to make the subject view a certain item in the same way as they view another item.

• Used to transfer negative feelings for one object to another.

• In politics, this technique is often used to transfer blame or bad feelings from one politician to another or from one group of people to another.

PROPAGANDA: TESTIMONIAL• Quotations or

endorsements which attempt to connect a well-known or respectable person with a product or ideal with the intent to better “sell” the product or ideal.

PROPAGANDA: PLAIN FOLKS

• An attempt to convince the public that his or her views reflect those of the “common person”.

• The candidate tries to appear to be working for the benefit of the “common person”.

PROPAGANDA: CARD STACKING

• Only presents information that is positive to an idea or proposal and omits information contrary to it.

• While the information presented is true, other important information is purposely omitted.

PROPAGANDA: BANDWAGON• An appeal to the subject

to follow the crowd.

• Tries to convince the subject that one side is the winning side and that winning is inevitable.

• Appeals to a person’s desire to be on the winning side.

PROPAGANDA: LOGICAL FALLICIES• An argument that

sounds as if it makes sense but the premises given for the conclusion do not provide proper support for the argument.

PROPAGANDA: COMMON TRAITSUses truths, half-truths, or lies

• Omits information selectively • Simplifies complex issues or ideas • Plays on emotions • Advertises a cause • Attacks opponents • Targets desired audiences

U.S. Army; World War One

WHAT DO YOU NOTICE?

“One People, One Reich, One Fuhrer!”; Germany; World War Two

WHAT DO YOU NOTICE?

U.S.; World War Two

WHAT DO YOU NOTICE?

Britain; World War One

WHAT DO YOU NOTICE?

“Jews are lice. They cause typhus.”; Germany; 1941

WHAT DO YOU NOTICE?

PROPAGANDA: WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Seek out reliable sources for information;

• Watch for combinations of half-truths and lies;

• Check for hidden messages;

• Watch for use of propaganda common traits;

• Be weary of one sided arguments.

PROPAGANDA: WHY WORRY?

"Goebbels [Reich Minister of Propaganda 1933-1945] openly admitted that propaganda had little to do with the truth. 'Historical truth may be discovered by a professor of history. We, however, are serving historical necessity. It is not the task of art to be objectively true. The sole aim of propaganda is success’.”

-Propaganda: The Art of Persuasion (Rhodes, 1976)