Whose

voice

guides
YOUR
choice?

Propaganda
How do you decide who
is the best candidate?
Or…
which is the
best
toothpaste?
Looking for facts to back up
your choice is an excellent
idea, but find out who is
presenting those facts.
Are they facts, or is the advertiser
using propaganda techniques
to persuade you?
What is Propaganda?
• Propaganda is designed to
persuade
• Its purpose is to influence &
manipulate your opinions,
emotions, attitudes, or behavior.
• It seeks to “guide your choice” by
exaggerating the truth & using
hidden messages
Who uses Propaganda?
•Military
•Media
•Advertisers
•Politicians
•You and me
 Bandwagon
•Everybody is doing this.
•If you want to fit in, you need to
“jump on the bandwagon” and
do it too.
•The implication is that you must JOIN
in to FIT in.
•Ask yourself, What is the evidence for and against
this ad? Even though others are supporting it, why
should I?
 Bandwagon Example
If the whole world uses Verizon you must
need Verizon too.
 Name-calling

•A links a person, or idea, to a

negative symbol.
•Examples: commie, fascist, yuppie,
terrorist
•Ask yourself, What does the name mean? Is there
a real connection between the idea and the name
being used?
Name-Calling
Example

Do we want a lazy
politician to represent
us?
 Testimonial
•A public figure or celebrity endorses an
idea, product, policy, or a candidate.
•If someone famous uses this product,
believes this idea, or supports this
candidate, so should we.
•Examples: an athlete appears on the Wheaties
box; an actor speaks at a political rally
•Ask yourself, Why should we regard this person as an
expert or trust their testimony? Is there merit to the
idea or product without the testimony?
Testimonial
Example
If we drink milk we
will all be as
famous, beautiful,
rich, & talented as
Mylie Cyrus.
 Glittering Generality
•A commonly admired virtue is used;
the opposite of name calling, i.e., links
a person, or idea, to a positive symbol.
•Examples: democracy, patriotism,
family
•Ask yourself, What do the slogans or phrases really mean? Is there a
legitimate connection between the main idea and the true meaning of
the slogan or phrase being used? What are the merits of the idea itself
if it is separated from the slogans or phrases?
Glittering
Generality
Example
If you want to
be brighter, Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

Look on the bright

you’ll support side!
Bill Brite. Vote for Bill Brite !
 Plain-folks appeal
•This idea, product, or person
is associated with normal,
everyday people and
activities.
•Ask yourself, Is the person credible and
trustworthy when they are removed from the
situation being discussed? Is the person trying to
cover up anything? What are the facts of the
situation?
 Plain-Folks
Example
I, too, can help win
the war by working
in the factory and
buying war bonds.
 Transfer
•Well-respected symbols, quotes,
or images are used to convey a
message.
•The message may not necessarily
be associated with them.
•Ask yourself, Is there a legitimate connection
between the suggestion made by the propagandist
and the person or product?
 Transfer
example
Marlboro persuades
the audience to
identify smoking
with the rugged,
strength of an
American cowboy
 Card Stacking
•making the best case possible for one
side and the worst for the opposing
viewpoint (I.e., carefully using only those
facts that support his or her side of the
argument

•attempting to lead the audience into

accepting the facts as a conclusion by
“stacking the cards against the truth”

•Ask yourself, Are facts being distorted or omitted? What other

arguments exist to support these assertions?
 Card-stacking Example
Mac vs PC

Play clip
Faulty Reasoning
•Factual supporting details
are used though they do not
support the conclusion. It
works like this:
•Christians believe in God.
•Muslims believe in God.
•Christians are Muslims.
 Faulty Reasoning
Example
Example: The president supports regulating health care.
Nazis regulated health care. Therefore, the president is
a Nazi.

Play clip
 Fear
•plays on deep-seated fears; warns the
audience that disaster will result if they do
not follow a particular course of action.
•Example: an insurance company
pamphlet includes pictures of houses
destroyed floods, followed up by details
about home-owners’ insurance.
•Ask yourself, Is the speaker exaggerating the fear or threat
in order to obtain my support? How legitimate is the fear
that the speaker is provoking? Will performing the
recommended action actually reduce the supposed threat?
 Fear
Example
If you don’t
enlist, no one is safe
including
Lady Liberty; the
Germans are animals
and will attack all that
we hold dear…
How do we make sure that we are making
informed choices, instead of allowing others
to sway us in our decision-making?
WE make our own choices when:
•we read and listen to reliable sources
•we watch for combinations of truths and
lies
•we check for hidden messages
•we watch for use of propaganda
techniques