Learning about Propaganda

Propaganda
Story Time
“The Poisonous Mushroom”
A Children’s Story by
Ernst Heimer

Propaganda
Story Time
A mother and her young boy are gathering mushrooms in the German forest. The boy finds some poisonous ones. The mother explains that there are good mushrooms and poisonous ones, and, as they go home, says:
"Look, Franz, human beings in this world are like the mushrooms in the forest. There are good mushrooms and there are good people. There are poisonous, bad mushrooms and there are bad people. And we have to be on our guard against bad people just as we have to be on guard against poisonous mushrooms. Do you understand that?"

Propaganda
Story Time
"Yes, mother," Franz replies. "I understand that in dealing with bad people trouble may arise, just as when one eats a poisonous mushroom. One may even die!“
"And do you know, too, who these bad men are, these poisonous mushrooms of mankind?" the mother continued.
Franz slaps his chest in pride: "Of course I know, mother! They are the Jews! Our teacher has often told us about them.“
The mother praises her boy for his intelligence, and goes on to explain the different kinds of
"poisonous" Jews: the Jewish pedlar, the Jewish cattle-dealer, the Kosher butcher, the Jewish doctor, the baptised Jew, and so on.

Propaganda
Story Time
"However they disguise themselves, or however friendly they try to be, affirming a thousand times their good intentions to us, one must not believe them. Jews they are and Jews they remain. For our
Volk they are poison.“
"Like the poisonous mushroom!" says Franz.
"Yes, my child! Just as a single poisonous mushrooms can kill a whole family, so a solitary Jew can destroy a whole village, a whole city, even an entire Volk.“
Franz has understood.
"Tell me, mother, do all non-Jews know that the
Jew is as dangerous as a poisonous mushroom?"
Mother shakes her head.

Propaganda
Story Time
"Unfortunately not, my child. There are millions of non-Jews who do not yet know the
Jews. So we have to enlighten people and warn them against the Jews. Our young people, too, must be warned. Our boys and girls must learn to know the Jew. They must learn that the Jew is the most dangerous poison-mushroom in existence. Just as poisonous mushrooms spring up everywhere, so the Jew is found in every country in the world. Just as poisonous mushrooms often lead to the most dreadful calamity, so the Jew is the cause of misery and distress, illness and death."

Propaganda
Story Time
1. What about this story is similar to other children’s stories you have read or had read to you as a child?
2. What about this story is different from other children’s stories you have read or had read to you as a child?
3. What is your reaction to this story?

Propaganda
Definitions
Propaganda (n.)—
1. information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.
2. the deliberate spreading of such information, rumors, etc.
3. the particular doctrines or principles propagated by an organization or movement.
Are you familiar with any types of propaganda?

What is Propaganda?
• Propaganda: what it means.
• Propaganda is a specific type of message presentation aimed at serving a particular purpose.
• It means to propagate (actively spread) a philosophy or point of view (which may be true but often is not).
• The most common use of the term (historically) is in political contexts; in particular to refer to certain efforts sponsored by governments or political groups.
• In most countries propaganda has negative connotations, but this is not universally true.

Where do we see propaganda?
• Newspapers and books
• Magazines
• Internet
• Clothing
• Billboards
• Bumper stickers
• TV
• Radio
• Signs
• Products
• Cartoons (political)

What is propaganda?
• Propaganda is usually a pejorative term.
• Propaganda is typically a label assigned to others’ persuasion.
• “Propaganda is the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist.”—Jowett &
O'Donnell, 1986, Propaganda and
Persuasion

Propaganda Purpose
• The aim of propaganda is to influence people's opinions actively, rather than to merely communicate the facts about something.
• For example, propaganda might be used to gather either support or disapproval of a certain position, rather than to simply present the position.
• What separates propaganda from "normal" communication is in the subtle, often insidious, ways that
the message attempts to shape opinion.
• For example, propaganda is often presented in a way that attempts to deliberately evoke a strong emotion, especially by suggesting non-logical (or non-intuitive)relationships between concepts.

Why are they used?
• To manipulate the readers' or viewers' reason and emotions; to persuade you to believe in something or someone, buy an item, or vote a certain way.

Importance of teaching students the techniques of propaganda
• The PBS election guide Web site “By The People” makes the following argument for why political advertisements should be looked at more carefully:
• “The bottom line, then, is that it's important for citizens to look carefully at political ads. Certainly the truth or falsity and, regardless of ‘truth’, the deceptiveness of ad content is important to examine.
Many newspapers and television analysis programs provide the citizen a good opportunity to learn more about the quality of the verbal content of political commercials. Although a majority of
Americans are not aware of this, government closely controls the truth-value of national product advertising on television. But because of the principle of free speech, a principle protected by the
U.S. Constitution, there is no control whatsoever on the content of a political commercial. Basically, a politician can say anything she or he wishes in a political ad. The only ‘control’ over content in a political ad is media and public response to that content.”

What is a Propaganda Poster?
• A Propaganda Poster is usually created by an existing government or a political party trying to gain control of the government.
• It uses patriotism and nationalism to glorify an idea or plan.
• It is meant to convince the people to support the idea or plan.
• It focuses either on the positives and ignores the negatives or focuses on the negatives and ignores the positives.

What are Propaganda Techniques?
• methods and approaches used to spread ideas that further a cause
– political, commercial, religious, or civil

Propaganda Includes:
• A goal for the viewer
• A technique
• Images to capture the viewer
• Words in the form of slogan

• Goal for Viewer?
• Images/ Symbols?
• Technique/Appeal?
• Slogan?

• Goal for Viewer?
• Images/ Symbols?
• Technique / Appeal?
• Slogan?

• Goal for Viewer?
• Images/ Symbols?
• Technique / Appeal?
• Slogan?

• Goal for Viewer?
• Images/ Symbols?
• Technique / Appeal?
• Slogan?

• Goal for Viewer?
• Images/ Symbols?
• Technique / Appeal?
• Slogan?

• Goal for Viewer?
• Images/ Symbols?
• Technique / Appeal?
• Slogan?

Ten Commandments of
Propaganda
1) Divide and Conquer a) More small groups are easier to pit against each other
2) Tell the people what they want a) Pander to the masses
3) The bigger the lie, the more people will believe it a) Make statements grandiose and loud
4) ALWAYS appeal to the lowest common denominator a) It ’ s O.K. to “ dumb it down ”

Ten Commandments of
Propaganda (cont)
5)Generalize as much as possible a) Paint in broad strokes
6) Use "expert" testimonial a) Have someone known or relatable “ pitch ” it
7) Refer often to the "authority" of your office a) Remind public of knowledge and power

Ten Commandments of
Propaganda (cont)
8) Stack the cards with "information" a)Use as much supportive evidence as possible
9) A confused people are easily led a)More informed means more skeptical
10) Get the "plain folks" onto the "bandwagon" a)Appeal to the common man & he will follow

Features of Propaganda
• There is a hidden motive which is not made obvious in all propaganda.
• The methods used are generally insidious (wicked).
• Propaganda are generally costly and carried out at a national scale.
• When presenting the idea, there is always a bias.
• Religious, national or political interests are usually sources of propaganda.
• All forms of media and a lot of repetition are used to propagate the message.
• The intention of propaganda is for the people to accept one idea and exclude any alternative ideas.

Guarding Against Propaganda
• Always question what you see or hear no matter where or how you see it or who says it.
• Weigh ideas against everything you know and can find out.
• Always look for a hidden motive.
• Ask the person why he/she thinks that it is true and why.

Propaganda Strategies
Adapted from the Propaganda Critic Web site. For more detailed definitions and additional examples see www.propagandacritic.com.
PROPAGANDA – the use of a variety of communication techniques that create an emotional
appeal to accept a particular belief or opinion, to adopt a certain behavior or to perform a particular action.
There is some disagreement about whether all persuasive communication is propagandistic or whether the propaganda label can only be applied to dishonest messages.
NAME CALLING – links a person, or idea, to a negative symbol. Examples: commie, fascist, yuppie
GLITTERING GENERALITIES – use of virtue words; the opposite of name calling, i.e., links a person, or idea, to a positive symbol. Examples: democracy, patriotism, family

• A catchword or phrase loaded with emotion
• Often sells through repetition
• Clever and easy to remember
• Stays with you a long time
• Often a melody you already know
“ Trust Sleepy’s
For the ‘rest’
Of your life”

Name-Calling
The name-calling technique links a person, or idea, to a negative symbol.
The propagandist who uses this technique hopes that the audience will reject the person or the idea on the basis of the negative symbol, instead of looking at the available evidence.
The most obvious type of name calling involves bad names.
For example, consider the following:
Communist Fascist
Criminal Liar
Terrorist Bum

• A way of smearing an opponent
• Intent is to damage opponent
• It also arouses suspicion of opponent
• Intention is to create an uneasy feeling
• Used by politicians and product companies

Name calling:
• Attaching a negative label to a person or a thing.
– Used to try to avoid supporting their own opinion with facts.
– Rather than explain what they believe in, they prefer to try to tear their opponent down.

Name-Calling
• This technique links a person or idea to a negative image.
• It is hoped that association with this negative symbol will cause the viewer to reject it outright.
• A derivative of this technique involves carefully selecting descriptive words.
• Compare the connotations word determined and aggressive.
• This is the opposite of glittering generalities.

More Name Calling
A more subtle form of name-calling involves words or phrases that are selected because they possess a negative emotional charge.
Those who oppose budget cuts may characterize fiscally conservative politicians as "stingy."
Supporters might prefer to describe them as
"thrifty." Both words refer to the same behavior, but they have very different connotations.
Other examples of negatively charged words include: social engineering , radical , cowardly, counter-culture

Do we want a mayor who will leave us in debt?
Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002
Spending grew 100% under Mayor Moneybags!

Propaganda Techniques
2 . Name Calling
(negative names or adjectives)

Name-calling

Name-calling

Name-Calling

Name-Calling
"The Jew: The inciter of war, the prolonger of war."

Glittering Generalities
The Glittering Generality is, in short, Name
Calling in reverse.
While Name Calling seeks to make us form a judgment to reject and condemn without examining the evidence, the Glittering
Generality device seeks to make us approve and accept without examining the evidence.

More Glittering Generalities which we have deep-set ideas.
Such words include civilization, Christianity, good, characteristic that they have. can be used in different ways.

Glittering Generalities:
• uses important-sounding "glad words"
– little or no real meaning.
• used in general statements that cannot be proved or disproved.
– Words like "good," "honest," "fair," and "best" are examples of "glad" words.

Glittering Generalities
• Use of words and images that generally carry a favorable meaning to everyone; including liberty, democracy, freedom, and civilization
• It hopes to associate a person, idea, or group with a positive feeling, but no direct evidence.
• The largest problem with this technique is that all of these words mean different things to different people.

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
• STATEMENT: “Change We Can Believe In.”
• PROPAGANDA : The audience is meant to be lured in by the promise of “change.” The idea is catchy and attractive, but without substance or evidence.

A Little More for
Glittering Generalities
When someone talks to us about democracy, we immediately think of our own definite ideas about democracy, the ideas we learned at home, at school, and in church.
Our first and natural reaction is to assume that the speaker is using the word in our sense, that he believes as we do on this important subject.
This lowers our 'sales resistance' and makes us far less suspicious than we ought to be when the speaker begins telling us the things 'the United States must do to preserve democracy.'

• Glittering generalities are words that are patriotic, attractive, or catchy but don’t really say anything: honor, glory, love of country, and freedom.
• When examined closely, these words have little meaning and little relationship to what they advertise.

Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002
Look on the bright side!
Vote for Bill Brite !

Propaganda Techniques
3.
Glittering Generality
(Good adjectives / names)

Glittering Generalities
"Open the door to freedom!
Put a strong man at the helm!
Out of the swamp! Forward with the powers of renewal!”

Glittering Generalities

Propaganda Strategies
The next two are ways of making false connections:
TRANSFER – a device by which the propagandist links the authority or prestige of something wellrespected and revered, such as church or nation, to something he would have us accept.
Example: a political activist closes her speech with a prayer
TESTIMONIAL – a public figure or a celebrity promotes or endorses a product, a policy, or a political candidate. Examples: an athlete appears on the Wheaties box; an actor speaks at a political rally

Positive feelings/desires are connected to a product/user
Transfers positive feelings we have of something we know to something we don’t.
• Sex Appeal
• Love/ Popularity
• Fame
• Wealth
• Power

• TRANSFER is an attempt to make the audience view a certain item in the same way as it views another item, to link the two in the audience’s mind.
• Political logos do this frequently; they link patriotic images (like flags) together with a candidate.

Transfer:
• Attempt is made to transfer the prestige of a positive symbol to a person or an idea.
– For example, using the American flag as a backdrop for a political event makes the implication that the event is patriotic in the best interest of the U.S.

Transfer
• Propagandists transfer the fame, prestige, or reliability of something or someone to an issue that may or may not be related.
• Any politician who publicly says a prayer is transferring religion to their image.
• Use of a flag or patriotic leader is also commonly utilized.
• The Nazis justified treatment of the Jews by
“proving” their inferiority through their own science.

 STATEMENT: “All across the rich, green fields, the towering purple mountains, Americans are discovering Smell-Free Deodorant.”
 EXPLANATION: The attempt here is to get the audience to consume a certain product because a positive image is associated with the product.
 WHY IT IS PROPAGANDA: While the product may or may not be high quality, there is nothing regarding quality established by its connection to a positive image.

• STATEMENT: Santa says, “Coke Time.”
• PROPAGANDA : The audience is meant to transfer its positive feelings about Santa into positive feelings about consuming
Coke, though the two are in no way related.

Transfer of Emotions
In the Transfer device, symbols are constantly used.
The cross represents the Christian Church.
The flag represents the nation. Cartoons like Uncle Sam represent a consensus of public opinion.
Those symbols stir emotions .
At their very sight, with the speed of light, is aroused the whole complex of feelings we have with respect to church or nation.
A cartoonist, by having Uncle Sam disapprove a budget for unemployment relief, would have us feel that the whole
United States disapproves relief costs.
By drawing an Uncle Sam who approves the same budget, the cartoonist would have us feel that the American people approve it.
Thus, the Transfer device is used both for and against causes and ideas.

Transfer
• Projecting good or bad qualities from one person or group onto another
• The positive or negative association will “rub off” on the other person or group
– Politicians posing next to the flag, with veterans, or troops.
– An ad for a dietary supplement features a researcher in a white lab coat with a clip board to make the product appear more scientific

For example:
Joe uses symbols of
America to tie his restaurant to
American values for
Independence Day.
Celebrate the
American
Way this 4 th
Julyof
Eat at Joe’s
Joe’s Barbeque
Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Transfer

Transfer

Transfer

Testimonial:
• When "big name" personalities are used to endorse a product.
– Whenever you see someone famous endorsing a product, ask yourself how much that person knows about the product, and what he or she stands to gain by promoting it.

Testimonial
• A celebrity or expert who endorse a product, candidate, or idea.
• Think about all of the commercials with celebrities.
• The celebrity may not always be qualified to speak on the subject.

• Statement endorsing an idea/product by a prominent person.
• Product can be inside or outside particular field.
• Musical artists,
• Sports giants,
• Actors/actresses

• STATEMENT: “Kobe Bryant only drinks Coke.”
• EXPLANATION: The attempt here is to get the audience to consume a certain product because a celebrity uses the product.
• WHY IT IS PROPAGANDA: While the product may or may not be high quality, there is nothing regarding quality established by the statement that a celebrity consumes it.

al
Testimonials

Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002
Milly the Model asks, “Got Milk?”

Testimonial in Media
 STATEMENT: “I choose milk.”
 PROPAGANDA :
Taylor Swift’s choice to drink milk is meant to make the audience members believe milk will help them be beautiful and glamorous as well.

Testimonial

Testimonial

Testimonial

Testimonial

Appeal to Authority

Appeal to Authority
"One People, One Reich, One Führer."

• This technique transfers the readers’ attention from an exciting idea to a less exciting idea.
• This technique is in some cases against the law.

• 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.

Propaganda Strategies
The following three constitute special appeals:
PLAIN FOLKS – attempt to convince the audience that a prominent person and his ideas are “of the people.” Examples: a prominent politician eats at McDonald’s; an actress is photographed shopping for groceries
BANDWAGON – makes the appeal that “everyone else is doing it, and so should you.”
Examples: an ad states that “everyone is rushing down to their Ford dealer”
FEAR – plays on deep-seated fears; warns the audience that disaster will result if they do not follow a particular course of action. Example: an insurance company pamphlet includes pictures of houses destroyed floods, followed up by details about homeowners’ insurance.

Bandwagon:
• because everyone else is doing something, you should do it too, or you'll be left out.
– The technique embodies a "keeping up with the
Joneses" philosophy.

Bandwagon
• Hop on the bandwagon or else you don’t fit in.
Everyone is doing it, so you should too.
• This technique is contrived peer pressure – no one wants to be left out or behind.

• persuasive technique that invites you to join the crowd.
• Everybody’s doing it!
• Often uses weasel words

• Everybody is doing this.
•If you want to fit in, you need to “jump on the bandwagon” and do it too.
•The implication is that you must JOIN in to FIT in .
Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

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.

For example:
If the whole world uses this VISA card, you must need one too.
Bank of the World Visa Card-
You can use it from Tennessee to
Timbuktuanywhere you travel in whole wide world
!!
Sign up today at www.bowvisa.com
Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Propaganda Techniques
4. Bandwagon
(everyone’s doing it)

Bandwagon
• “Everything and everyone for victory”

Bandwagon

Bandwagon
• Everyone listens to the
Fuhrer

Fear
• During wartime this technique is used often.
• It informs people that personal danger is imminent if they do or do not do some specific action.

Fear
This technique can be highly effective when wielded by a fascist demagogue, but it is typically used in less dramatic ways. Consider the following:
• A television commercial portrays a terrible automobile accident (the fear appeal), and reminds viewers to wear their seat-belts (the fear-reducing behavior).
• A pamphlet from an insurance company includes pictures of houses destroyed by floods (the fear appeal), and follows up with details about home-owners' insurance
(the fear-reducing behavior).
• A letter from a pro-gun organization begins by describing a lawless America in which only criminals own guns (the fear appeal), and concludes by asking readers to oppose a ban on automatic weapons (the fear-reducing behavior).

For example:
If you use
Safety Ware it will people from stealing your identityor will it?
Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002
Guard against Identity theft
Use Safety Ware www.safetyware.com

Fear
"
The streets of our country are in turmoil.
The universities are filled with students rebelling and rioting. Communists are seeking to destroy our country. Russia is threatening us with her might, and the
Republic is in danger. Yes - danger from within and without. We need law and order!
Without it our nation cannot survive." - Adolf
Hitler, 1932

Fear
Propaganda Techniques

Fear

Fear

Fear

Loaded WORDS
 This technique often uses interesting and eye-catching visuals, as well.
 The loaded language technique uses words that cause a strong feeling.
 Once the reader is feeling strongly, he or she may be more likely to agree with the writer.
 What are some examples of loaded 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.

• STATEMENT: “If you love your dog, you’ll buy him Eukanuba.”
• EXPLANATION: The attempt here is to get the audience to attach the emotion of love to a product.
• WHY IT IS PROPAGANDA: The true love one may feel for a dog has no actual relationship to the purchase of dog food.

• STATEMENT: “Don’t let your loved ones mourn for you!”
• PROPAGANDA : The audience is meant to connect its positive emotions for loved ones to the idea of surrendering to the enemy in order to spare its loved ones pain.
From a leaflet distributed by the North Korean army, encouraging American soldiers to surrender

•We associate those words and, therefore, those positive feelings with the product.
•Words that leave us with positive feelings are used to describe a product, person, or idea.

Loaded Words
Whitening Expressions
Refreshing Vanilla Mint
Get a cool and inviting brushing experience with Crest Whitening
Expressions Refreshing
Vanilla Mint.

Loaded WORDS
This billboard advertisement uses the word
“irresistible” to appeal to our emotions.
The visual is also very appealing.

For example:
What feelings are inspired by the words
“true love”? If you wear this cologne will someone fall in love with
True Love
Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Propaganda Strategies
The next two are types of logical fallacies:
BAD LOGIC – an illogical message is not necessarily propagandistic; it can be just a logical mistake; it is propaganda if logic is manipulated deliberately to promote a cause. Example:
Senator X wants to regulate the power industry. All Communist governments regulate their power industries. Senator X is a
Communist.
UNWARRANTED EXTRAPOLATION – making huge predictions about the future on the basis of a few small facts. Example: If the U.S. approves NAFTA, thousands of jobs and factories will move to
Mexico.

What is a Logical Fallacy?
• Logic: correct or reliable information; method or reasoning
• Fallacy: “argument” in which the premise given for the conclusion does not provide the needed degree of support.

Logical Fallacies/False Analogy
• Drawing a conclusion from a series of premises.
• For example: Religion is good.
Wars are fought over religion.
• Therefore, religious wars are good.

Logical Fallacies/False Analogy:
• In this technique, two things that may or may not really be similar are portrayed as being similar.
• When examining the comparison, you must ask yourself how similar the items are.
• In most false analogies, there is simply not enough evidence available to support the comparison.

Logical Fallacies/False Analogy:
• This technique suggests that because B follows A, A must cause B.
– Remember, just because two events or two sets of data are related does not necessarily mean that one caused the other to happen.

•Factual supporting details are used though they do not support the conclusion. It works like this:
•Christians believe in God.
•Muslims believe in God.
•Christians are Muslims.

More Logical Fallacy
• Red herring: something intended to divert attention from the real problem or matter at hand; a misleading clue.
"We admit that this measure is popular. But we also urge you to note that there are so many bond issues on this ballot that the whole thing is getting ridiculous."
"I think there is great merit in making the requirements stricter for the graduate students. I recommend that you support it, too. After all, we are in a budget crisis and we do not want our salaries affected."

Final Logical Fallacies
False causality: stating that even B was caused by event A just because B happened after A
Example : Money makes people arrogant.
Not all people and not always just money.
Overgeneralization: forming a conclusion with too little evidence.
Look for words such as “all," "every," and
"always". They’re statements that are so general that they oversimplify reality, ignoring important details.

For example:
Does this mean that teachers need medication to keep their cool during the school day ?
More teachers recommend Calmme to help them make it through the day
Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Examples of Logical Fallacy
• Ad hominem: appealing to one’s prejudices, emotions, or special interests rather than one’s intellect or reason; attacking an opponent’s character rather than answering his argument.
Bill: "I believe that abortion is morally wrong."
Dave: "Of course you would say that, you're a priest."
Bill: "What about the arguments I gave to support my position?"
Dave: "Those don't count. Like I said, you're a priest, so you have to say that abortion is wrong. Further, you are just a lackey to the Pope, so I can't believe what you say."

Euphemisms
When propagandists use glittering generalities and name-calling symbols, they are attempting to arouse their audience with vivid, emotionally suggestive words.
In certain situations, however, the propagandist attempts to pacify the audience in order to make an unpleasant reality more palatable.
This is accomplished by using words that are bland and euphemistic.

Euphemisms
• The use of words or statements that deter from the meaning, to make it not as bad, and more tasteful to the general public.
• The Nazis used the term resettlement to describe the mass murder of the Jews.

An Example for Euphemism
Since war is particularly unpleasant, military discourse is full of euphemisms.
In the 1940's, America changed the name of the
War Department to the Department of Defense.
Under the Reagan Administration, the MX-Missile was renamed "The Peacekeeper.“
During war-time, civilian casualties are referred to as "collateral damage," and the word
"liquidation" is used as a synonym for "murder."

Euphemisms
•
•
•
•

• Aims to flatter
• Makes assumption/ insinuation that this product/idea is better than others…
• Thus, those that use it are too.
• “Avant Garde” ahead of the times.
The Ultimate driving machine

• Opposite of Snob Appeal
• Identifies product/idea with a locality or country
• Practical product for ordinary people.
Like a good neighbor
…

Plain Folks
By using the plain-folks technique, speakers attempt to convince their audience that they, and their ideas, are "of the people."
Examples:
 Bill Clinton ate at McDonald's and confessed a fondness for trashy spy novels.
 George Bush Sr. hated broccoli, and loved to fish.
 Ronald Reagan was often photographed chopping wood
 Jimmy Carter presented himself as a humble peanut farmer from Georgia.
 Sarah Palin likened herself to a “hockey mom” in order to connect with average moms across the country.

Plain Folks:
• uses a folksy approach to convince us to support someone or something.
– These ads depict people with ordinary looks doing ordinary activities.

Plain Folks
• This technique has a person or cause being associated with regular people.
• Candidates who are just like you
– they put their pants on one leg at a time too.

plain folks appeal
• Based on the “common man,” “person on the street” or the “little guy”
• A politician calls himself a “populist” or “man of the people”
– “In this time of change, government must take the side of working families.” (George
Bush, address at the Republican National
Convention, Sept. 3, 2004.

For Example:
We want a Jim Smith, a mayor who supports the regular American worker.
Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002
Vote for Smith

Propaganda Techniques
5.
Plain Folks Appeal
( “of the people”)

Plain Folks

Plain Folks
"We are for Adolf
Hitler!"

Plain Folks

Other Techniques: Doublespeak

• An outrageous falsehood
• Captures attention because it’s so outrageous
• Somehow staggers audience into believing it

Other Techniques: Scapegoat
• A person carrying the blame for others
• Retreats to prejudice rather than reason
• Mostly used in the political arena
• Wins audience through association or sympathy

Other Techniques *
• Misery - Appeals to pity or sympathy to gain support.
• Fancy Words - Use of elegant or technical sounding words to persuade and camouflage the truth.
• Word Magic - Uses emotional or catchy words to create a positive feeling and makes it easier to remember the product or idea.

Other Techniques: Card Stacking:
• used to slant a message.
– Key words or unfavorable statistics may be omitted in an ad or commercial, leading to a series of half-truths.
– Keep in mind that an advertiser is under no obligation "to give the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

Other Techniques *
• Black and White - Presents an issue as having only two choices. If you don’t like one choice, you must choose the other
• Simplicity and Repetition - Keep it simple and say it often enough so people will remember it and believe it

Black or White:
• used to polarize issues, and negates all attempts to find a common ground.
– You are either for something or against it
– This technique is also called "black-and-white thinking" because only two choices are given.; there is no middle ground or shades of gray

How do we make sure that we are making informed choices,
Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002 instead of allowing others to sway us in our decision-making?

We make our own choices when …
•we read and listen to reliable sources,
•we watch for combinations of truths and lies,
•we check for hidden messages,
•we watch for use of propaganda techniques,

www.scottish.parliament.uk/ educationservice
WHEN WE LISTEN TO OUR OWN VOICES !

Document Analysis for Argument,
Persuasion, or Propaganda
Purpose
• What is the message that this document communicates? What is the document’s purpose?
• Why is it important for this message to be delivered to this audience at this moment in time?
• How does the document communicate its message?
Think about its use of language, color, space, and symbols.

Document Questions when Analyzing a
Propaganda Poster
Audience
• Who is the audience for this document?
• What does the message suggest about the audience’s beliefs and values?
• How accurate are these beliefs about the audience?

Document Questions when Analyzing a
Propaganda Poster
Document Author
• Who wrote the message?
• What are the writer’s motives for creating this message? How might the writer personally benefit from the audience’s acceptance of this message?

Document Questions when Analyzing a
Propaganda Poster
Evidence, Support, and Outcomes
• What facts and specific details does the document use? Are the facts verifiable and believable?
• What emotions does the document use to communicate its message? How is the audience likely to feel when they read this message?
• What ethical or moral values does the document use to communicate its message? What relevant values are not supported by this message?
• What will happen if the audience accepts this message?
• What would happen if everyone in the world accepted this message?

Document Questions when Analyzing a
Propaganda Poster
Overall Impression and Conclusions
• What is the overall impression of this message? Summarize the details that you have gathered in your analysis.
• How would you categorize this poster— argument, persuasion, or propaganda? Explain your choice.

Propaganda Poster Analysis from
National Archives and Record
Administration
1. What are the main colored used in the poster? Why?
2. What symbols, if any, are used in the poster? Why?
3. If a symbol is used, is it: clear and easy to interpret, memorable, and dramatic? Why?
4. Are the messages in the poster primarily visual, verbal, or both?
5. Who do you think is the intended audience for the poster?
Why?
6. What does the government hope the audience will do?
7. What government purpose (s) is served by the poster?
8. The most effective posters use symbols that are unusual, simple, and direct? Is this an effective poster? Why or why not?

Examining Historical Propaganda from
World War Two
• For each poster, identify what propaganda strategy was used and record it on the lesson plan.
• Be sure to provide the strategy and the evidence from the poster.
• Also identify the goal for each poster.

Credits
• American Propaganda Posters courtesy of Northwestern
University Library
( http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govpub/collections/w wii-posters/index.html
)
• German Propaganda Posters courtesy of German Propaganda
Archive ( http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/ )
• * Techniques courtesy of Bryan Ross , West Hills High School.