Download PROPAGANDA ANALYSIS

PROPAGANDA ANALYSIS
A 10-step plan of propaganda
analysis
The warfare metaphor
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The destruction of the enemy’s will to
resist, and with a minimum annihilation
of fighting capacity
(H. Lasswell, 1951)
Step 1: The Ideology and Purpose
of the Propaganda Campaign
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Ideology: A value system or belief system
accepted as fact or truth by some group.
It is composed of sets of attitudes toward the
various institutions and processes of society.
An ideology provides the believer with a
picture of the world both as it is and as it
should be.
It organizes the complexity of the world into
something fairly simple and understandable
Political ideologies
The Purpose of the Propaganda
Campaign is:
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to achieve acceptance of propagandist’s
ideology by the people
to establish a set of values that provides the
basis for determining what is good, bad, right
or wrong
Propaganda may incorporate such
elements of ideology as references to:
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preexisting struggles and past situations
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current frames of reference and value systems
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future goals and objectives
Step 2: The Context in Which
Propaganda Occurs
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Considerations of historical background, existing
beliefs and values, prevailing social myths,
prevailing public mood, etc.
The use of myth
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A story or event that illuminates the key values
of some society or association: the original
events can be real, but they serve unreal
imaginary beliefs (e.g., that of national
superiority)
National glory and national suffering
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“Suffering” of American Colonists in the late
1700s.
“Glorious victory” against the British
September 11, 2001
D-Day, Pearl Harbor, “Remember Alamo!”
Reshaping myths / images
Japan: from militaristic aggressor in the 1930s
and 1940s to a victim of the atomic bomb
East Germany: from former center of Nazism to
an anti-fascist peace loving
Prejudice / Hate
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The cult of hatred and xenophobia is the
cheapest and surest method to persuade
masses.
The use of myth:
national stereotypes
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Backward: Poor, Lazy, Ignorant, Indolent,
Submissive, Inefficient (but: Proud, Polite,
Traditional, Easygoing)
Advanced: Enterprising, Ambitious,
Industrious, Intelligent, Progressive, Efficient,
Successful (but: Ruthless, Aggressive, Moneyhungry, Cunning)
Step 3: Identification of the
Propagandist
Usually an institution or organization
It could be open or concealed
The International Council for
Democratic Institutions
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http://www.icdiss.org/
The Case for Independence of Transdniestria
America Supports You
(Pentagon)
http://www.americasupportsyou.mil/americasupportsyou/index.aspx
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First year cost to private PR firm about
$3,000,000
Students at an Oklahoma schools collected $600 for ASY
Step 4: Structure of Propagandist
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Usually strong, centralized, decision-making
authorities produce consistent messages
throughout their structure.
Leadership influential in setting general tone and
approach.
Structure produces long term goals and short term
objectives.
Propaganda organization
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What is the internal culture of the organization?
What is its ideology?
Who are the members of the organization and how
do they get to be members?
To whom does the organization release
information about itself?
Source Credibility
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What is the audience’s perceived image of the
source? How does the propagandist establish
identification with the audience?
How does the propagandist work through those
who have credibility in a community? (opinion
leaders).
How does the propagandist provide
opportunities for face-to-face contact?
Step 5: Target Audience
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The propaganda message is aimed at the audience
most likely to be useful to the propagandist if it
responds favorably.
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How is the target audience identified and reached?
Step 6: Media Utilization
Techniques
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Which media? One dominant or a combination
of many?
Flow of communication: from one medium to
another; from media to groups and individuals.
Are there competing media? (opportunity for
counterpropaganda)
How is the message presented?
Effectiveness? (how do we know this?)
Step 7: Types of Techniques
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Predispositions of the Audience (Resonance)
Source Credibility
Reward and Punishment
Fear, Intimidation
Arousal of Emotions
Visual Symbols
Language
Music
Predispositions of the Audience:
Creating Resonance
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Messages that are supportive of, rather than
discrepant from, commonly held views of the
people are more likely to be effective.
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The propagandist links audiences beliefs with the
propagandistic ideology.
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The propagandist uses knowledge of audience’s
norms and values
Reward and Punishment
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For example, uses of aid to secure compliance
with foreign policy.
Weapons of intimidation
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For example
Aztec’s terror of religious blood sacrifice and
cannibalism (some orgies lasted days and killed
thousands victims)
They sharply lowered Aztec’s enemies will to
resist
Weapons of intimidation
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Hernando Cortes’ use of horses against Aztecs.
The Aztecs thought the Spaniards on their
horses at first a single, two-headed giant
animals.
Weapons of intimidation
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Terror of rape when the Red Army entered
German territory in 1945 (officially prohibited)
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Terror of rape in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the
early 1990s
Weapons of intimidation
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Portsmouth Peace Treat 1905 between Russia
and Japan
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Organized by Roosevelt in Portsmouth to show
the might of the U.S. Navy
Arousal of Emotions
Language Usage
Music as Propaganda
Visuals Symbols
Language Used
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Propaganda uses language that tends to deify a
cause and ‘satanize’ opponents. Exaggeration is
often associated with propaganda.
The Use of Language
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The way an object is described directs our
thoughts and channel our cognitive responses
(positive or negative)
Example of “Name Calling”: The condemning
of an idea on its face by giving it a bad label
regardless of the evidence.
The Use of Language
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“voodoo-economics” Bush Sr.
“Death tax” (inheritance tax)
Boston Massacre March 5, 1770
“Red Menace and the Jewish Problem”
“A kindlier, gentler America” (Bush Sr.)
“Honorable peace” (Nixon)
“The Man from Hope” (Clinton)
The Use of Language
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The War or the Defense Department
Collateral damage
The war against drugs, terrorism…
The war on poverty
Big business, Big oil, Tax on the Rich
75% lean or 25% fat?
“New and Improved”
Language: Self-fulfilling prophecy
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The tendency for a definition of a situation to
evoke behavior that makes that definition come
true
Asymmetrical definition
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The deliberate use of audience-familiar words
that evoke shared meanings but are not shared
by the source of the message for the purpose of
deception.
“Peace” used by the Nazis. Hitler always
portrayed himself as “peace-loving”
“Democracy” used by the communists.
Hitler’s speech 1941
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What offers did I make them! How I begged them
to be reasonable! I begged them to see reason. My
speeches were all governed by the one idea: it
must be possible to find a method for a peaceful
solution. What we are doing is making a sacrifice
in the interest of peace. We make this sacrifice,
but we, at least, want to have peace in exchange
for it.
Hitler’s speech 1941
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I held out my hand, again and again. We have
not asked them for anything, not demanded
anything, again and again I offered my hand for
negotiations. It was in vain. I held out my hand to
England. I was received with derision. They
practically spat at me. They were indignant.
Hitler’s speech 1941
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We are involved in a war which we did not
want. Otherwise one could not stretch out one's
hand to the other side. However, if those financial
hyenas want war, if they want to exterminate
Germany, they will get the surprise of their lives.
Hitler’s speech 1941
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The year which lies behind us has been a year of
great successes, but also, it is true, one of many
sacrifices. Our whole sympathy, our love and care
belongs to those who had to make these sacrifices.
That the Lord should not abandon us in this
struggle of the coming year—Let that be our
prayer.
Hitler’s speech
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9fEM-MfSiU&feature=related
Hitler’s messianic rhetoric
“Lord, you see, we have changed.
The German people is no longer the people without
honour, of disgrace, tearing itself apart, fainthearted, and weak in faith.
No, Lord, the German people is strong again in its
will…”
Hitler’s messianic rhetoric
“How can we not once again feel in this hour the
miracle which has brought us together.
You have once heard the voice of a man, and it has
struck your hearts, it has awakened you, and you
have followed this voice...
Now we are together, we are with him and he is with
us, and we are now Germany.”
Goebbels on Hitler
Hitler’s election is a religion in the deepest and most
mysterious sense of the word
in which a nation professed its belief in God,
through its spokesman and put its fate and life
trustingly in his hands
Music as Propaganda
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Music combines sound and language and is
repeated until it becomes familiar. It touches the
emotions easily, suggestions associations and past
experiences, invites us to sing along and embraces
ideology in the lyrics.
Power of Sound and Music
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National Anthems
Patriotic Songs
Religious
Sales
Military
Police
National anthems:
Casablanca - French National Anthem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM-E2H1ChJM
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Arise children of the fatherland
The day of glory has arrived
Against us tyranny's Bloody standard is raised
Can you hear in the fields
The howling of these fearsome soldiers?
They are coming into our midst
To cut the throats of your sons and consorts!
To arms, citizens, Form in battalions,
March, march! Let impure blood
Water our furrows!
National anthems: Japan
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May your Imperial reign
Continue for a thousand years,
And last for eight thousand generations,
Until pebbles
Turn into boulders
Covered in moss.
European Union:
Ode to Joy (Beethoven’s 9th)
Joy, your magic reunites
What custom strictly parts;
All people become brothers,
Where your gentle wing alights.
Be embraced, you millions!
All creatures drink joy
Ode to Joy / Street Mob
Visual Symbols
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Symbols of power, nationalism, patriotism, unity,
etc.
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For example:
flags, monuments, historical figures, battle scenes,
the use of colors
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Dada panorama
by Hannah Hoch (1919, Germany)
Pablo Picasso: Guernica (1937)
Posters
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Chairman Mao is the Red Sun in Our
Heart (China 1969)
Soviet art, 1940s
Visual Symbols
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The 1968 Olympics Black Power salute Tommie
Smith and John Carlos (200m runners)
Manipulation
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V.I.Lenin 5/5/1920
The original picture (right) with Trotsky
Manipulation
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O.J. Simpson 1994
Manipulation
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Sept. 2006 Beirut.
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Photographer Adnan Hajj from Reuters
Maya Lin’s Vietnam memorial
Murals
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Diego Rivera historical murals
Buildings
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Acropolis
Hitler’s Chancellery
Chancellery
Step 8: Audience Reaction
Indicated/measured by opinion polls, public
behavior, voting, media reports, etc.
Other evidence might include rate of recruitment
to the propaganda organization, contributions,
audience adoption of slogans, language, attire, etc.
Step 9: Counterpropaganda
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This may be above ground or below ground.
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Direct counter-propaganda
In metaphorical forms in literature and theatre.
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Step 10: Effects
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Effects and Evaluation
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Has the propagandist achieved his goals?