Propaganda
The use of facts, fiction, argument
and suggestion, sometimes supported by contradictory information, with the
purpose of instilling in the recipient certain beliefs, prejudices or
convictions which serve the interest of the author.
Propaganda has traditionally been
considered "unpleasant" but this is not always the case.
General types of propaganda
- Name Calling - Positive or
negative labels we attach to people ["wise"; "liar",
"ugly"]
- Glittering Generalities -
Nebulous words to describe ["angry mob’; "throng of
admirers"]
- Transfer - Celebrity’s fame
transfers to cause or issue he/ she promotes [e.g. Michael J. Fox and
Parkinson's Disease research]
- Testimonial - Celebrity gives
outright endorsement of product or public issue stance or 'average person'
is represented in an ad giving a testimony to bring about sales
- Plain Folks
- Symbolic effort to bring ‘high and mighty’ person down to our level [e.g.,
Jimmy Carter’s overnight stays with ‘average people’ during his
presidency]
- Bandwagon - Symbolic effort
to demonstrate ‘everybody’s doing it’ - designed to sway the
undecided person to align with the majority
- .Card Stacking - Presenting
facts which show only one (distorted) side of the story
- Emotional Stereotypes -
Emotionally-laden symbols and rhetoric to influence the audience's feelings
and discourage rational thinking [e.g., 'proud American', 'lazy student' and
so forth]
- Illicit Silence - withholding
info that would otherwise correct a false impression.
Propaganda during war time, or in
"national interest"
- War-mongering propaganda
- Subversive propaganda
- Defamatory propaganda
- Private propaganda
"If you wish the
sympathy of broad masses, then you must tell them
the
crudest and most stupid things." - Adolph
Hitler
"Propaganda
has only one object: To conquer the masses. Success
is its only criterion." - Paul
Gobbels
Film as a propaganda tool
- Films expose events of the present
or the past
- Films raise future issues
- Films define social trends by
showing us what’s unique or important
"Knowledge will
forever govern ignorance. And a people who mean to be their own governors must
arm themselves with the power knowledge gives." -James Madison
Douglas J. Swanson, Ed.D APR
Associate Professor
Specialties: Public Relations; Advisor to PRSSA and Central Coast PRspectives.
Office: Building 26 Room 205
Journalism Department
College of Liberal Arts
California Polytechnic State University
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
Phone: (805) 756-6705
E-mail: dswanson@calpoly.edu