The Rise of Media Theory in
the Age of Propaganda
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Unlike mass society theory, propaganda theory argues mass media’s
content influence should be the focus of analysis. In 1930s totalitarian
propagandists use media to convert millions to their ideas. The question is
should media be completely free of controlled or censored.
In 1930s European migrants in the States joint extreme political movements
supporting some totalitarian regimes like Adolf Hitler of Joseph Stalin.
For totalitarian propagandists, mass media were conceptualized as a very
practical means of mass manipulation.
In 1930s, in the states movies and radio were controlled by the existing
elites. Extremist were often forced to rely on older media like pamphlets,
handbills and political rallies.
Propaganda theorists state that propaganda should be resisted.
For Fritz Hippler propaganda is to simplify the issue and repeat it over and
over again.
For J. Michael Sproule it is persuading people without seeming to do so.
Propagandists believe that end justifies the means. Propaganda relies on
DISINFORMATİON (false and misinformation) to discredit the opposition.
• WHITE PROPAGANDA concept was developed
still has been using today in PRA. This is a
technique use to promote positive information or
ideas to distract attention from problematic
events.
• BLACK PROPAGANDA is deliberate
transmission of lies.
• GRAY PROPAGANDA is transmission of
information or ideas that might be might not be
false. No effort is made to determine their
validity.
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Propaganda theories developed in 1930s influenced by Behaviorism and
Freudianism
Behaviourism claims media provide external stimuli that triggered immediate
responses
• stimulus response psychology
• human action is conditioned to external stimuli
• consciousness rationalized behaviours after they are triggered by external
stimuli
• by studying association between stimuli and behaviors, these theorists hope
to discover the unknown causes for action.
Freudianism, (human behavior is product of the conflict between id, ego, and
superego)
• Self has fragmented parts like id, ego, and superego. Ego (the rational
mind) is in control, but sometimes human behavior is under the control of
darker part of the human mind which is id ( egocentric, pleasure seeking
part of self). Ego relies on internalized set of cultural rules (the superego) for
guidance.
• If propaganda appeals to the id and stimulate it to overwhelm the ego.
Combination of Behaviourism
and Freudianism?
‘Propaganda messages were like magic bullets that could
easily penetrate even the strongest defenses’ Media
could operate as external agents and be used as tools to
manipulate essentially passive mass audiences.
• Media stimuli operates like magic bullet penetrating
human minds and creating strong emotions and
transform how they think and feel.
• This theory hope that people can be conditioned to
generate good emotion with their country and bad
emotions with enemies.
• People are powerless before media messages.
• The rational mind is incapable of resisting powerful
messages.
Lipmann’s Theory of Public
Opinion Formation
Lipmman sharing the skepticism of Lasswell focused on the
discrepancies between the world outside and the pictures in our
heads.
• People couldn’t learn enough from media to help them understand.
Psychological and social barriers that prevented average people
from developing useful pictures in their heads. (a steel worker
doesn’t understand physics, so why should he be expected to
understand politics?)
• Public was vulnerable to propaganda. Media control is necessary.
Self censorship wouldn’t be enough.
• Control of information gathering and distribution in the hands of
technocracy who are using scientific method.
• Lipmann suggests the establishment of quasi governmental
intelligence bureau to evaluate information..
Public Education by J. Dewey
• When media assume the role of external agents and work
manipulate the pictures in people’s heads, they become just another
competitor for our attention.Dewey proposed public education
against totalitarianism.
• People could learn how to resist propaganda methods simply by
gaining rudimentary education.
• Media’s job is ‘’to interest the public in the public interest’’ Media
should be understood not an external agent but as provider of public
debate.
• Newspapers should provide public education and debate, teach
critical thinking skills, structure public discussions.
• Dewey’s belief ‘s the heart of the growing media literacy movement
and also it gives inspiration to cultural studies area.
Modern Propaganda Theory
Comes from critical theory and political left.The subject of
this theory is political ads and discourse.Their argument
is that powerful elites control the media and their content
to impose their truth.
• Herman’s five filters for bridging media business and
other formal or informal agencies like governments,
collectives and lobbies to create confusion.
- ownership
-advertising
-sourcing
-flack
-belief in the miracle of the market.
R. Laitinen and R. Rakos’ (1997)
critical view
• the control over behavior by media
manipulation is facilitated by three factors,
• a harried lifestyle, less well-informed, and
less politically involved,
• surveys results are used to increase
propagandists’ influence,
• the incorporation of media companies into
megaconglomorates.