Image 1. English propaganda poster from 1915, created by the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, London, shows a column of soldiers marching into the distance, while being joined in the foreground by men in a variety of civilian attire.
We're almost constantly bombarded with messages by groups such as advertisers and politicians. They all have the same idea in mind: Convince us to agree with their message and adopt it as our own. Often, these messages are referred to as propaganda, which usually means tricking the audience into adopting a certain belief. Yet, historically, propaganda hasn't been full of outright lies or deception, as many people believe. Rather, it uses facts and beliefs to influence an audience and omits any details that might tell a different story.

Propaganda is very similar to advertising — in fact, it is often carried out by using political ads. However, advertising only has the aim of getting people to buy a specific product. Propaganda attempts to change people's attitudes and beliefs.

Propaganda has been around for many centuries, but the term wasn't coined until Pope Gregory XV began the Congregation of Propaganda in 1622. The group was created to convert people back to Catholicism, while many were becoming Protestant. Propaganda later became widely known as a technique for politics and war, not only religion.

Today, propaganda is used by groups such as businesses, political groups, government organizations and political candidates. It is spread through posters, television, radio broadcasts, brochures and the Internet. The Internet has especially made it much easier to get messages out on a worldwide scale.

Propaganda Techniques

Propagandists, or people who create propaganda, use different ways to communicate messages and influence others. One commonly used technique is name-calling. Politicians might use name-calling in order to avoid answering a question about their own behavior or provide hard facts.

Image 2. A drawing from 1911 that criticizes the economic system of capitalism. Words like "rule," "fool," and "shoot" drive the point that the majority of the people are being oppressed by a privileged few.
The bandwagon technique plays to the human desire to be on the winning team. It encourages people to side with the most popular, successful side of an issue by joining the crowd.

Glittering generalities combine positive words with a concept that is particularly beloved. Few people are willing to speak against ideas like defending democracy, preserving freedom or protecting the family.

Card-stacking presents only information that will have a positive effect on public opinion. In other words, the bad stuff is left out entirely. Although the information is usually true, it presents a lopsided view that can be deceptive.

The plain folks technique leads ordinary citizens to see themselves in a person with whom they may have nothing in common. For example, many politicians come from wealthy backgrounds. However, they often present themselves as people who do "ordinary Joe" activities, like hunting, fishing or kissing babies.

Propaganda based on fear scares people into choosing sides or taking action. Often, it relies on worst-case scenarios and threatens horrible consequences if action is not taken. Special interest groups use this technique to encourage people to avoid smoking or drinking alcohol and driving.

Image 3. Cover of the propaganda comic book "Is This Tomorrow" from 1947. Fear-based propaganda was very common during the Cold War. The economic system of communism, which opposed capitalism, was depicted as the greatest threat to Western society and values.
The transfer technique is more subtle. With this method, a group or person attempts to be associated with a beloved symbol, so the two become connected in a person's mind. For example, U.S. presidents are often shown standing in front of a U.S. flag. This transfers the idea of patriotism from the flag onto the president.

All propaganda seeks to show an issue or person in the most favorable light and make the other side look bad.

Propaganda Mediums

According to professor M. Lane Bruner, propaganda broadcast through television, radio and film is the most dangerous kind. Bruner is a professor of Rhetoric and Politics at Georgia State University. He said that the audience has little opportunity to respond or provide feedback when the information comes from radio or television. For many, this information becomes fact.

Types of Propaganda

Political propaganda has been around as long as there have been politicians. The Bible recounts the story of how an Assyrian king used fear to persuade the Kingdom of Judah to surrender to him. However, religious propaganda was actually the first official type of propaganda. Missionaries have used it for centuries to convert people to their faiths. Propaganda is also used by religious groups to spread information about moral and political issues, such as abortion.

To be truly informed on any given topic, it's necessary to do research with reliable sources. That includes discovering who's paying for the message, who created the message and what words and images are playing on your sympathies. Only then can you make an informed decision about whether the message is true or has a secret agenda.

War Propaganda

War propaganda began during World War I. Both Great Britain and Germany used propaganda to convince Americans to take their side. However, Britain was able to cut off any direct communication between Germany and the United States. After that, many Americans only saw the war from the British point of view.

Later, in the years that led to and included World War II, propaganda was used to its fullest extent. Germans were only exposed to information that cast Hitler and the Nazi party in a favorable glow. Books that went against Nazism were gathered and burned.

Propaganda posters particularly played to people's emotions during World War II. They could be put up anywhere, and people tend to remember images more than words. These posters made war glamorous, showing soldiers as heroes and the people at home as the backbone of the country.

Image 4. Anti-Nazi propaganda poster circulated in the U.S. to encourage the conservation of gas.
In the United States, one type of poster advocated carpooling. It claimed, "When You Ride Alone You Ride with Hitler." This meant that people who drove in separate cars were wasting gas, which the country needed to save while dedicating its resources to the war.

Wartime propaganda didn't die with the end of World War II. As a more recent example, extremist groups in Iraq have used the Internet to recruit new members and raise money for their cause.

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