Download Propaganda-Basic

Propaganda Techniques
Modern World History, by Dan McDowell. Teaching Point, ©2004 Edited by Robert W. Oliver
Warm Up
• What is propaganda? Answer in 1 or 2
complete sentences on your own paper.
• Keep the paper for discussion notes & as a
ticket out the door.
What is propaganda?
• Propaganda is a form of communication, often
biased or misleading in nature, aimed
towards influencing the attitude of a population
toward some cause, position or political agenda.
• Propaganda is information that is not impartial.
• Propaganda often omits key facts or information.
Glittering Generalities
• Use of words and images that are generally
favorable to everyone, including liberty,
democracy, freedom, love, and civilization.
• It associates a person, idea, or group with a
positive feeling, but no direct evidence.
• Problem: all of these words mean different
things to different people.
Glittering Generalities Example
Glittering Generalities Example
Glittering Generalities
Glittering
Generalities
Religion as the victim
Bandwagon
• Hop on the bandwagon or else you don’t fit
in. Everyone is doing it, so you should too.
This technique is contrived peer pressure –
no one wants to be left out or behind.
Bandwagon
• Turn to Jesus or burn
in Hell
Bandwagon
Bandwagon
Bandwagon
Testimonial
• A celebrity or expert who endorses a
product, candidate, or idea. Think about all
of the commercials with celebrities. The
celebrity may not always be qualified to
speak on the subject.
Testimonial
If the President of the United States
wears this jacket, it must be good
enough for me.
Daniel Craig as James Bond 007
The time shown is
10:07. Get it?
Plain Folks
• This technique has a person or cause being
associated with regular people. Candidates
who are just like you – they put their pants
on one leg at a time, too.
Plain Folks
President
Obama and
Vice President
Biden eat at
diners, just like
real people do!
Plain Folks
Plain Folks
Name-Calling/Stereotyping
• This technique links a person or idea to a
negative image.
• It’s also called stereotyping.
• Association with this negative symbol will
cause the viewer to reject it outright.
• This is the opposite of glittering
generalities.
Name Calling
Name Calling
Name-Calling
Name-Calling
"The Jew: The
inciter of war, the
prolonger of war."
Fear-Based Propaganda
• Fear-based propaganda involves warning
people that disaster will result if they do not
follow a particular course of action.
Fear Propaganda, Hitler style
• "The streets of our country are in turmoil.
The universities are filled with students
rebelling and rioting. Communists are
seeking to destroy our country. Russia is
threatening us with her might, and the
Republic is in danger. Yes - danger from
within and without. We need law and order!
Without it our nation cannot survive." Adolf Hitler, 1932
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNKRDP4UD1Y&safety_mode=true&p
ersist_safety_mode=1
FEAR PROPAGANDA:
HOMELAND SECURITY
VIDEO
Black and White
• Black and White - Presents an issue as
having only two choices. If you don’t like
one choice, you must choose the other.
• Also known as the lesser of two evils.
Lesser of Two
Evils
Condescending
Wonka Meme
Assertion
• Assertion is commonly used in advertising
and modern propaganda.
• An assertion is a statement presented as a
fact, although it is not necessarily true.
Assertion Example
• The American people were told in 2002 that
Iraq had weapons of mass destruction
(WMDs). This was the reason for going to
war.
• These weapons were thought to be nuclear,
biological, and chemical.
• In fact, no such weapons were ever found.
Card Stacking
• Card stacking is leaving out what you don’t
want people to know.
• It is dangerous because it leaves out
important information.
Quran burning after air strike by the
Israeli Air Force
Toy in
wreckage
Credits
• American Propaganda Posters courtesy of Northwestern
University Library
(http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govpub/collections/
wwii-posters/index.html)
• German Propaganda Posters courtesy of German
Propaganda Archive
(http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/)
• * Techniques courtesy of Bryan Ross, West Hills High
School.
Glittering Generalities
Glittering
Generalities
Patriotism