PROPAGANDA

Definitions of Propaganda From Latin propagatio: to grow, to spread, to multiply.

Origins: 1622 – the Roman Catholic Church Congregatio de Propaganda Fide (Congregation for Propagating the Faith)

Continues today (renamed 1982) as Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples

The most powerful element: “Faith”

Propagandist believes in his/her position no matter what…

Thus propaganda is most often associated with dogmatic movements: such as Nazism, Communism, Racialism, Fascism, ultra-conservatism, evangelical movements, etc

The propagandist is not open to compromises

Propagandist’s “Axioms”:

The Public Doesn’t Know “The Truth” Propagandist Knows “The Truth” “The Truth” is Important Thus: The Public Must be “Enlightened” The Public Must be “Educated”

Different meaning to different people…

For some propaganda is disseminating, propagating, educating…

For others propaganda is distorting, manipulating, brainwashing…

From Rational Persuasion to Propaganda

SCIENCE ◄---------------------------------► DOGMA

RATIONAL PERSUASION ◄-------------► PROPAGANDA

Not all must be extreme and sinister…

Anti-smoking campaigns: uncompromising but mostly accurate

Drink More Water campaign: exaggerated but with good intentions

Public Diplomacy: usually moderate, fairly accurate, reasonable

Public DiplomacyFacilitative communication

To explain and promote U.S. domestic and foreign policy, cultural life, artistic and scientific accomplishments, American way of life, etc.

Through broadcast, print publications, organizing cultural events, subsidizing U.S. artists abroad, etc.

The United States Information Agency (USIA) USIA maintains 190 posts in 142 countries

Successful public diplomacy:

Voice of America popularizing jazz music abroad (since the 1950s)

Sponsoring opinion journals Teaching English language Subsidizing Scientific Conferences and

Research Fulbright Program for scholars Even promoting counterculture

BROADCASTING

Voice of America: 660 hours of programming weekly in 53 languages

Radio and TV Martí (in Spanish to Cuba), WORLDNET Television, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Radio Free Asia.

Or, maybe propaganda is:

any statement from a source we don’t like

(Joseph Schumpeter, 1966)

Or, maybe… We cannot define it but we know

when we see it.

When in 1964 Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart tried to define what is obscenity, he said, "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced, but I know it when I see it . . .”

Kellner’s definition.

Propaganda is

a mode of discourse

intended to persuade, to manipulate, and to indoctrinate its audience

into accepting policies

that they might not otherwise support.

Kellner’s definition.

Propaganda is a discourse that legitimates certain interests and polices while providing a one-sided, simplified, and distorted, but not necessarily totally untrue, view of events or people.

A lot depends on our own point of view…

Person’s ideology, religion, worldview, culture…

Socialization as propaganda

Socialization is a lifelong process of inheriting and disseminating norms, customs and ideologies: assuring social and cultural continuity…

EDUCATION / SCHOOLING PROPAGANDA?

The war over textbooks: Texas case

“What happens in Texas doesn’t stay in Texas when it comes to textbooks,”

As a market, the state is so big and influential that national publishers tended to gear their books toward whatever it wanted.

For example back in 1994, the board requested four hundred revisions in five health textbooks

The war over textbooks: Texas case

Ever since the 1960s, the selection of schoolbooks in Texas has been a target for

the religious right which worried that schoolchildren were being indoctrinated in godless secularism

political conservatives who felt that their kids were being given way too much propaganda about the positive aspects of the federal government.

Government has responsibility to reduce income differences

UK US NL NZ CAN

Defini-tely yes

43 18 39 35 28

Proba-bly yes

38 28 40 30 33

Proba-bly not

10 25 13 15 20

Defini-tely no

7 27 6 18 17

Sexual relations before marriage

UK US NL DK CAN

Always wrong

11 30 7 6 12

Almost always wrong

7 11 3 3 7

Some-times

14 20 20 9 15

Not wrong at all

66 38 70 83 65

Religion brings more conflict than peace

UK US NL DK CAN

Agree 78 35 70 86 63

Neither 12 21 16 7 17

Disagree

9 43 14 6 20

There is hell

UK US NL DK JAP

YES 13 55 13 8 6

Maybe

NO 34 12 48 60 21

Believe in God

UK US NL DK JAP

NO 41 18 48 55 55

Some-times

14 5 8 11 32

YES with doubts

23 15 18 20 9

YES without a doubt

26 63 26 14 4

Are in favor of the death penalty for a person convicted of murder?

Gay Marriage

 YEAR Favor Oppose Unsure 2004 30% 58% 12% 2006 39% 51% 10% 2008 38% 49% 13% 2010 42% 48% 10% 2012 47% 43% 10% 2013 53% 39% 8%

Europe vs. U.S. on death penalty 1997: 75% of Americans supported death

penalty 2011: 61% of Americans support death

penalty.

2008: about 30% of Europeans support death penalty

Types of Methods / Techniques

Source Credibility Reward and Punishment Fear, Intimidation Arousal of Emotions

Visual Symbols

Language

Music

Legitimizing information through legitimate sources

Publicizing Propagandist The PublicPlanting Receiving

Legitimate source

Manipulation V.I.Lenin 5/5/1920 The original picture (right) with Trotsky

Manipulation O.J. Simpson 1994

Weapons of intimidation 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

Hernando Cortes’ use of horses against Aztecs.

Weapons of intimidation Terror of rape when the Red Army entered

German territory in 1945 (officially prohibited)

Terror of rape in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the early 1990s

Weapons of intimidation Portsmouth Peace Treat 1905 between

Russia and Japan

Organized by Roosevelt in Portsmouth to show the might of the U.S. Navy

Language Used Propaganda uses language that tends to

deify a cause and ‘satanize’ opponents. Exaggeration is often associated with propaganda. Likewise, innuendo

The Use of Language 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 myth 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 “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

The cult of hatred and xenophobia is the cheapest and surest method to persuade masses.

The use of myth: national stereotypes

Backward: Poor, Lazy, Ignorant, Indolent, Submissive, Inefficient (but: Proud, Polite, Traditional, Easygoing)

Advanced: Enterprising, Ambitious, Industrious, Intelligent, Progressive, Efficient, Successful (but: Ruthless, Aggressive, Money-hungry, Cunning)

The Use of Language “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 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”

Asymmetrical definition 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 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 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 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 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.

Music as Propaganda 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

National Anthems Patriotic Songs Religious Sales Military Police

National anthems: Casablanca - French National Anthemhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM-E2H1ChJM

Arise children of the fatherland The day of glory has arrived Against us tyranny's Bloody standard is raisedCan 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 May your Imperial reign

Continue for a thousand years,And last for eight thousand generations,Until pebblesTurn into bouldersCovered 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

Symbols of power, nationalism, patriotism, unity, etc.

For example: flags, monuments, historical figures, battle scenes, the use of colors

Posters

Chairman Mao is the Red Sun in Our Heart (China 1969)

Visual Symbols The 1968 Olympics Black Power salute Tommie

Smith and John Carlos (200m runners)

Buildings Acropolis

Hitler’s Chancellery