Transcript 9:2 Propaganda Techniques

Propaganda Techniques
Modern World History, by Dan McDowell. Teaching Point, ©2004
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.
Bandwagon
• Hop on the bandwagon or else
you don’t fit in. Everyone is
doing it, so you should too.
This technique is contrived peer
pressure – no one wants to be
left out or behind.
Bandwagon
Bandwagon
Bandwagon
Testimonial
• A celebrity or expert who endorses
a product, candidate, or idea.
Think about all of the commercials
with celebrities. The celebrity may
not always be qualified to speak on
the subject.
Testimonial
Testimonial
Testimonial
Plain Folks
• This technique has a person or
cause being associated with
regular people. Candidates who
are just like you – they put their
pants on one leg at a time, too.
Plain Folks
"We are for Adolf
Hitler!"
Plain Folks
Plain Folks
Plain Folks
Plain Folks
Glittering Generalities
• Use of words and images that generally
carry a favorable meaning to everyone;
including liberty, democracy, freedom,
and civilization. It hopes to associate a
person, idea, or group with a positive
feeling, but no direct evidence. The
largest problem with this technique is
that all of these words mean different
things to different people.
Glittering Generalities
"Open the door to freedom! Put
a strong man at the helm! Out
of the swamp! Forward with
the powers of renewal!”
Glittering Generalities
Glittering Generalities
• “Happiness” means
different things to
different people.
Glittering Generalities
Name-Calling
• This technique links a person or idea to
a negative image. It is hoped that
association with this negative symbol
will cause the viewer to reject it
outright. A derivative of this technique
involves carefully selecting descriptive
words. This is the opposite of glittering
generalities.
Name Calling
Name Calling
Name-Calling
"The Jew: The
inciter of war, the
prolonger of war."
Fear-Based Propaganda
• Fear-based propaganda involves warning
people that disaster will result if they do not
follow a particular course of action.
Fear Based Propaganda
Fear Propaganda, Hitler style
• "The streets of our country are in turmoil.
The universities are filled with students
rebelling and rioting. Communists are
seeking to destroy our country. Russia is
threatening us with her might, and the
Republic is in danger. Yes - danger from
within and without. We need law and order!
Without it our nation cannot survive." Adolf Hitler, 1932
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNKRDP4UD1Y&safety_mode=true&p
ersist_safety_mode=1
FEAR PROPAGANDA:
HOMELAND SECURITY
VIDEO
Fear-Based
• jold people ad
Black & White
• Black and White - Presents an issue as
having only two choices. If you don’t like
one choice, you must choose the other. Also
known as the “lesser of two evils” or
“compare &
contrast.”
Black & White
Assertion
• Assertion is commonly used in advertising
and modern propaganda.
• An assertion is a statement presented as a
fact, although it is not necessarily true.
Card Stacking
• Card stacking is leaving out what you don’t
want people to know.
• It is dangerous because it leaves out
important information.
Card Stacking
Card Stacking
Other Techniques *
• Misery - Appeals to pity or sympathy to gain
support.
• Fancy Words - Use of elegant or technical
sounding words to persuade and camouflage the
truth.
• Word Magic - Uses emotional or catchy words to
create a positive feeling and makes it easier to
remember the product or idea.
Other Techniques *
• Simplicity and Repetition - Keep it simple
and say it often enough so people will
remember it and believe it
Credits
• American Propaganda Posters courtesy of Northwestern
University Library
(http://www.library.northwestern.edu/govpub/collections/
wwii-posters/index.html)
• German Propaganda Posters courtesy of German
Propaganda Archive
(http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/)
• * Techniques courtesy of Bryan Ross, West Hills High
School.