PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES

What is propaganda? The ideas spread by any organized group for the purpose of influencing human behavior.

How does propaganda reach you? NewspapersMagazinesRadioTelevisionInternet

Propaganda appeals to …

The desire to succeed in our ambition or career The wish to be popular, have friends, be “in” The urge to marry, to be accepted by the opposite sex

The need to earn a living, have money to spend The craving to possess finer things The desire for security in old age old age

The eagerness to be healthy and attractive The desire to move in respectable circles The hunger for food

How to judge whether a statement is true or false.

Is the writer or speaker a recognized authority in the particular field? Can the statement be presented as a personal point of view or as the considered opinion of a group? Are there a sufficient number of cases of sufficient evidence to justify the conclusion drawn?

Has the truth been somewhat slanted or deliberately distorted by means of evasions, half- truths, or omissions? Does the statement depend on reason or solely on emotion to appeal to reader or listener? Is the source of the statement a reliable corporation or individual?

Types of Propaganda Techniques

Bandwagon It suggests an imaginary vehicle carrying leaders of a cause or a candidate who has a large following. It uses such phrases as: –“Everybody’s doing it!” –“Join the crowd.” –“This is the latest and best for you.”

CARD STACKING Shows only the product’s BEST features, telling half-truths and omitting (or lying about) potential problems Ex.: Drug manufacturers gloss over side effects, concentrating instead on the medicine’s benefits

Glittering Generalization A statement that jumps from a few cases to a conclusion that is supposed to fit all cases. It is called “glittering” because it is falsely attractive.

Name Calling Name Calling This is a way of smearing an opponent. Calling him names can damage his reputation or arouse suspicions about his character.

Plain Folks This is the corny kind of appeal to the man in the street made by identifying either a person or a product with his particular locality or country. “I’m one of you folks, born and raised in these mountains and I can still shuck corn with the best of you.”

Snob Appeal The opposite of plain folks is the “snob appeal,” which aims to flatter those who would like to satisfy their ego by assuming that they are better than the rest of mankind in looks, wealth, taste, position, etc.

Scapegoat A scapegoat is a person carrying the blame for others. Sometimes a failing student blames the school or a teacher.

“Slogan” A slogan is a catchword or phrase loaded with emotion. Slogans are usually clever and easy to remember.

Testimonial A statement endorsing a product or an idea when signed by a prominent person A popular favorite carries undue weight when it is used to sponsor something outside his particular field.

This device transfers the good impression we have of something we already know to something else that we don’t know. By associating the two we merge our personal reactions without examining the unknown person or thing by itself. Transfer

Satire Notes “The satirist is to be regarded as our physician, not our enemy.” Henry Fielding Think of The Simpsons, SNL (Saturday Night Live) and The Onion.

What is Satire? A literary technique in which behaviors or institutions are ridiculed for the sake of improving society. Its use of humor makes it a unique form of social protest. Began in Ancient Greece

Characteristics of Satire Attempts to bring about change through Humor Often targets social or political Institutions Uses irony and exaggeration Typically attacks hypocrisy, arrogance, greed, vanity, etc.