Propaganda Techniques

An examination of the art of manipulation

What is Propaganda?

• A way of manipulating people using images and words to achieve a desired effect or outcome

• Propaganda clouds reality and gets in the way of clear and honest thinking

• Propagandists deliberately manipulate in order to promote their cause.

Why study propaganda?

• Too avoid being manipulated by others

• We often deceive ourselves using the same techniques we use to convince others

• How clearly do you understand how this expensive Super Bowl ad is trying to manipulate you?

Is all propaganda bad?

• Yes, in that it does not seek to educate but rather manipulate. However, sometimes propaganda may be used to manipulate you into doing something positive

• The danger is that all propagandists want to do your thinking for you.

World War II Propaganda

• “The masses always need a certain time before they are ready even to notice a thing, and they will lend their memories only to a thousand-fold repetition of the most simple ideas”.

World War II Propaganda

• “To whom has propaganda to appeal? To the scientific intelligentsia or to the less educated masses? It has appeal forever and only to the masses!”

World War II Propaganda

• “All propaganda has to be popular and has to adapt its spiritual level to the perception of the least intelligent...”

World War II Propaganda

• “The great masses’ receptive ability is only very limited, their understanding is small, but their forgetfulness is great [so] all effective propaganda has to limit itself only to a few points to use them like slogans until every last man is able to imagine what is intended...”

World War II Propaganda

• Adolf Hitler

Association/Transfer

• Creates an internal connection between two unrelated items. Causes a transfer of positive or negative feelings from one thing to something else.

Association/Transfer

• Creates an internal connection between two unrelated items. Causes a transfer of positive or negative feelings from one thing to something else.

Association/Transfer

• Creates an internal connection between two unrelated items. Causes a transfer of positive or negative feelings from one thing to something else.

Association/Transfer

• Creates an internal connection between two unrelated items. Causes a transfer of positive or negative feelings from one thing to something else.

Association/Transfer

• Creates an internal connection between two unrelated items. Causes a transfer of positive or negative feelings from one thing to something else.

Misery

• Appeals to pity or sympathy to gain support.

Misery

• Appeals to pity or sympathy to gain support.

Misery

• Appeals to pity or sympathy to gain support.

Fancy Words

• Use of elegant or technical sounding words to persuade and camouflage the truth.

Fancy Words

• Use of elegant or technical sounding words to persuade and camouflage the truth.

Fancy Words

• Use of elegant or technical sounding words to persuade and camouflage the truth.

Fancy Words

• Use of elegant or technical sounding words to persuade and camouflage the truth.

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.

• Example: Holocaust = Final Solution

• Example: Death Camps = Resettlement

Word Magic

• Uses emotional or catchy words to create a positive feeling and makes it easier to remember the product or idea.

Word Magic

• Uses emotional or catchy words to create a positive feeling and makes it easier to remember the product or idea.

Bandwagon

• Join the crowd, do not be left out. Everyone is doing it, so you should too.

“Everyone listens to the Furher”

Bandwagon

• Join the crowd, do not be left out. Everyone is doing it, so you should too.

Plain Folks

• Based on the idea that we trust people who are most like us.

“We are for Adolf Hitler”

Plain Folks

• Based on the idea that we trust people who are most like us.

Plain Folks

• Based on the idea that we trust people who are most like us.

Plain Folks

• Based on the idea that we trust people who are most like us.

Direct Order

• Attempts to make decision making easy for us by directly telling us what to do.

Direct Order

• Attempts to make decision making easy for us by directly telling us what to do.

Appeal to Authority

• Important and powerful people support a candidate or idea. Similar to testimonial.

“One People, One Reich, One Fuhrer”

Testimonial

• When a celebrity, or expert whose views are held in general respect endorses a product, candidate, or idea. The person may or may not be qualified to speak on the subject.

Testimonial

• When a celebrity, or expert whose views are held in general respect endorses a product, candidate, or idea. The person may or may not be qualified to speak on the subject.

Testimonial

• When a celebrity, or expert whose views are held in general respect endorses a product, candidate, or idea. The person may or may not be qualified to speak on the subject.

Testimonial

• When a celebrity, or expert whose views are held in general respect endorses a product, candidate, or idea. The person may or may not be qualified to speak on the subject.

Name Calling

• Linking a person or idea to a negative image.

“The Jew: The inciter of war, the prolonger of war

Name Calling

• Linking a person or idea to a negative image.

Name Calling

• Linking a person or idea to a negative image.

Glittering Generalities

• Use of words and images that generally carry a favorable meaning to everyone. Hopes to create a feeling with no direct evidence.

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

Glittering Generalities

• Use of words and images that generally carry a favorable meaning to everyone. Hopes to create a feeling with no direct evidence.

Glittering Generalities

• Use of words and images that generally carry a favorable meaning to everyone. Hopes to create a feeling with no direct evidence.

Black and White

• Presents an issue as having only two choices. If you don’t like one choice, you must choose the other

Black and White

• Presents an issue as having only two choices. If you don’t like one choice, you must choose the other

Oversimplification

• Coming to a conclusion that is too simple to account for complex reality.

• “Germany ruthlessly killed Americans when they sank the Lusitania so they clearly don’t care if we go to war with them or not.”

• “If congress passes a law limiting the availability of automatic weapons, America will slide down a slippery slope which will ultimately result in the banning of all guns, the destruction of the Constitution, and a totalitarian police state.”

Taking Out of Context

• Removing a person, statement or idea from its original setting in order to support the propagandist position.

Taking Out of Context

• Removing a person, statement or idea from its original setting in order to support the propagandist position.

Fear

• Informs people that personal danger is imminent if they do or do not do some specific action.

Fear

• Informs people that personal danger is imminent if they do or do not do some specific action.

Fear

• Informs people that personal danger is imminent if they do or do not do some specific action.

Fear

• Informs people that personal danger is imminent if they do or do not do some specific action.

Fear

• Informs people that personal danger is imminent if they do or do not do some specific action.

Simplicity and Repetition

• Keep it simple and say it often enough so people will remember it and believe it.

Simplicity and Repetition

• Keep it simple and say it often enough so people will remember it and believe it.

You Turn

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You Turn

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You Turn

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Thank you for your time.The End.