Propaganda

1
Propaganda

• The art of persuasion

2
Propaganda

• --the spreading of ideas, information or rumor
  for the purpose of helping or injuring an
  institution, a cause, or a person
•  
• --intended to make us accept or approve something
  without looking closely at the evidence
•  
• --most propaganda devices utilize emotion and
  avoid critical thinking

3
Seven Types of Propaganda

• testimonial
• glittering generalities
• transfer
• plain folks
• bandwagon
• name calling
• card stacking
•  

4
Understanding Propaganda Can

• save you money
•  
• assist you in making better political decisions
•  
• help you distinguish between fact and opinion
•  
• aid you in persuading others

5
Card Stacking

• Strategy of showing the product's best features,
  telling half-truths, and omitting or lying about
  it's potential problems.
•  
• Success depends on how well propagandist selects
  facts (or "cards") and presents (or
  "stacks") them.
•  
• Example Drug manufacturers do this frequently in
  ads in which they skim over the possible harmful
  side effects of their products. Facts are
  selected and presented which most effectively
  strengthen and authenticate the point of view of
  the propagandist.

6
Glittering Generalities

• The act of referring to words or ideas that evoke
  a positive emotional response from and audience.
  Virture words are often used.
•  
• Appeal to such emotions as love or country, home
  desire for peace, freedom, glory, honor, etc.
•  
• Ask for approval without examination of the
  reason. The words and phrases might suggest
  different things to different people, the
  connotations are always favorable.
•  
• Food products that are "low fat" might be high
  calorie. Cascade will leave dishes "virtually
  spotless." So, there will be spots.

7
Glittering Generalities, Cont.

• Politicians George W. Bush claimed to be a
  "compassionate conservative," which is more
  favorable than the conservative right.
•  
• Virtue Words virtually, more, new, low fat,
  better, pride, honor, peace, happiness,
  prosperity, freedom
•  
• What does the virtue word really mean? Does the
  idea in question have a legitimate connection
  with the real meaning of the word? Is an idea
  that does not serve my interests being sold to me
  merely through its being given a name I like?
  Leaving the virtue word out of consideration,
  what are the merits of the idea itself?

8
Testimonial

• The use of well-known, respected people to
  endorse a product or a service.
•  
• Idea is to cause the target audience to identify
  itself with the authority or to accept the
  authority's opinions and beliefs as its own
•  
• In ads, a person, celebrity or "everyman,"
  praises the product or service.  In the everyman
  approach, idea is to have consumers relate to the
  spokesperson if it fills their need, it should
  fill the consumer's need.
•  
• Intensely emotionally appealing value words and
  concepts
•  
•  

9
Transfer

• The act of relating something or somone we like
  or respect with a product. Symbols are constantly
  used in this form of propaganda.
•  
• --the flag represents the nation
• --Uncle Sam represents consensus of public
  opinion
• --a cross represents Christianity
• --the Star of David represents the Jewish faith
•  
• --transfer devices can be used both for and
  against causes and ideas
•  
•  

10
Transfer, Cont.

• Examples On TV commercials, actors in white lab
  coats tell us that Brand X cold medicine is
  better than Brand Y (or "the other leading
  brands")
• During the 2000 campaign, George Bush used the
  American flag as part of his logo, while Al Gore
  used the colors, stars and stripes of the flag
  for his logo
•  
• Ask yourself what is the proposal of the speaker
  in the most simple terms? Is there any legitimate
  connection between the proposal of the advertiser
  and the revered thing, person or institution?
  Does this carry over the authority, sanction and
  prestige of something we respect and revere to
  something the speaker would have us respect?

11
Plain Folks

• The use of everyday people to sell a product or
  service. Speakers and ads appear to make the
  person be "one of the people."
•  
• Designed to win the confidence of the audience by
  communicating in the common manner and style of
  the audience
•  
• Uses ordinary language and mannerisms in
  attmepting to identify their POV with that of the
  average person
•  
• Can win the confidence of the persons who resent
  or distrust foreign sounding, intellectual
  speech, words or mannerisms

12
Plain Folks, Cont.

• Examples
•  
• America's recent presidents have all been
  millionaires, but they've gone to great lengths
  to present themselves as ordinary citizens Bill
  Clinton ate at McDonalds, Ronald Regan would chop
  wood, Jimmy Carter was a humble peanut farmer,
  George W is "just" a rancher from Texas
•  
• Ask yourself what are his/her ideas worth when
  separated from his/her personality? What could
  he/she be trying to cover up with plain folks
  approach? What are the facts?
•  

13
Bandwagon

• Attempts to persuade the target audience to take
  a course of action "everyone else is taking," to
  "join the crowd." Reinforces people's natural
  desire to be on the winning side
•  
• Basic idea is to simply get people on the
  "bandwagon." Everyone else is doing/supporting
  something, so you should too.
•  
• Appeals to the conformist in all of us no one
  wants to be left out of what seems to be a
  popular trend
•  
• Examples McDonalds--over 55 billion served (or
  however many) WWII posters encouraged others to
  buy bonds by showing how many other people had
  bought one

14
Bandwagon, Cont.

• Ask yourself what is this propagandist's
  program?
•  
• What is the evidence for and against this
  program?
•  
• Regardless of the fact that others are supporting
  this program, should I support this program?
•  
• Does the program serve or undermine my individual
  and collective interests?
•  
• This technique reinforces people's natural
  desire to be on the winning side.

15
Name Calling

• The use of names to evoke fear or hatred in the
  viewer. The name-calling technique links a
  person, or idea, to a negative symbol.
•  
• The most obvious type of name calling involves
  "bad names"
• --fascist
• --communist
• --celebrity (Barack Obama)
• --old (John McCain)
• --hippie
• --yuppie
•  

16
Name Calling, Cont.

•  Ask yourself
•  
• What does the name mean?
•  
• Does the idea in question have a legitimate
  conection with the real meaning of the name?
•  
• Is an idea that serves my best interests being
  dismissed through giving it a name I don't like?
•  
• Leaving out the name consideration, what are the
  merits of the idea itself?
•  
• Technique links a person or idea to a negative
  symbol.

17
Your Assignment

• Because Mrs. Feist does love a good poster,
•  Using the magazines I have provided, find one
  example of each type of propaganda, label it, and
  create a neat collage.
•  You will work in two teams of four.
•  All ads need to be school appropriate, because,
  of course, these will be hung up!
•  Due you'll have classtime today (the longest
  part will be finding the ads) and may turn it in
  today or at the BEGINNING of class next time. You
  will be graded on your ability to accurately
  label types of propaganda and to neatly display
  those samples