This document defines propaganda and discusses its key characteristics and techniques. It begins by defining propaganda as the deliberate attempt to shape perceptions and direct behavior to further the interests of the propagandist. It then dispels common misconceptions that propaganda is always about lying or emotions rather than reason. The document outlines several common propaganda techniques, provides historical examples of propaganda campaigns, and discusses how propaganda can be used domestically or internationally.

1. PROPAGANDA

2. What is propaganda
• “Propaganda is the deliberate, systematic attempt to
shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct
behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired
intent of the propagandist.”
• —Jowett & O'Donnell, Propaganda and Persuasion
• Any information, ideas, doctrines or special appeals,
disseminated to influence the opinions, emotions,
attitudes or behaviors of any specified group in order to
benefit the sponsor, either directly or indirectly.
• __ NATO Definition

3. Let’s start with the (pre-) conceptions
• Propaganda is about lying or, at best, half-truths
• It is about playing to emotions rather than reason
• It is a ‘dirty trick’ designed to get people to do
something they might not otherwise have done
• It is only done by ‘them’ i.e. dictators who fear
public opinion – ‘we’ tell the truth
• It is only done in wartime by democracies
• It is an abuse of communications processes

4. What it really is
• It is a process of communications/persuasion
between sender and recipient
• As such, it is value-neutral
• It depends for its success upon credibility
• It lies on the spectrum of communication of who
says what, when, how and with what effect.
• To distinguish it from other forms of
communication, it needs to add why
• Therefore the question of intent is critical

5. Main historical campaigns
• ‘the campaign against American neutrality’, 1914-17
• ‘we were hypnotized as a rabbit is by a snake’, 1918
• ‘workers of the world unite’
• ‘the free world vs. the slave world’, 1939 onwards,
1945 onwards
• Free market liberal democratic capitalism vs.
communism and now ‘rogue states’/’axis of evil’/the
global ‘war’ on terrorism

6. Main propaganda theorists/practices
• Vatican invented the word!
• Propagation of cultures/germination of
seeds
• The authoritarian model (Mussolini,
Soviet Union, Nazi Germany)
• The democratic response (‘Strategy of
Truth’)
• Lippmann, Bernays, Hitler, Ellul

7. Five characteristics of propaganda
• Propaganda is in the
eye of the beholder.
– “I’m persuading.
The other guy is
using
propaganda.”
• Propaganda has a
strong ideological
bent.
– example: PETA,
Queer Nation, or
the Army of God
• Propaganda is
institutional in nature.
It is practiced by
organized groups
– governments,
corporations,
social movements,
special interests
• Propaganda relies
on mass persuasion
– television, radio,
Internet,
billboards
• Propaganda tends
to rely on ethically
suspect methods of
influence.
– deception,
distortion,
misrepresentatio
n, or
suppression of
information.

8. Different types of propaganda
• Black (or covert)
• White (or overt)
• Grey (unknown source)
• Cohesive propaganda
• Divisive propaganda
– Cohesive propaganda
• Create goodwill
• Promote friendship
• Raise morale
• Stress common interests
• Gain co-operation
– Divisive propaganda
• Lower morale
• Create apathy, defeatism & discord
• Promote dissention, panic subversion, resistance,
desertion, surrender & defection

9. Domestic or foreign
• Home propaganda usually plays out under
‘information’ policy – ‘we tell the truth to
our people’, ‘they tell lies about us’
• International propaganda: is it an
interference with the internal affairs of
other nations?
• Censorship and propaganda have been
traditional handmaidens – but is this
possible any more in the ‘information age’
• Blurring of ‘domestic’ and ‘foreign’ within
the context of globalization

10. Main historical campaigns
• ‘the campaign against American neutrality’, 1914-17
• ‘we were hypnotized as a rabbit is by a snake’, 1918
• ‘workers of the world unite’
• ‘the free world vs. the slave world’, 1939 onwards,
1945 onwards
• Free market liberal democratic capitalism vs.
communism and now ‘rogue states’/’axis of evil’/the
global ‘war’ on terrorism

11. Common propaganda techniques
• plain folks appeal (“I’m one of you”)
• testimonials (“I saw the aliens, sure as I’m standing
here”)
• bandwagon effect (everybody’s doing it)
• card-stacking (presenting only one side of the story)
• transfer (positive or negative associations, such as guilt
by association)
• glittering generalities (idealistic or loaded language,
such as “freedom” “empowering,” “family values”)
• name calling (“racist,” “tree hugger,” “femi-nazi”)

12. plain folks appeal
• Based on the “common man,” “person on
the street” or the “little guy”
• A politician calls himself a “populist” or
“man of the people”
• “In this time of change, government must
take the side of working families.” (George
Bush, address at the Republican National
Convention, Sept. 3, 2004.

13. testimonials
• Anecdotal evidence for diet pills, herbal remedies,
new-age crystals, etc.
• Anecdotal evidence of alien abductions, psychic
phenomena
• “I saw what looked to be a hairy human figure,
about 6-6 1/2' tall, running behind my bike. Scared
the crap out of me, so I hit the throttle and did what
I could to get out of there.” (from the Bigfoot Field
Researchers Organizations Website, report #
13424

14. bandwagon effect
• a “herd” mentality, following the crowd, or
“counting heads”
• An employee caught pilfering says,
“everyone else does it.”
• “A majority of Americans - 57% - say they
believe in psychic phenomena such as ESP,
telepathy or experiences that can’t be
explained by normal means.” (CBS poll,
April 28, 2002)

15. transfer
• Projecting good or bad qualities from one person or
group onto another
• The positive or negative association will “rub off” on
the other person or group
• Politicians posing next to the flag, with troops, with
veterans to appear patriotic
• An ad for a dietary supplement features a researcher
in a white lab coat with a clip board to make the
product appear more scientific

16. glittering generalities
• Using virtuous words; democracy, freedom,
justice, patriotism, family values, motherhood,
progress
• Embracing values at a high level of
abstraction
– “change”
– “green”
– “reform”
• “patriotism is always more than just loyalty to
a place on a map or a certain kind of people.
Instead, it is also loyalty to America’s ideals –
ideals for which anyone can sacrifice, or
defend, or give their last full measure of
devotion.” Barack Obama, June 30, 2008

17. name calling
• Ad hominem attacks
• tree-hugging liberals, right-wing zealots, femi-nazis,
bureaucrats
• Barack Obama “palls around with terrorists.”
• “Despite the hysterics of a few pseudo-scientists,
there is no reason to believe in global warming”
Rush Limbaugh, See I told You So (1993)
• “secular progressives made great inroads over the
past five years" and "if you don't believe that ...
you're a moron." Bill O’Reilly, Dec 19, 2005, on his
syndicated radio show, the Radio Factor