Propaganda

Techniques

What is PROPAGANDA?

Propaganda is made up of various different kinds of persuasive techniques that encourage people to act based on their emotions alone, instead of using solid reasoning.

Bandwagon Effect The use of the

“Bandwagon” technique implies to the audience that it should do/think/feel something since everyone else is doing it.

The effect is meant to be that the audience will be “left out” if it does not do/think/feel as others do.

Bandwagon Effect in Text

STATEMENT: “Fifty million people have signed the petition, and fifty million people can’t be wrong.”

Bandwagon in Media STATEMENT:

“More people are smoking Camels than ever before.”

PROPAGANDA: The attempt is to make the audience want to join a large number of people.

Transfer An attempt to link two

items together in the audience’s mind.

Political logos do this frequently; they link patriotic images (like flags) together with a candidate.

Transfer in Text

STATEMENT: “All across the rich, green fields, the towering purple mountains, Americans are discovering Smell-Free Deodorant.”

Transfer in Media

Testimonial Quotations or

endorsements attempting to connect a famous or respectable person with a product or item.

The effect is meant to be that the audience will desire to be more like the celebrity by doing as the celebrity has done.

Bait and Switch

This technique transfers the readers’ attention from an exciting idea to a less exciting idea.

This technique is in some cases against the law.

Bait and Switch in Text STATEMENT: “Imagine having more money than

you could ever spend! Imagine being rich, famous, and attractive! Dove soap is the first step.

EXPLANATION: The attempt here is to get the audience excited (money, fame, & beauty), and then to switch to something not remotely exciting (soap).

WHY IT IS PROPAGANDA: While the product may or may not be high quality, there is nothing about soap that will lead to money or fame.

Bait and Switch in Media

IMAGE: Lipstick marks, pictures of girls, phone numbers, and deodorant.

PROPAGANDA: The audience is meant to be lured in by images suggesting a man’s attractiveness to women; attention at the bottom of the add is then switched to deodorant. A link is suggested where none actually exists.

Glittering Generalities Glittering

generalities are words that are emotionally appealing, but don’t really say anything: (honor, glory, love of country, freedom, etc.)

When examined closely, these words have little meaning and little relationship to what they advertise.

Glittering Generalities in Text STATEMENT: “We are at a crossroads for

human destiny! We must chose a true leader for our city.”

EXPLANATION: The attempt here is to get the audience emotionally connected to the subject through use of words such as “destiny” and “leader.”

WHY IT IS PROPAGANDA: The candidate may or may not be a good leader. The text provides no evidence to suggest actual positive qualities.

Glittering Generalities in Media

Emotional Words The use of emotional

words is meant to stir the audience’s emotions, making little or no use of facts.

Words such as love, adore, hate, care, and/or support may be used to attach the audience’s emotions to a product or idea.

From a leaflet distributed by the North Korean army, encouraging American soldiers to surrender

Emotional Words in Media

Repetition The writer sells an

item or an idea by using a certain word again and again until it is associated with the item or idea.

Repetitive Words in Text

STATEMENT: “The senator’s cheapskate tie, cheapskate jacket, and cheapskate shoes should tell you what kind of cheapskate politics he’s practicing.”

Repetitive Words in Media

Plain Folks The speaker

presents himself as an “Average Joe” to create a sense that he’s the same as his audience, so they should agree on the topic at hand

Plain Folks in the Media