Propaganda and Censorship

1. Mr. Thomas Propaganda and Censorship

2. Propaganda • Information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc. (Dictionary.com) • Edward Filene helped establish the Institue of Propaganda Analysis in 1937 to educate the American public about the nature of propaganda and how to recognize these techniques. There are seven common techniques that the IPA identified, although there are more. Let’s start with these…

3. 1. Bandwagon • An appeal to the subject to follow the crowd, to join in because others are doing so as well. • Often used in wartime and modern advertising.

4. 2. Card Stacking • Selective omission. It involves only presenting information that is positive to an idea or proposal and omitting information contrary to it.

6. 3. Glittering Generalities • Words that have different positive meaning for individual subjects, but are linked to highly valued concepts. They include words with distinct (usually positive) connotations (“in defense of democracy”). • Often in political propaganda.

7. 4. Name Calling • The use of derogatory language or words that carry a negative connotation when describing an enemy • Often in political cartoons or writings.

8. 5. Transfer • An attempt to make the subject view a certain item in the same way as they view another item, to link the two in the subject’s mind. • Often used in politics and wartime.

9. 6. Testimonial • Quotations or endorsements, in or out of context, which attempt to connect a famous or respectable person with a product or item. • Often used in advertising and political campaigns.

10. 7. Plain Folks • An attempt by the propagandist to convince the public that his/her views reflect those of the common person and he/she is also working for the benefit of the common person (accents, idioms, jokes, etc. are used).

11. More Techniques of Propaganda

12. 8. Assertion • An enthusiastic or energetic statement presented as a fact, although not necessarily true • Commonly used in advertising and modern propaganda. They often imply that the statement requires no explanation for back up, but that it should merely be accepted without question.

13. 9. Lesser of Two Evils • This technique tries to convince us of an idea or proposal by presenting it as the least offensive option. • This is often implemented during wartime to convince people of the need for sacrifices or to justify decision.

14. 10. Pinpointing the Enemy • This is an attempt to simplify a complex situation by presenting one specific group or person as the enemy. • This is often used during wartime, in political campaigns and debates.

15. 11. Simplification (Stereotyping) • This is similar to pinpointing the enemy, in that it often reduces a complex situation to a clear-cut choice involving good and evil.