Propaganda Terms
From the Institute for Propaganda Analysis
What is Propaganda?
 Any widespread promotion of ideas, doctrines, etc…
Why Propaganda?
 "propaganda" is not inherently a dirty word — it just usually
is. Any time you are trying to convince anyone of something,
you are using some kind of persuasion, debating, or
propaganda technique. Just telling the whole truth about
something is one simple propaganda technique, and a highly
effective one. But lying often works better, at least with some
audiences...
Types of Propaganda:
 Bandwagon
 Euphemism
 Fear
 Glittering Generalities
 Name-Calling
 Plain Folks
 Rewards
 Testimonial
 Transfer
Bandwagon
 Bandwagon - is a device that attempts to persuade you that
everyone else supports an idea, so you should support it too.
Sometimes opinion polls are contrived for this very purpose,
such as the so-called "Pepsi Challenge," which claimed that
most people preferred the taste of Pepsi over Coca-Cola.
"The propagandist hires a hall, rents radio stations, fills a
great stadium, marches a million or at least a lot of men in a
parade," the IPA observed. "He employs symbols, colors,
music, movement, all the dramatic arts. He gets us to write
letters, to send telegrams, to contribute to his cause. He
appeals to the desire, common to most of us, to follow the
crowd."
Euphemism
 Euphemisms - are another type of word game. Rather than
attempt to associate positive or negative connotations,
euphemisms merely try to obscure the meaning of what is
being talked about by replacing plain English with
deliberately vague jargon. Rutgers University professor
William Lutz has written several books about this strategy,
most recently Doublespeak Defined. Examples include the use
of the term "strategic misrepresentations" as a euphemism
for "lies," or the term "employee transition" as a substitute
for "getting fired." Euphemisms have also transformed
ordinary sewage sludge into "regulated organic nutrients"
that don't stink but merely "exceed the odor threshold."
Fear
 Fear - is a device that attempts to reach you at the level of one of
your most primitive and compelling emotions. Politicians use it
when they talk about crime and claim to be advocates for law and
order. Environmentalists use it when they talk about pollutionrelated cancer, and their opponents use fear when they claim that
effective environmental regulations will destroy the economy and
eliminate jobs. Fear can lead people to do things they would never
otherwise consider. Few people believe that war is a good thing,
for example, but most people can be convinced to support a
specific war if they believe that they are fighting an enemy who is
cruel, inhuman, and bent on destroying all that they hold dear.
Glittering Generalities
 Glittering generalities - is a reverse form of name-calling. Instead
of insults, it uses words that generate strong positive emotionswords like "democracy," "patriotism," "motherhood," "science,"
"progress," "prosperity." Politicians love to speak in these terms.
Newt Gingrich advised Republicans to use words such as "caring,"
"children," "choice," "commitment," "common sense," "dream,"
"duty," "empowerment," "freedom," and "hard work" when
talking about themselves and their own programs. Democrats, of
course, use the same strategy. Think, for example, of President
Clinton's talk of "the future," "growing the economy," or his
campaign slogan: "I still believe in a place called Hope."
Name Calling
 Name-calling - involves the use of insult words. Newt Gingrich,
the former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, is
reported to have used this technique very deliberately, circulating
a list of negative words and phrases that Republicans were
instructed to use when speaking about their political opponentswords such as "betray," "corruption," "decay," "failure,"
"hypocrisy," "radical," "permissive," and "waste." The term "junk
science," is an obvious use of this same strategy. When namecalling is used, the IPA recommended that people should ask
themselves the following questions: What does the name mean?
Does the idea in question have a legitimate connection with the
real meaning of the name? Is an idea that serves my best interests
being dismissed through giving it a name I don't like?
Plain Folks
 Plainfolks - is a device that attempts to prove that the speaker
is "of the people." Even a geeky multibillionaire like Bill
Gates tries to convey the impression that he's just a regular
guy who enjoys fast food and popular movies. Politicians also
use the "plain folks" device to excess: George Bush insisting
he eats pork rinds; Hillary Clinton slipping into a southern
accent. Virtually every member of the U.S. Senate is a
millionaire, but you wouldn't know it from the way they
present themselves.
Rewards
 Rewards-This is a type of propaganda that promises a reward
in exchange for a set goal.
This type of propaganda was used by the United States during
the Afghan war. A number of U.S. aircraft made low-flying
passes over civilian towns dropping pamphlets and leaflets
offering a reward for high-value personnel targets (such as
Osama bin Laden). These aircraft jammed local radio stations
in the area broadcasting the message also.
Testimonial
 Testimonial - is a specific type of transfer device in which
admired individuals give their endorsement to an idea,
product, or cause. Cereal companies put the pictures of
famous athletes on their cereal boxes, politicians seek out the
support of popular actors, and activist groups invite
celebrities to speak at their rallies. Sometimes testimonials
are transparently obvious. Whenever they are used, however,
the IPA recommends asking questions such as the following:
Why should we regard this person (or organization or
publication) as a source of trustworthy information on the
subject in question? What does the idea amount to on its own
merits, without the benefit of the testimonial?
Transfer
 Transfer - is described by the IPA as "a device by which the propagandist
carries over the authority, sanction, and prestige of something we
respect and revere to something he would have us accept. For example,
most of us respect and revere our church and our nation. If the
propagandist succeeds in getting church or nation to approve a campaign
in behalf of some program, he thereby transfers its authority, sanction,
and prestige to that program. Thus, we may accept something which
otherwise we might reject." In 1998, the American Council on Science
and Health convened what it called a "blue-ribbon committee" of
scientists to issue a report on health risks associated with phthalates, a
class of chemical additives used in soft vinyl children's toys. People
familiar with ACSH's record on other issues were not at all surprised
when the blue-ribbon committee concluded that phthalates were safe.
The committee's real purpose, after all, was to transfer the prestige of
science onto the chemicals that ACSH was defending.