Transcript More Examples of Propaganda


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.
Logos – Logic
Pathos – Emotion
Ethos - Ethics

Logical appeals rely on evidence, such as
research data or examples. Use reason to
convince a skeptical reader of the truth or
validity of your argument. Use reason to ask
someone to take a new view of a situation.

Emotional appeals attempt to arouse the feelings of
the reader. Daniel Goleman, Author of Emotional
Intelligence, says that such appeals rely on tapping
the energy associated with basic feelings of fear,
enjoyment, anger, surprise, or disgust. Two other
basic feelings seem generally less applicable in
writing to persuade in a business setting: sadness
and shame. Emotional appeals are most effective
when the reader can be expected to agree with your
argument and you want the reader to act.

Ethical appeals rely on the reader's sense of
right and wrong. Such appeals depend on the
writer's credibility as a respected expert,
reliable contributor, or well-informed
observer whose opinions are believable
because they are ethically sound. Ethical
appeals are most effective when the reader
can be moved by what is said and by who is
saying it.
A writer seeks to increase the budget for new computers in
her department. She could use
 Logic--"A new computer would increase our productivity by 5
percent. Since our combined salaries are $300,000, that's a
productivity increase worth $15,000. Subtract the cost of
$7500 for the computers, and you have a net gain of $7500."
 Pathos--"Our old computers are so inadequate that we are
feeling super cautious (fear) about tackling the biggest
barcoding job."
 Ethos--"It's only fair that our department gets new
computers at this time. Our present computers are five years
old. The neighboring department got new computers two
years ago."
Within these 3 appeals, there
are specific propaganda
methods that can be used.
Following are some, not all, of
the common methods used.
Slogan

A slogan is a catchword or phrase loaded
with emotion.
 For example: “Freedom now.”
 Slogans are usually clever and easy to
remember; therefore, they stay with you even
when you are unaware of them.
“Think Outside
the Bun”
What is Nike’s Slogan?
Bandwagon

The basic theme of the Bandwagon appeal is
that “everyone else is doing it, and so should
you.” Since few of us want to be left behind,
this technique can be quite successful.
Testimonial

A statement endorsing an idea or product,
when signed by a prominent person or
popular favorite, carries undue weight when
it is used to sponsor something outside his
particular field.
Euphemism

Using a euphemism to pacify the audience in
order to make an unpleasant reality more
acceptable. A euphemism is a nice word for
an ugly thing.
 For example: “Collateral damage” is a euphemistic
term for civilian casualties during a time of war.
Pre-owned car
Mr. Prince: We'll see you when you
get back from image enhancement
camp.
Martin Prince: Spare me your
euphemisms! It's fat camp, for
Daddy's chubby little secret!
("Kamp Krusty," The Simpsons,
1992)
Transfer

This device transfers the good impression we
have of something we already know to
something else that we don’t know.
 For example, if we are told, “these are home-baked
(not factory) products, just like the ones Mother
used to make,” we associate the good feelings
connected to Mom’s cooking with the product
being sold to us.
Name Calling

This is a way of smearing an opponent.
Calling him names can damage his
reputation or arouse suspicions about his
character.
 The most obvious type of name-calling involves
bad names. For example, consider the following:
Commie, Fascist, Pig, Yuppie, Bum, Terrorist.
Plain Folks

By using the plain folks technique, speakers
attempt to convince their audience that
they, and their ideas, are “of the people.”
 Example: “I’m one of you folks, born and raised in
these mountains, and I can still shuck corn with the
best of you.”
Snob Appeal

The opposite of plain folks is the “snob
appeal,” which aims to flatter those who
would like to satisfy their ego by assuming
that they are better (though they are really
not) than the rest of mankind in looks, wealth,
taste or position.

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Examples:
Cat food is served in a crystal goblet.
A credit card company offers gold and
platinum cards rather than the original
yellow, blue and red.
A restaurant critic writes that a particular
establishment has food and spirits designed
for “the discriminating palate.”
Glittering Generalities

This is the reverse of name-calling. A glittering
generality is a word or statement that seeks to
make us approve and accept without
examining the evidence.
 For example, a politician may claim, "Our party is the
people's choice." This statement elicits a positive
feeling, and may win over votes. However, the
statement is so general that no one could truly say
what it means.
Big Lie

Often a small truth will slip by. An outrageous
falsehood captures our attention and
somehow staggers some people into believing
it. Sometimes a lie is so unbelievable it has to
be true. A person may wonder, “How could
someone make that up? “
Scapegoat

A scapegoat is a person carrying the blame
for others. Thus, the Nazis made scapegoats
of the Jewish people during the Second World
War, blaming them for everything they felt
stopped Germany from conquering the world.
Fear

When a propagandist warns members of her
audience that a disaster will result if they do
not follow a particular course of action, she
is using the fear appeal. By playing on the
audience’s deep-seated fears, practitioners of
this technique hope to redirect attention away
from the merits of a particular proposal.
Rewards
Companies and/or candidates will offer “free”
items to entice you. Often these offers require
you to spend money other ways – join
subscriptions, buy other items, participate in a
trial offer…