Transcript PropagandaTechniquesIntro

Rhetorical Wisdom:
Understanding
Propaganda
Agenda
Define propaganda (notes)
 Take a look at propaganda
techniques (notes)
 View propaganda (media study)
 Analyze examples of propaganda

What Is Propaganda?

The spreading of ideas, information
(facts, e.g.), or rumor (allegations,
e.g.) for the purpose of helping OR
injuring an institution, a cause, or a
person (Webster's Dictionary)
Is Propaganda Always
Negative?
?
Propaganda may or may not be negative
 Propaganda's purpose is ALWAYS to
convince

 The sole purpose of propaganda is to sell you
something (idea, product, or service)
What are Propaganda
Techniques?
approaches/methods used to…
• spread propaganda
•persuade the audience
•appeal to emotion
Bandwagon

An approach that promotes the idea that
“everyone is doing this” or that “everyone
supports this person/cause.” Therefore, you
should, or you’ll be left out.

The bandwagon approach tries to appeal to
many people’s desire to be on the “winning
team.”
Bandwagon Cont.
Bandwagon Cont.

EXAMPLE: Everyone in Zion supports
Christopher Marlowe for Zion City
Council. Shouldn’t you?
Bandwagon Cont.
Testimonial
A method that uses a celebrity to endorse
a cause, person, product, etc.
 If people admire the person endorsing a
candidate or product, they will support
the candidate or product too!

Testimonial Cont.

EXAMPLE: Oprah partnered with U2’s Bono
in order to promote the Red Campaign. As
a campaign that raises money for the
Global Fund, the Red Campaign raises
money to fight AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Testimonial Cont.
Plain Folks
An approach that either uses ordinary
people or “big name” personalities doing
ordinary things in order to identify with
common folks.
 The speaker presents himself/herself as
an “Average Joe” (common person) who
can understand what the listener is
concerned about

Plain Folks Cont.

EXAMPLE: Shortly after his election, the
Associate Press released photos of President
Obama eating Hawaiian shave ice with
daughters, Sasha and Malia.
Plain Folks Cont.

EXAMPLE: Political campaigns often use
many photos of candidates wearing hard
hats, talking to factory workers, or even
milking cows. The idea is to make people
think the candidate is just like them.
Plain Folks Cont.
Transfer
(association)
 An approach that indirectly uses
respected values, symbols, and ideas to
promote a particular message.
 The candidate/speaker attempts to
persuade us through the indirect use of
something we respect (such as a patriotic
or religious image).
Transfer Cont.

EXAMPLE: An American flag used a
backdrop for a Barak Obama collectors
photo, conveys the message that choosing
Obama for president was in the best
interest of the United States.
Transfer Cont.
Fear
An approach that presents the worst case
scenarios and usually concludes by
introducing what should be done to avoid
these horrible circumstances.
 This technique is very popular among
political parties and PACs (Political Action
Committees) in the U.S.

Fear Cont.

EXAMPLE: The Citizens for Retired Rights
present a magazine ad showing an elderly
couple living in poverty because their social
security benefits have been drastically cut
by the Republicans in Congress. The
solution? The CRR urges you to vote for
Democrats.
Fear Cont.
Fear Cont.
Logical Fallacies
An attempt to apply logic and make a
conclusion
 The premise may be true, but the
conclusion is not accurate

Logical Fallacies Cont.

EXAMPLE
 Premise 1: Bill Clinton supports gun
control.
 Premise 2: Communist regimes have
always supported gun control.
 Conclusion: Bill Clinton is a
Communist.
Premise 1:
Michael Jordan is
a great athlete.
Premise 2:
Michael Jordan
drinks Gatorade.
Conclusion:
Drinking
Gatorade will
make you a great
athlete.
Premise 1:
Calcium and
Vitamin D are part
of a healthy diet.
Premise 2:
Lucky Charms
contains Calcium
and Vitamin D.
Conclusion:
Eating Lucky
Charms contributes
to a healthy diet.
Glittering Generalities

An approach that uses “importantsounding” words (that may have little to no
real meaning), to appeal to emotions
◦ Such words hold different meanings to different
people.
◦ These words are often manipulated.

Statement that sounds good, but is
essentially meaningless
World
Peace!
Glittering Generalities Cont.

EXAMPLE: An ad promoting freedom of
speech tells the general audience: “Don’t let
them take your rights away!” (“Rights” are
valued, but do we really know what those
“rights” truly are?)
Glittering Generalities Cont.
Name-Calling
A method that connects a person, cause,
or product to an image perceived as
negative.
 Negative words are used to create an
unfavorable opinion of the competition in
the viewer's mind.

 An attempt to turn people against an
opponent or an idea by using an unpleasant
label or description for that person or idea.
Name-Calling Cont.

EXAMPLE: In an anti-drug campaign,
McGruff the Crime Dog plays the piano as
he sings, “Users are losers…”
Name-Calling Cont.
Name-Calling Cont.
MSG = Chemical flavor enhancer
Works Cited
(Source 1)
Miller, J. Howard. We Can Do It! (Rosie the Riveter). Bergman, Barrry. “The
March to War, From Bonaparte to Bush.” UC Berkeley News. 12 February
2009. Web. 20 February 2010.
(Source 2)
“Propaganda Student Handout.” n.p. Turner Learning. 2003. Web. 7 April
2008.
(Source 3)
“Recognizing Propaganda Techniques and Errors of Faulty Logic.”n.p. Cuesta
College Academic Support. 6 November 2003. Web. 15 February 2010.