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FACULTY OF LIFELONG LEARNING
Academic Year
2008-9
PROVISIONAL OUTLINE
STUDENTS MUST BRING THIS OUTLINE TO THEIR FIRST CLASS
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Module Code
FFPO929S41CB
Subject Area
Politics
Module Title
Propaganda and Persuasion
Class Venue
Stratford
First Meeting
Term Dates
Saturday Schools
Tuesday 13th January 2009, 6.00-9.00pm
13th January to 24th March 2009
Two Saturday Schools, 10am-5pm, dates tba
Module Taught by
Lecturer to be announced
Please see our website, http://www.bbk.ac.uk/ce/politics/ for more information on the Politics
programme.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
The module is open to anyone with enthusiasm and interest in the subject. Students will need
to be able to commit 6 hours per week, in addition to classes, to read the core texts and to
complete the coursework. Students should be able to read and write English fluently.
Students whose first language is not English and who feel their language or study skills are
not quite sufficient are strongly advised to enrol on an appropriate course in the English
Department. Students successfully completing the half-module English for social science will
be given credit towards the Certificate. Students who enrol and find the level of English too
difficult will not be refunded. Students cannot join the class after the third week. All classes
must be paid for in advance.
MODULE DESCRIPTION
The module begins by looking at a range of ways in which politicians attempt to persuade and
influence the public, largely through the media, but also directly. These include live
speeches, party political broadcasts and ‘spin’ (or political media management). We move on
to consider definitions and examples of propaganda, and then compare this with ‘legitimate’
persuasion techniques. Over the entire module, issues examined will include the implications
for democracy of both propaganda and persuasion, and the role of the mass media in
shaping political debate and decision-making. The main focus will be on the UK, with
examples from the US also being used for illustrative and comparative purposes. The
module will utilise contemporary political and mass media examples as well as academic
texts.
MODULE AIMS
The main aim of this course is to introduce students to a range of debates, theories and
concepts around the issues of political persuasion and propaganda. Students will learn to
recognise and analyse different techniques of persuasion and forms of propaganda in the
political realm. Students will also gain an understanding of the nature and role of the mass
media in the political arena and the arguments surrounding this.
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STUDENT OUTCOMES
Students will be able to:
Understand and critically assess concepts, debates and theories relating to political
persuasion and propaganda, and apply their knowledge and skills to contemporary issues.
Analyse and compare ‘legitimate’ techniques of political persuasion and propaganda.
Understand and apply a range of theories about the mass media and its role in democratic
politics.
TEACHING ARRANGEMENTS
The course divides broadly into three sections. We begin by examining forms of ‘legitimate’
political persuasion, before going on to consider propaganda and the arguments surrounding
its use. The module then focuses on the differences between the two and the significance of
these. Over the entire module, issues examined will include the implications for democracy
of both propaganda and persuasion, and the role of the mass media in shaping political
debate and decision making.
Each three-hour session of this fast-track module will include a mixture of teaching methods,
including lectures, debates, seminar discussions and workshop activities, whole-class and
small group work.
Attendance at every session is essential and students are strongly recommended to
familiarise themselves with at least one of the recommended readings in advance of each
session. Students are also recommended to get into the habit of reading a quality daily
newspaper and following political stories on the radio and television.
COURSEWORK AND ASSESSMENT
Two pieces of work must be submitted for assessment:
1. An analysis of 1000 words of a current newspaper story (30%).
2. An essay of 2000 words based on one of the questions provided (60%).
Your lecturer will tell you if your course is being moderated. If your course is being moderated
you must submit your marked coursework to the International and European Studies desk
at 26 Russell Square. Please allow enough time for your tutor to mark your essay and return
to you by the final class.
In-class participation
Finally, students’ in-class participation will be assessed, accounting for 10 % of the overall
mark. Criteria include regular contributions to class (e.g. group-work, discussions, minipresentations or other exercises), awareness of required reading, listening/communication skills.
All assessment must be passed to be eligible for credit.
REQUESTS FOR EXTENSIONS
No individual member of staff can grant extensions for work, so please do not ask them to do so. If
you are going to face difficulties meeting a deadline for coursework please let the Programme
Manager know at the earliest opportunity. This should be prior to the due submission date. If a
piece of work is submitted after the stated deadline it will be given two marks – a penalty mark of 50%
(assuming it is of pass standard) and the ‘real’ mark that would have been awarded if the work had
not been late. Both marks will be recorded on the coursework coversheet. If the work is not of a pass
standard a single mark will be given.
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All students submitting work after the original due submission date are allowed to provide written
evidence (medical or otherwise) of mitigating circumstances. This should be submitted to the
Programme Manager, with supporting documentation. This documentation will then be considered by
the Mitigation sub-committee of the exam board, and will be treated as confidential. If no
documentation is received prior to the meeting of the Mitigation Sub-Committee the ‘real’ mark will not
be considered and the penalty mark will stand. If the evidence of mitigation is considered to be
sufficient then the ‘real’ mark will go forward to the exam board. Details of mitigating circumstances
considered by the College to be of sufficient gravity to allow the “real” mark to be recorded can be
found on the website.
CONTACTING THE FACULTY
Please contact us by email: [email protected] or by telephone: 020 7631 6626/6618. In
exceptional cases where you have to come in to the faculty you should contact us in advance to make
an appointment. If your query can be answered by email or by telephone you will not be able to make
an appointment.
REFERENCES
Please ensure that:
 you use appropriate footnoting or end noting,
 all references consulted, and all quotations reproduced, are properly cited, including where
necessary specific page references,
 you include a full Bibliography representing the actual texts consulted
 you use texts that are written in English only
REFUND POLICY
The Faculty of Lifelong Learning cannot undertake to make refunds when students are prevented from
attending a course due to changes in personal circumstances other than health. Requests for refunds
on medical grounds must be made within four weeks of leaving the class, and supported by a medical
certificate. All refunds for medical reasons will be subject to a £20 administrative fee per module plus
a pro-rata deduction for the meetings attended. If the Faculty closes the class, or the class is full, or
the student cannot be accepted for some reason, any fees paid will be refunded in full.
CLASS CANCELLATIONS DURING TERM-TIME
If a tutor needs to cancel a class for any reason, students will be informed by email. Therefore,
please make sure that we have a valid email address for you. Hotmail accounts are known to block
emails from Birkbeck. Please provide either a work email address or a yahoo account address.
Occasionally, a class may be cancelled during term time; the College reserves the right to reschedule
these classes on an alternative date which may be outside of the term time. Refunds are not available
for any classes that are rescheduled.
LIBRARY
Students on courses at Stratford can use the library and IT facilities at UEL's Stratford Campus
Library. Students can borrow both the Birkbeck resources based in the UEL Stratford Campus
Library and have reference access to UEL's collections. The resources on the Malet Street campus in
Bloomsbury can also be used by Birkbeck Stratford students; further details about Malet Street
library's resources are available from the College's website: www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/. In addition, students
can access the resources of Birkbeck eLibrary - e-books, e-journals, databases - and use them 24/7
from any PC with Internet access.
Students will be issued with a Birkbeck Stratford identity card which can be used to access UEL's
libraries and to borrow the course texts housed in the UEL Stratford Campus Library. A separate
library card will be issued for accessing and borrowing from the Malet Street Library.
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There is a dedicated team of Birkbeck Learning Support Advisers in UEL's Stratford Campus Library
who are on hand to assist students during the evenings and weekends. UEL library staff will be happy
to help Birkbeck, Stratford students at other times. The Birkbeck Learning Support Advisers will run
induction sessions, offer training sessions, and provide one-to-help.
Also, students are given UEL usernames and passwords and can log onto the workstations in the
Stratford Campus Library. This provides access to Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, Access,
PowerPoint etc) as well as allowing access to Birkbeck's web-based library resources.
ITS ACCOUNT
Once you have received your library card you can activate your computer account online at:
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/lib/about/userinfo/fcestudents/fceccsstud
MODERATION
You will be contacted by the assessment office at the end of your module if your course has been
selected for moderation. You may be required to resubmit marked coursework to the faculty.
Moderation is a part of our quality assurance procedures which ensure that modules are being taught
and assessed to the correct standard.
RESULTS
The assessment office sends out the official notification of results letters for all modules in August and
students who have successfully completed all of the assessment for a Certificate of Higher Education
will receive their certificate in the post the following April.
Students who have unpaid course fees or library fines will not be sent their results until the
outstanding amount has been paid in full.
MODULE EVALUATION
During the module students will be asked to complete a Module Evaluation form which gives the
opportunity to provide feedback on all aspects of their learning experience.
READING
Textbooks
There is no one textbook for this module. Recommended reading is given for each week.
Two useful texts are G.S. Jowett and V. O’Donnell (eds) Propaganda and Persuasion,
Sage, 1992, 4th edn 2006, and B. McNair An Introduction to Political Communication,
Routledge, 1995, 3rd edn 2007.
Further reading
In addition to the books listed below, you are recommended to regularly read at least one
‘quality’ daily newspaper. When looking for these books in the library or bookshop, keep your
eyes open for other publications on the subject which might be just as good or useful.
Please note: we recommend that students do not buy books until the course has started as we
occasionally have to cancel classes.
Max Atkinson, Our Masters’ Voices
Norman Fairclough, Language and Power
Norman Fairclough, New Labour, New Language?
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Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky, Manufacturing Consent
Nicholas Jones, Soundbites and Spin Doctors: How Politicians Manipulate the Media and
Vice Versa
Nicholas Jones, Sultans of Spin: The Media and the New Labour Government
G.S. Jowett and V. O’Donnell, Propaganda and Persuasion
Brian McNair, An Introduction to Political Communication
R. Negrine, Politics and the Mass Media in Britain
A. Pratkanis and E. Aronson, Age of Propaganda: The Everyday Use and Abuse of
Persuasion
S. Poole, Unspeak: Words are Weapons, Abacus, 2007
L. Price, The Spin Doctor’s Diary, Hodder and Stoughton, 2005
T. H. Qualter, Advertising and Democracy in the Mass Age
T. Slessor, Lying in State: How Whitehall Denies, Dissembles and Deceives from the Chinook
Crash to the Kelly Affair, Aurum, 2004
D. Welch, The Third Reich: Politics and Propaganda
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WEEK-BY-WEEK BREAKDOWN
Week 1: Political Persuasion Today
In this introductory session students will have the opportunity to discuss different
understandings of propaganda and persuasion, and their own experiences of persuading and
being persuaded, in political, commercial and social contexts.
Preparation
There is no required reading for this session, but students should have familiarised
themselves with the reading list, and given some thought to the session topic.
Week 2: The Art of Rhetoric
In this session we will examine the techniques politicians use when directly addressing
audiences, and apply this in analysing a videoed speech.
Preparation
Students should read J. Heritage and D. Greatbatch, ‘Generating Applause: A Study of
Rhetoric and Response at Party Political Conferences’, American Journal of Sociology, 92:1
(July 1986), pp.110-157 (available via library e-journals). Max Atkinson, Our Masters’
Voices is also very useful and interesting for this session, as is P. Bull and P. Wells ‘By
Invitation Only? An Analysis of Invited and Uninvited Applause’ Journal of Language and
Social Psychology 21:3, September 2002, pp. 230-244 (available via library e-journals).
Week 3: Selling Policies Like Soap Powder:
Persuasive techniques that are utilised by political parties and commercial advertisers
alike
This week we turn our attention to the world of commercial advertising, and look at the
techniques used to persuade us that we want to buy particular products. We will then
compare these with the approaches used in party political broadcasts from British general
elections.
Preparation
The key reading for this week is from A. Pratkanis and E. Aronson, Age of Propaganda:
The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion (pages to be advised). Also interesting is T.
Qualter, Advertising and Democracy in the Mass Age, which we will be using in depth next
week, and B. McNair An Introduction to Political Communication, Chapter 6.
Week 4: But is a Democracy Really Like a Supermarket?
Similarities and differences, and the effects of political advertising
Following on from last week’s look at the similarities between commercial and political
advertising, today we ask what the differences are, in both content and context, and ask how
appropriate such methods are for the political arena, and the implications for democracy of
their widespread use.
Preparation
The key text this week is T. Qualter, Advertising and Democracy in the Mass Age, chapter 7.
Week 5: Spin: why and how politicians do it
In this session and next week’s we will consider other, less obvious, ways in which politicians
use the media to get their message across. What is ‘spin’; how does it work, and what are its
implications for democracy? How do ‘spin doctors’ operate, and how does their role fit in with
other persuasive techniques?
Preparation
Recommended reading for this week includes B. McNair An Introduction to Political
Communication, Chapter 7, and any of the spin doctor memoirs of Nicholas Jones or Lance
Price. The much-anticipated diaries of Alastair Campbell should also be published by the
time we get to this point in the course!
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Week 6: Spin: why the media goes along with it
We will ask ourselves this week why the media allows itself to be used by politicians in this
way. This will involve looking at the British mass media in broader terms, and examining its
own political and commercial motivations.
Preparation
Students should bring along and example of a ‘spun’ story from the previous week’s
newspapers, radio or television. For this week’s topic, you should look at McNair, Chapter 5,
and/or R. Negrine, Politics and the Mass Media in Britain.
Week 7: Political Lying
Politicians are famous for lying and evading the question – in this session we ask why they do
it and when, if ever, this is justified.
Preparation
Try to read either R. Chisholm and T. Feehan, ‘The Intent to Deceive’, Journal of Philosophy
74:3, March 1977, pp. 143-159, or S. Bok, Lying: Moral Choice in Private and Public Life. I
will also provide handouts of other useful material.
Week 8: Propaganda:
Defining and recognising it, and asking when it might be legitimate to use it
This week we turn our attention to propaganda – often seen as an illegitimate form of
manipulation in contrast to legitimate persuasion. We look at the differences between the
two, and at different kinds or degrees of propaganda.
Preparation
Having read G.S. Jowett and V. O’Donnell, Propaganda and Persuasion (pages tba), bring
to the seminar an example of propaganda, ancient or modern, and be prepared to say a few
words about what, in your view, qualifies it as propaganda rather than persuasion. I will also
provide a handout of definitions of propaganda.
Week 9: Hidden Propaganda?
In this session we will be examining the operation of the mass media in Western democracies
through the ‘Propaganda Model’ developed by Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky.
Preparation
The vital reading for this week is Chapter 1, ‘A Propaganda Model’, in E.S. Herman and N.
Chomsky, Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media. Try to find
examples from the press to support or challenge the model, and also try to think of ways in
which it might be made more relevant to the present day.
Week 10: Propaganda and Persuasion: What’s the Difference?
In this session ask how does propaganda differ from legitimate persuasion, and into which
category would we put political advertising, spin, and politicians’ lying?
Preparation
No new reading this week, but please revisit and reread any material that you are perhaps
unclear about, or that you find particularly interesting. Come prepared with something to say
on these questions, or a new point(s) you would like to raise.
Week 11: Political Persuasion Revisited
Consolidation session in which we return to the questions we asked at the beginning of the
module and re-examine them in the light of what we have discovered.
Saturday School 1 (date tba) this Saturday School will consist of two workshops
morning: Essay Writing and Assessment Workshop
afternoon: ‘You the Spin Doctor’: Media Management Workshop
Saturday School 2 (date tba) Triumph of the Will
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Today you can settle down to watch a film: widely considered to be one of the greatest works
of propaganda of all time, Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will is her portrayal of the 1934
National Socialist (Nazi) Party rally. When we have recovered, we will ask what makes the
film propaganda (and consider arguments that it is merely a factual documentary of the
event), and what techniques the director uses to achieve her (and arguably Hitler’s) aims.
Preparation
Try to read D. Welch, Propaganda and the German Cinema, chapter on Triumph of the Will.
There is also an excellent article by Susan Sontag, ‘Fascinating Fascism’, which I will try to
make available. A questionnaire will be distributed before you watch the film, so have a look
at this too.
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ASSESSMENT
Analysis of newspaper story
Select a current political story from a quality British daily or Sunday newspaper, and analyse
it in terms of one or more of the following: the role played by ‘spin’; the nature of propaganda
and persuasion; Chomsky’s Propaganda Model. Your analysis should be 1000 words long.
Essay questions
Your 2000 word essay MUST be based on one of the following questions:
1. Using a short example of written or spoken political argument of your choice, comment on
its effectiveness as political rhetoric. (please attach a transcript)
2. When, if ever, is it right for a politician to lie to the public?
3. What have politicians learned from the commercial advertising industry, and what effect
has this had on politics in Britain?
4. Is ‘spin’ to blame for the electorate’s growing disillusionment with politics and politicians?
5. Is the term ‘propaganda’ just a way of dismissing persuasion by people we disagree with,
or are there real differences between propaganda and persuasion?
6. Are the free Western media unwitting propagandists for capitalism?
7. Is Triumph of the Will best described as documentary, propaganda or art?
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