Propaganda Notes

What is Propaganda?

• A form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position by presenting only one side of an argument.

• Propaganda is usually repeated and dispersed over a wide variety of media in order to create the chosen result in audience attitudes.

The appeals:

There are many types of propaganda. Here are a few most common.

BandwagonHistory: The history of this expression can be linked

back to as P.T. Barnum – was a world-famous

showman and circus owner. It was he who coined the

word ‘bandwagon’, simply as the name for the

wagon that carried a circus band. Circuses were very

skilled at attracting the public by having an exciting

parade through the town, complete with a highly

decorated bandwagon.

Today’s definition: Attempts to convince the audience

that something is good because “everyone” is buying

it (“jumping on the bandwagon”) by appealing to the

desire the be part of the group or appealing to the

desire to be included.

Testimonial/Endoresement

• Uses a popular figure such as a celebrity to endorse a product, service or cause.

• In advertising;

– athletes are often paid $$$ to promote sport shoes, equipment and fast food

• In politics:

- Movie/TV stars, rock stars and athletes lend a great deal of credibility and power to a political cause or candidate

Fear• To present a dreaded circumstance

and usually follow it up with the kind of

behavior needed to avoid that

horrible event.

• Very popular among political parties in

the US.

– “This is your brain (image of an egg). This is

your brain on drugs (image of the egg

being cracked into a hot frying pan).”

Loaded Words• Chooses words that will influence

audiences perception of an item or

issue

Examples:

•war – limited police action

•conquest – liberation

•famine – widespread hunger

•pestilence – outbreak

•death – casualties

Transfer

• Uses words, images or symbols that

arouse emotions and connect the

viewer’s emotion to the product being

sold.

– A tire dealer places red, white and blue

banners throughout his store, or a political

activist closes his speech with a prayer.

Glittering Generalities

• Uses slogans or simple phrases that

sound good but provide little or no

information due to the vagueness of

the message or the positive

connotations of the words.

Example: a politician says, “A vote for me is a

vote for peace.”

Name-Calling

• Uses derogatory implications or

innuendoes to turn people against

something.

– Burger King implies that its flame-broiled

burgers are superior to the other fast-food

companies, specifically McDonald’s.

Plain Folks

• Works by suggesting that everyday

things are superior to special or

extravagant things.

-Country Time lemonade sells itself as simple

and therefore valuable — a return to the

“good old days” when plain folks and simple

ways were important.

Snob Appeal

Plays on our desire for fancy items and

the “good life.”

– Video shows the glassware to call a cat to

a Fancy Feast dinner.

Repetition

• Repeats products, services or position

several times

– “Head On – apply it directly to your

forehead. Head On – apply it directly to

your forehead. Head On – apply it directly

to your forehead.”

– “Pizza, Pizza”

Rhetorical Question

• Asks a question in which no response is

expected or desired because the

answer is obvious.

• The question is used for effect or is

used to emphasize a point.

– “Do you want to save 15% or more on car

insurance?”

Logical Fallacies

• Applying logic, once can usually draw a

conclusion from one or more established

premises.

• In the type of propaganda known as logical

fallacy, however, the premises may be

accurate by the conclusion is not.

Example: When the statistics are based on a

falsehood. 100% Chicken!

Questions to Ask

• Who is the speaker?

• What does the speaker want from me?

• What advantage does the speaker

gain from my agreement or lose from

my disagreement? And vice-versa?

• Does the speaker represent other

interests that may not be obvious?

• Why is the speaker giving this message

now?

PRACTICE:

What type of propaganda technique is used

in the following ad?

A. Bandwagon

B. Loaded Words

C. Testimonial

D. Name-Calling

E. Plain Folks

F. Snob Appeal

G. Logical Fallacy

H. Transfer

B. Loaded word

What type of propaganda technique is

used in the following ad?

A. Bandwagon

B. Loaded Words

C. Testimonial

D. Name-Calling

E. Plain Folks

F. Snob Appeal

G. Logical Fallacy

H. Transfer

C. Testimonial

C. Testimonial

Loaded Word

What type of propaganda technique is

used in the following ad?

A. Bandwagon

B. Loaded Words

C. Testimonial

D. Name-Calling

E. Plain Folks

F. Snob Appeal

G. Logical Fallacy

H. Transfer

D. Name Calling

What type of propaganda technique

is used in the following ad?

A. Bandwagon

B. Loaded Words

C. Testimonial

D. Name-Calling

E. Plain Folks

F. Snob Appeal

G. Misuse of Statistics

H. Transfer

A. Bandwagon

What type of propaganda technique is

used in the following ad?

Loaded Word

A. Bandwagon

B. Loaded Words

C. Testimonial

D. Name-Calling

E. Plain Folks

F. Snob Appeal

G. Misuse of Statistics

H. Transfer

What type of propaganda is this?

G. Logical Fallacies

95% of

homework

assigned is

busy work

and is not

beneficial

to the

student!

A. Bandwagon

B. Loaded Words

C. Testimonial

D. Name-Calling

E. Plain Folks

F. Snob Appeal

G. Misuse of Statistics

H. Transfer

Using the Questions, lets look at a few

examples of propaganda.

http://listverse.com/2013/03/23/10-recent-

propaganda-pieces-that-were-lies/