Propaganda Techniques in the Media Whose Voice Guides Your Choice?

How do you decide who is the best candidate… Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

…or which is the best toothpaste ? Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Looking for facts to back up your choice is an excellent idea, but you have to find out who is presenting those facts. Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Are they facts at all, or is the advertiser using propaganda techniques to persuade you? Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

What?! You mean that’s not a fact?! It’s Just Propaganda?!

What are Propaganda techniques? Propaganda is designed to persuade. Its purpose is to influence your opinions, emotions, attitudes, or behavior. It seeks to “guide your choice.”

Who uses Propaganda? ? Military Media Advertisers Politicians Artists and Performers You

Where can I find advertising? Billboards Sides of buses Magazines In the mail On TV Buildings Grocery carts On products On menus T-shirts Webpages Business Cards Search Engines Websites Facebook, etc. The better question is where do you not find advertising!?!

What are some of the techniques used to persuade us? Bandwagon Name-calling Testimonial Glittering Generality Plain-folks appeal Transfer Emotional words Faulty Reasoning Fear

Bandwagon Everybody is doing this. If you want to fit in, you need to “jump on the bandwagon” and do it too. The implication is that you must JOIN in, to FIT in. Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

For example: If the whole world uses this VISA card, you must need one too. Or, if the whole world uses an iPhone, you must need one too. Bank of the World Visa Card- You can use it from Tennessee to Timbuktu- anywhere you travel in whole wide world !! Sign up today at Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Name-Calling A negative word or feeling is attached to an idea, product, or person. If that word or feeling goes along with that person or idea, the implication is that we shouldn’t be interested in it.

For example: Do we want a mayor who will leave us in debt? Spending grew 100% under Mayor Moneybags! Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Testimonial A famous person endorses an idea, a product, a candidate. If someone famous uses this product, believes this idea, or supports this candidate, so should we.

For example: If we drink milk we will all be as famous as….

For example: If we wear these tennis shoes then we will run faster, or jump higher, or be better athletes…

Glittering Generality A commonly admired virtue is used to inspire positive feelings for a person, idea, or product. Words like truth, democracy, beauty, timeless are examples of those general terms.

For example: If you want to be brighter, you’ll support Bill Brite. Look on the bright side! Vote for Bill Brite ! Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Plain-Folks Appeal This idea, product, or person is associated with normal, everyday people and activities.

For Example: We want a Jim Smith, a mayor who supports the regular American worker. Vote for Smith Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Transfer Symbols, quotes, or images of famous people are used to convey a message. The message may not necessarily be associated with them.

For example: Joe uses symbols of America to tie his restaurant to American values for Independence Day. Celebrate the American Way this 4 th of July- Eat at Joe’s Joe’s Barbeque Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Emotional Words Words that leave us with positive feelings are used to describe a product, person, or idea. We associate those words and, therefore, those positive feelings with the product.

For example: What feelings are inspired by the words “true love”? If you wear this cologne will someone fall in love with you? True Love Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Faulty Reasoning Factual supporting details are used though they do not support the conclusion. It works like this: Christians believe in God. Muslims believe in God. Christians are Muslims.

For example: Does this mean that teachers need medication to keep their cool during the school day ? More teachers recommend Calm-Me to help them make it through the day Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Fear Our fears are displayed. Ideas, candidates, or products are shown to put our fears to rest.

For example: If you use Safety Ware it will protect people from stealing your identity-or will it? Guard against Identity theft Use Safety Ware Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Targeted Audiences When you see an advertisement, you should be able to recognize… Who is this ad meant for?

Targeted Audiences Advertisers make advertisements look a certain way and be at a certain place in order to grab the attention of a particular group of people.

Targeted Audiences Examples: Advertisers often target these audiences based on the following stereotypes… Age Gender Occupation/Job Title Household Income Marital Status Presence of Children in the Household Need for Status Does it buy material things, self-esteem, morality… Risk –taker vs. Conservative Spendthrift vs. Miser

Targeted Audiences When the target audience is identified, they have an idea of what their key message should be and how to convey it. Here are some ways that they convey their message to persuade you…

Targeted Audiences: Incentives for Buying Advertisers want to do more than just grab your attention!! They want to persuade you as the consumer to make a purchase. One way they do this is by pointing out how we will benefit if we buy what they are selling…

Targeted Audiences: Incentives for Buying Incentives can be: Monetary – you will benefit by saving money. Non-Monetary – you will benefit by Feeling a certain way

Targeted Audiences: Messengers Sometimes the messenger is as important as the message in an advertisement. Advertisers often select messengers that they think people would like to be like or that they trust…

Targeted Audiences: Messengers Famous People: Advertisers also think that consumers will want to buy a product because it is associated with or recommended by a famous person. Such as… Winning Athletes or Movie Stars

Targeted Audiences: Messengers Experts: Advertisers think consumers are more likely to trust a message delivered by an expert. Ordinary People: Advertisers know that some people are more likely to believe a message when “regular” people are the messengers.

How do we make sure that we are making informed choices, instead of allowing others to sway us in our decision-making? Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

We make our own choices when … we read and listen to reliable sources, we watch for combinations of truths and lies, we check for hidden messages, we watch for use of propaganda techniques,

and, most importantly, WHEN WE LISTEN TO OUR OWN VOICES !

Now, see if you can determine which technique is being used for each of the following…. There is one example for each propaganda technique.