Propaganda—Technique used to promote a one-sided argument aimed at winning people over to a cause, such as a political movement. Bias—Information that is slanted toward a particular opinion. A member of a particular political party would be biased toward promoting their party as superior.

Propaganda Techniques Loaded Words—Words that cause an instant, subconscious positive or negative reaction. Ex: free, liberty, slum Name Calling—Attaching a loaded word to a person. Ex: Yuppie, terrorist, etc.

Euphemisms—Substitution of soft words/phrases for harsh ones. Ex: “used car”  “pre-owned car” “Bandwagon”—Join a movement because everyone else is. Ex: “If your neighbor uses our landscaping specialists, why shouldn’t you?”

5. Testimonial—Using someone to make a claim seem more reliable. Ex: “My doctor told me…” or “The president says…” 6. Bad Logic—An argument based on false premises. Ex: “All cats are smart. Mittens is a cat. Therefore, Mittens is smart”

7. Fear—A warning that disaster may occur if a person does not follow a given course of action. Ex: “Use a tic tac or suffer the embarrassment of having bad breath” 8. Stereotyping—Lumping all members of a group together without recognizing individuals. Ex: “All immigrants are dirty.”

Assignment The Task: Find an example of propaganda in the world around you today and bring it in to class. Compose a paragraph analyzing the propaganda that you have chosen to bring in. Your paragraph should mention the targeted audience, the targeted response, and any and all propaganda techniques used. You should also include your own thoughts, reactions, and analysis. Due Date: Point Value: 50 points