PropagandPropaganda a Techniques Techniques in the in the MediaMedia

How do you decide How do you decide who is the best who is the best

candidate…candidate…

or which is the or which is the best toothpaste ?best toothpaste ?

Looking for facts to back up your choice is an excellent idea, but find out who is presenting those facts.

Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Are they facts at all, or is the advertiser using propaganda techniques to persuade you?

What is What is Propaganda?Propaganda?Any persuasive technique

whether in print or electronic media whose purpose is to influence your opinions, emotions, and attitudes

What is What is Propaganda?Propaganda?Print media: newspapers,

magazines, books, billboards

Electronic media: radio. Television, CDs, DVDs, movies, video tapes, documentary films, the internet

What is What is Propaganda?Propaganda? It tells only the side the

author wants the audience to know

It appeals to emotions rather than the intellect

It benefits the person or organization using it

Goal of PropagandaGoal of Propaganda To mold opinion or behavior to support a cause withoutwithout concern concern for the interest or for the interest or benefit of the audiencebenefit of the audience

PropagandaPropaganda The information reflects the viewpoints, beliefs, and biases of the author

Who uses Who uses Propaganda?Propaganda?MilitaryMilitary

MediaMedia

AdvertisersAdvertisers

PoliticiansPoliticians

You and IYou and I

Logical Fallacies: errors Logical Fallacies: errors in reasoningin reasoning

False cause- inaccurately drawing a cause-False cause- inaccurately drawing a cause-and-effect relationship between two events that and-effect relationship between two events that follow one after anotherfollow one after another

Overgeneralization – making a sweeping Overgeneralization – making a sweeping statement that does not provide any statement that does not provide any reasonable supporting evidence as proofreasonable supporting evidence as proof

bandwagon – urging the audience to do bandwagon – urging the audience to do something because everyone else is doing itsomething because everyone else is doing it

Logical Fallacies: errors Logical Fallacies: errors in reasoningin reasoning

ad hominemad hominem - personally attacking - personally attacking someone in order to shift attention away someone in order to shift attention away from his or her views from his or her views

Either-or-fallacy – presenting only two Either-or-fallacy – presenting only two possible sides or solutions to an issue possible sides or solutions to an issue when there are more possibilitieswhen there are more possibilities

Red herring – changing the subject in Red herring – changing the subject in order to avoid the issueorder to avoid the issue

What are some of the What are some of the techniques used to persuade techniques used to persuade us?us? •Name-callingName-calling

•Glittering GeneralityGlittering Generality•BandwagonBandwagon•TestimonialTestimonial•Plain-folks appealPlain-folks appeal•TransferTransfer•Faulty ReasoningFaulty Reasoning•FearFear

Name-CallingName-Calling links a person, product, or idea, links a person, product, or idea,

to a negative symbolto a negative symbol the implication is that we the implication is that we

shouldn’t be interested in it shouldn’t be interested in it seeks to make us form a seeks to make us form a

judgment to reject and condemn judgment to reject and condemn without examining the evidence without examining the evidence

““slamming the competition”slamming the competition”

Name-CallingName-Calling

At Burger King, you can At Burger King, you can have your Flame-broiled have your Flame-broiled Whopper made your Whopper made your way, We’re proud to say way, We’re proud to say we serve individuals, we serve individuals, not billions.not billions.

Name Calling ExampleName Calling Example

Do we want a mayor who will leave us in debt?

Spending grew 100% Spending grew 100%

under Mayor under Mayor Moneybags!Moneybags!

Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Glittering GeneralityGlittering Generality

Name-Calling in reverseName-Calling in reverse Seeks to make us Seeks to make us approve and approve and

acceptaccept without examining the without examining the evidence evidence

A commonly admired virtue is A commonly admired virtue is used to inspire positive feelings used to inspire positive feelings for a person, idea, or productfor a person, idea, or product

Glittering GeneralityGlittering Generality

We believe in, fight for, live by We believe in, fight for, live by virtue words about which we have virtue words about which we have deep-set ideas including: deep-set ideas including: civilization, freedom, Christianity, civilization, freedom, Christianity, good, proper, right, democracy, good, proper, right, democracy, beauty, patriotism, low fat, honor, beauty, patriotism, low fat, honor, prosperity, new, health, happiness, prosperity, new, health, happiness, motherhood, fatherhood, science, motherhood, fatherhood, science, truth, medicine, and love. truth, medicine, and love.

Glittering Generalities Glittering Generalities ExamplesExamples Words such as luxury, beautiful, paradise, and

economical are used to evoke positive feelings in the viewer.

BandwagonBandwagon If you want to fit in, you need to

“jump on the bandwagon” and do it too

Implication is that you must JOIN in to FIT in

Directs appeal to groups held together already by common ties, ties of nationality, religion, race, sex, vocation

Bandwagon Bandwagon ExampleExample

TestimonialTestimonial A famous person endorses an idea,

a product, a candidate If someone famous uses this

product, believes this idea, or supports this candidate, so should we

Most common misuse involves using individuals who are not qualified to make judgments about a particular issue or product

Testimonial Testimonial example:example:

If we drink milk we will all be as famous or fit as Beyoncè!

Testimonial ExampleTestimonial ExampleAn important person or famous figure endorses a product.

Plain FolksPlain Folks Identifies Identifies

product/idea product/idea with a locality with a locality or countryor country

Practical Practical product for product for ordinary ordinary people.people.

Like a good neighbor…

Plain-FolksPlain-Folks

This idea, product, or person is associated with normal, everyday people and activities

Speakers attempt to convince their audience that they, and their ideas, are "of the people"

Plain Folks Plain Folks Example:Example:

We want Jim Smith, a mayor who supports the regular American worker.

Vote for SmithClipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

TransferTransfer Carries over the authority, Carries over the authority,

sanction, and prestige of sanction, and prestige of something we respect to something we respect to something he would have us something he would have us accept accept

Transfers positive feelings we Transfers positive feelings we have of something we know to have of something we know to something we don’tsomething we don’t

Transfer ExampleTransfer ExampleGood feelings, looks, or ideas transferred Good feelings, looks, or ideas transferred

to the person for whom the product is to the person for whom the product is intended.intended.

Faulty ReasoningFaulty Reasoning Only using facts that support her Only using facts that support her

argumentargument Attempting to lead the audience into Attempting to lead the audience into

accepting the facts as a conclusionaccepting the facts as a conclusion Selective omission Selective omission Most difficult to detect because it Most difficult to detect because it

does not provide all of the does not provide all of the information necessary for the information necessary for the audience to make an informed audience to make an informed decisiondecision

Faulty ReasoningFaulty Reasoning

Factual supporting details Factual supporting details are used though they do are used though they do

not support the conclusion. not support the conclusion. It works like this: It works like this:

•Christians believe in God. Christians believe in God.

•Muslims believe in God.Muslims believe in God.

•Christians are Muslims.Christians are Muslims.

Faulty Cause & Effect Faulty Cause & Effect ExampleExampleUse of a product is credited for creating a

positive result.

FearFear Our fears are Our fears are displayed.displayed.

Ideas, candidates, or Ideas, candidates, or products are shown to products are shown to put our fears to rest.put our fears to rest.

Fear ExampleFear Example

How do we make sure that we How do we make sure that we are making informed choices, are making informed choices,

instead of allowing others to sway us in our decision-making?

Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Strategies: SourceStrategies: Source

Who created the message?Who created the message? How do the creators’ How do the creators’

viewpoints or biases affect viewpoints or biases affect the message?the message?

Strategies: PurposeStrategies: Purpose

Why was the message Why was the message created?created?To persuade?To persuade?To inform?To inform?To entertain?To entertain?

Strategies: Word ChoiceStrategies: Word Choice

What kind of language is used What kind of language is used to express the message?to express the message?

Is figurative language used to Is figurative language used to make the message seem more make the message seem more meaningful? meaningful?

Is technical language used to Is technical language used to make it seem more technical?make it seem more technical?

Strategies: Cultural ElementsStrategies: Cultural Elements

Does the message transmit Does the message transmit or communicate, culture- or communicate, culture- values that reflect a values that reflect a particular group or nation?particular group or nation?

Strategies: SymbolsStrategies: Symbols Does the message Does the message

represent ideas, principles, represent ideas, principles, or people through or people through symbols?symbols?

How might symbols have How might symbols have an impact on the audience?an impact on the audience?

Strategies: Target Strategies: Target AudienceAudience Is the message tailored to a Is the message tailored to a

specific intended audience?specific intended audience? Do the creators of the Do the creators of the

message use stereotypes of message use stereotypes of peoplepeople——for example children for example children or teenagersor teenagers——to connect with to connect with the audience?the audience?

Strategies: Design Strategies: Design Elements and/or Film Elements and/or Film TechniquesTechniques How is the message virtually How is the message virtually

composed?composed? Do design elements such as Do design elements such as

color, line, and texture enhance color, line, and texture enhance the message?the message?

Are film techniques or special Are film techniques or special effects used to manipulate the effects used to manipulate the audience’s reaction?audience’s reaction?

We make our own We make our own choices when …choices when …

We read and listen to We read and listen to reliable sources,reliable sources,

We watch for combinations We watch for combinations of truths and lies,of truths and lies,

We check for hidden We check for hidden messages,messages,

We watch for use of We watch for use of propaganda techniques,propaganda techniques,

and, most importantly,

www.scottish.parliament.uk/ educationservice

WHEN WE LISTEN TO OUR OWN VOICES !

SourcesSources

http://griffinmiddleschool.typepad.com/stephanie_hines/files/Propaganda.ppt

http://jc-schools.net/ppt/propaganda.ppt Glencoe Glencoe Literature Texas TreasuresLiterature Texas Treasures http://alex.state.al.us/uploads/13676/Whose%20Voice

%20Guides%20Your%20Choice.ppt

http://www.ahistoryteacher.com/propaganda/http://www.ahistoryteacher.com/propaganda/Propaganda-Basic.pptPropaganda-Basic.ppt