Transcript Propaganda in Animal Farm and the Media

Propaganda in Animal Farm and the Media
What is Propaganda?
• The spreading of ideas, information, or rumor
for the purpose of helping or injuring an
institution, a cause, or a person.
• It is usually an appeal to emotion instead of
intellect.
• It shares the same techniques used in
advertising and public relations.
• It shapes a perception of an organization,
cause, or product.
What is Propaganda?
Relies on:
• Half truth
• Generalities
• Logical fallacies
• Outright lies
What is Propaganda?
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8fjvf
mnMqc
Discussion
• How does the “Three Little Pigs” video use
propaganda? What ideas does it want the
U.S. citizens to have? Use examples from the
video.
Logic
Logic is the process of drawing a conclusion from one or more
premises. A statement of fact, by itself, is neither logical or illogical
(although it can be true or false).
As an example of how logic can be abused, consider the following
argument which has been widely propagated on the Internet.
•Premise 1: Hillary Clinton supports gun-control legislation.
•Premise 2: All fascist regimes of the twentieth century have passed
gun-control legislation.
•Conclusion: Hillary Clinton is a fascist.
•It should be noted that a message can be illogical without being
propagandistic -- we all make logical mistakes. The difference is that
propagandists deliberately manipulate logic in order to promote their
cause.
Logical Fallacies
• Common errors in reasoning that will
undermine the logic of an argument.
Fallacies can be either illegitimate
arguments or irrelevant points, and are
often identified because they lack
evidence that supports their claim.
• Avoid these common fallacies in your own
arguments and watch for them in the
arguments of others.
Techniques for Spreading
Propaganda
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Media
News Reports
Government Reports
Movies
Radio
Television
E-mails and Blogs
Types of Propaganda
“Name Calling”
• Attacking the opponent
personally instead of his
or her ideas.
• Create an unfavorable
hatred towards a
person or group instead
of their ideas or beliefs.
• Ex. From Animal Farm:
Types of Propaganda
“Common Enemy/ Scapegoat”
• This method is used
extremely often during
wartime, and also in
political campaigns and
debates.
• This is an attempt to
simplify a complex
situation by presenting
one specific group or
person as the enemy.
• Ex. from Animal Farm;
Types of Propaganda
“Repetition”
• By repeating
information or ideals
that the person in
power wants people
to believe, people
are influenced and
brainwashed.
• Ex. From Animal
Farm:
Types of Propaganda
“Glittering Generalities”
• Using vague wording or generalizations, which are
often a slogan or a catchphrase.
• They appeal to the senses such as honor, love,
country, peace, etc.
• They cannot be proven true or false.
• Ex. From Animal Farm:
•
Types of Propaganda
“Plain
Folks”
This approach is used
to convince the
audience that the
spokesperson is just
like them.
• Portrayed to be
someone they can trust
and someone who has
their best interests in
mind.
• Ex. From Animal Farm:
Types of Propaganda
“Card Stacking”
• Propagandist makes
the best argument
possible for his or her
side and presents it
against the weakest
argument of his or her
opponent.
• Ex. From Animal Farm:
Types of Propaganda
“Fear”
• This technique is used
when a propagandist
warns members of the
audience that disaster will
result if they do not follow
a particular course of
action.
• Ex. from Animal Farm:
Argument to the Person
(Ad Hominem)
• An attack on the person proposing an
argument rather than on the argument
itself.
– Senator Jones was a conscientious
objector during the Vietnam War, so his
proposal to limit military spending has no
merit.
Types of Propaganda
“Bandwagon”
• Portrays ideas to get
people to “follow the
crowd.”
• Gives the impression of
widespread acceptance
and support and expresses
that it is in a person’s best
interest to join the cause or
movement.
• Ex. from Animal Farm:
Types of Logical Fallacies
“Either… or” Fallacy
• The suggestion that only two
alternatives exist when in fact there are
more.
– Either learn how to program a computer, or
you won’t be able to get a decent job after
college.
Types of Logical Fallacies
Red Herring
• An argument that focuses on an
irrelevant issue to detract attention from
the real issue.
– Reporters are out to get the president, so
it’s no wonder we are hearing rumors
about these scandals.
Types of Logical Fallacies
Hasty Generalization
• A generalization based on insufficient or
unrepresented evidence
– Deaths from drug overdoses in Metropolis
have doubled over the last three years.
Therefore, more Americans than ever are
dying from drug abuse.
Types of Logical Fallacies
False Analogy
• The assumption that because two
things are alike in some respects, they
are alike in others.
– If we put humans on the moon, we should
be able to find a cure for the common cold.
Types of Logical Fallacies
Non Sequitur (Does Not Follow)
• A conclusion that does not follow
logically from preceding statements or
that is based on irrelevant data.
– Mary loves children, so will make an
excellent school teacher.
Identify Types of Propaganda
Used in Animal Farm
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Old Major’s speechMystery of the milk and apples for the
The military decorationsThe debate over the windmillSquealer telling the animals about Napoleon
taking over the farm• Squealer explaining the idea of the windmill
to be Napoleons’-
Identify Propaganda Used in
Animal Farm
• The sheep repeating “Four legs good, two
legs bad.”• Blaming Snowball for everything that goes
wrong on the farm.• Ending the song “Beasts of England.” • Napoleon giving himself a medal• Boxer being taken and killed-
Examples of Propaganda
Bandwagon
Glittering Generalities
Examples of Propaganda
Bandwagon
Examples of Propaganda
“Name Calling”
Propaganda Examples
“Scapegoat”