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 TechniquesLoaded 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