Definition of Bandwagon

Bandwagon is a persuasive technique and a type of propaganda through

which a writer persuades his readers, so that the majority could agree with
the argument of the writer. He does this by suggesting that, since the majority
agrees, the reader should too. For instance, “Everyone is voting for David, so
definitely he is the best presidential candidate,” is intended to convince
others. The term bandwagon means, to “jump on the bandwagon,” to follow
what others are doing, or to conform.

Card stacking
Card stacking is a propaganda technique that seeks to manipulate audience perception of
an issue by emphasizing one side and repressing another. Such emphasis may be
achieved through media bias or the use of one-sided testimonials, or by simply censoring
the voices of critics. The technique is commonly used in persuasive speeches by political
candidates to discredit their opponents and to make themselves seem more worthy. The
term originates from the magician's gimmick of "stacking the deck", which involves
presenting a deck of cards that appears to have been randomly shuffled but which is, in
fact, 'stacked' in a specific order. The magician knows the order and is able to control the
outcome of the trick. In poker, a deck can be stacked so that certain hands are dealt to
certain players. The phenomenon can be applied to any subject and has wide applications.
Whenever a broad spectrum of information exists, appearances can be rigged by
highlighting some facts and ignoring others. Card stacking can be a tool of advocacy groups
or of those groups with specific agendas. For example, an enlistment poster might focus
upon an impressive picture, with words such as "travel" and "adventure", while placing the
words, "enlist for two to four years" at the bottom in a smaller and less noticeable point size.

"Plain folks" is a form of propaganda and a logical fallacy.[1]

A plain folks argument is one in which the speaker presents him or herself as an average Joe —
a common person who can understand and empathize with a listener's concerns. The most
important part of this appeal is the speaker's portrayal of themselves as someone who has had a
similar experience to the listener and knows why they may be skeptical or cautious about accepting
the speaker's point of view. In this way, the speaker gives the audience a sense of trust and comfort,
believing that the speaker and the audience share common goals and that they thus should agree
with the speaker. Also using an "ordinary background," such as a park or a building, depending on
the item you are advertising, will usually give it a higher possibility of more customers.

Testimonial Propaganda: Meaning

Testimonial propaganda is an advertising technique wherein a famous or seemingly

authoritative person recommends a product or service, and vouches for the value of
the same. The popularity of the person recommending the product (who is generally a
celebrity/acclaimed expert) is used for boosting the sales of that product, without
addressing the facts about the product itself. The reason behind this technique is to
make the target audience relate to the tastes, judgment, and opinion of the one
endorsing the product.

In case of celebrity testimonials, the target audience trusts the judgment and
recommendation of the celebrity figure, and feels that if the celebrity thinks the
product is good, it actually will be good. However, testimonials are not always about
celebrities. Sometimes, the testimonial propaganda technique uses experts on that
subject, such as doctors or engineers, to promote the product. The idea is to convince
the audience that since it is recommended by experts, it must be good.
Another kind of testimonial propaganda involves the promotion of a product or
service by the customers themselves, through reviews and word-of-mouth. This is true
especially in case of promotion of products on a website, where previous customers
write their own experiences of the product for other potential customers to decide if
they want to buy that product or not. Potential customers tend to trust the judgment of
other customers who are just like them, a representative of a large portion of buyers.

Testimonial propaganda can be observed in politics too. Celebrities and respected

individuals can be used to support/badmouth a particular political party or candidate.
The idea is to help prospective voters identify with a famous person, and trust his/her
judgment. This is a key tactic in earning the faith of prospective voters, and eventually
their votes.

Glittering generalities is one of the propaganda techniques to use vague words or

statements that have an emotional appeal on people without giving them a concrete
reason. These words generally render a positive influence on people as they link high-
valued ideas

Name calling is a cognitive bias and a technique to promote propaganda. Propagandists use
the name-calling technique to invoke fear in those exposed to the propaganda, resulting in
the formation of a negative opinion about a person, group, or set of beliefs or ideas.

Transfer is a technique used in propaganda and advertising. Also known as association, this is a
technique of projecting positive or negative qualities (praise or blame) of a person, entity, object, or
value (an individual, group, organization, nation, patriotism, etc.) to another in order to make the
second more acceptable or to discredit it. It evokes an emotional response, which stimulates the
target to identify with recognized authorities. Often highly visual, this technique often utilizes symbols
superimposed over other visual images. An example of common use of this technique in the United
States is for the President to be filmed or photographed in front of the country's flag.[1] Another
technique used is celebrity endorsement.[2]
Definition of Fact

The fact is something, that has actually taken place or known to have existed,
which can be validated with pieces of evidence. They are strictly defined, and
can be measured, observed and proven. It refers to something that makes
statements true and used in connection with research and study.

A fact can be an event or information, based on real occurrences which can be

tested through verifiability, i.e. they are supported by proofs, statistics,
documentation, etc. Therefore, a fact is nothing but a verifiable truth or reality
which are agreed upon by consensus of people.

Definition of Opinion

The term ‘opinion’ is defined as the personal view or judgment about a

subject, that may or may not be substantiated by the facts or positive
knowledge. In other words, an opinion is an inconclusive statement, used in
subjective matters, which cannot be proved true or false. It is what a person
thinks or feels about something or someone. Hence it is not a true but biased
information.

Opinion is highly influenced by a person’s feelings, thoughts, perspective,

desires, attitude, experiences, understanding, beliefs, values, etc., which
cannot be tested by concrete evidence. Therefore, due to individual
differences, every person’s opinion on a particular matter is also different.

Key Differences Between Fact and O pinion

The difference between fact and opinion on the following grounds:

1. The fact is described as the statement that can be verified or proved to

be true. Opinion is an expression of judgment or belief about something.
2. Fact relies on observation or research while opinion is based on
assumption.
3. The fact is an objective reality whereas opinion is a subjective statement.
4. Facts can be verified with the help of evidence or statistics. On the
contrary, opinion is not supported by any evidence.
5. Facts explain what actually happened. Unlike an opinion, that
represents a perception about something.
6. One important feature of the fact is that it is universal and does not
differ from person to person. As against this, every human being has a
different opinion on a particular subject and so, it varies from one
person to another.
7. Facts are shown with unbiased words, however, opinion is expressed
with biased words.
8. Facts can change anybody’s opinion, but vice versa is not possible.
9. Facts are real information and so it cannot be challenged or debated, but
if we talk about opinions, they can be debated.
Facts are indisputable truths, and opinions are someone's perspective or judgment(s).
Explanation:
Facts:
The capital of Ukraine is Kiev/Kyiv.
The third president of the United States was Thomas Jefferson.
Bali tigers are extinct.
Sir Ian McKellan played Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit franchises.
King John of England signed the Magna Carta in 1215.
Opinions:
The cake tastes delicious.
She looks sad.
He is childish.
My history teacher hates me.
The movie was boring.

Fact:

1. Dogs have fur.

2. The Beatles were a band.
3. The last day of school is May 22nd.

Opinion

1. Dog fur is pretty.

2. The Beatles sang great songs.
3. May 22nd is the best day of the year.