I
believe we can assume that propaganda has a negative connotation. Propagandas has an ideological goal, it is
to persuade a large amount of people to a certain belief or goal. The word propaganda comes from the word
propagate which means to spread, proliferate or publicize. In the ancient Greece Aristotle recognized
that an appeal to emotion was useful in persuasive rhetoric. Propaganda grew out of early persuasion and
rhetoric. It was first used in 1622 to describe the
propagation of the Catholic Faith. In
that way it had no negative implication.
Only after the protestant movements started to challenge the Catholic
faith, propaganda took a new meaning.
In
today’s society the internet is the perfect tool for viral proliferation of any
ideas. It works especially with human
psychology, mainly man’s weaknesses. Media
creators and advertising rely heavily on knowledge of human psychology. Since propaganda plays a great deal on the
human emotions we cannot deny its impact, and certainly cannot reason it
away. Let’s look at some ways propaganda
is influencing our lives:
Definition and
Purpose of propaganda
One
web site states that Propaganda is the manipulation of public opinion. Others say that it is persuasion by design
with the goal to systematically and consciously promote certain ideas and to
advocate certain actions based on ideas. According to another website, propaganda often
exaggerates events or plainly changes them.
What means one thing to one person can be perceive completely different
by somebody else. In any case propaganda seeks to change people’s mind and influences their outlook.
Propaganda Techniques
There
are various types of propaganda techniques, and I found them
being used to inducing fear, exaggeration, hype, repetition, scarcity, and slogans.
Then, there are the seven types of propaganda introduced by a website of George Mason University (GMU):
7
types of propaganda
·
Transfer The
act of relating something or someone we like or respect with a product. Symbols
are constantly used in this form.
·
Testimonial The use of well known, respected people to
endorse a product or service.
·
Glittering
Generalities The act of referring to words or ideas
that evoke a positive emotional response from an audience. Virtue words are
often used.
·
Plain Folks The
use of everyday people to sell a product or service. Speakers in ads appear to
make the person to be one of the people.
·
Bandwagon Attempts
to persuade the target audience to take a course of action, "Everyone else
is taking." "Join the crowd." This technique reinforces people’s
natural desire to be on the winning side.
·
Name Calling The
use of names that evoke fear or hatred in the viewer. This technique links a
person or idea to a negative symbol.
·
Card Stacking Strategy
of showing the product's best features. Telling half-truths and emitting or
lying about its potential problems.
The
word propaganda was first used in 1622, when Pope Gregory XV established the
Sacred Congregation of Propaganda, a commission designed to spread the Catholic
faith worldwide to describe the propagation of the Catholic faith. There was no
malice intended in spreading the word of God for what the Catholics considered
the only true faith; however, the emerging Protestant religions began to
challenge this notion. By the end of the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church had
achieved a solid grip on the communication of ideas. The Church, in close
cooperation with the universities it controlled, began to identify and attack
what it considered heresy.
The
GMU website goes into a long explanation regarding the roots of propaganda
Through
the mass media we are constantly bombarded with ideas, advertisement and other
suggestions. I like to mention here a
passage from Napoleon Hill’s latest book “Outwitting
the Devil.”
“One of my most
effective tricks is known to you as propaganda.
This is the instrument of great value to me in setting people to
murdering one another under the disguise of war.
The cleverness of
this trick consists mainly of the subtlety with which I use it.
I mix propaganda with
the news of the world. I have it taught
in public and private schools. I see
that it finds its way into the pulpit. I color moving pictures with it. I see that it enters every home where there
is a radio. I inject it into billboards,
newspapers, and radio advertising. I
spread it in every place of business where people work. I use it to fill the divorce courts and I
make it serve to destroy business and industry.
It is my chief
instrument for starting runs on banks.
My propagandists cover the world so thoroughly that I can start
epidemics of disease, turn loose the dogs of war, or throw business into a
panic at will.”
“Propaganda is any
device, plan, or method by which people can be influenced without knowing that
they are being influenced, or the source of the influence.
Propaganda is used in
business for the purpose of discouraging competition. Employers use it to gain advantage over their
employees. The employees retaliate by
using it to gain advantage over their employers. In fact, it is used so universally and
through such a smooth and beautiful streamlined technique that it looks
harmless even when it is detected.”
These
are the answers of the Devil whom Napoleon Hill questioned in length regarding tricking
people into drifting and guiding them away from the truth.
That
sums up the purpose and the origin of propaganda. It is to causes division and confusion.
I
found the book very provoking, especially since it was written 73 years ago and
describes a lot of parallels to our time today.
I will write more about my impressions on “Outwitting the Devil” in a later blog. I believe that Napoleon Hill was way ahead of
his time, and has very cleverly observed the work of the Devil in our
society. It couldn’t be any other way,
since no one other person,
organization, or even government could have such a far reaching influence.
How
can we prevent coming under the influence of propaganda? Think for yourself, be responsible and
discover a definite purpose for your life.
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