What Propaganda Is - Essay Example

? Propaganda The of propaganda is interesting because it illustrates how messages can convey different things to different people. The modernworld is full of information of all kinds. It is natural that different groups in society will see things from different perspectives and this is a good thing. The world would be a very boring place if everyone had the same opinion about important things. Sometimes one group of people try to influence another group to change their minds. This is where the use of persuasive language comes into play. There are occasions when this persuasion becomes extreme and turns from legitimate argumentation into propaganda. This paper defines what propaganda is, illustrates this definition with some examples from the modern world, and explains how it works on different audiences. A typical reference book definition of propaganda is this: “Propaganda: Media that have the sole purpose to persuade people to support a particular religious or political cause.” (Mills: 2010, p. 134) This shows that propaganda can be in different forms, since media includes written and spoken messages, and also books, newspapers, radio, television and internet. It can take the form of factual reporting or fictional works. The important thing about propaganda is that it has a very clear and single purpose, which is to persuade people to think or act in a certain predetermined way. Persuasive texts are very common but not all of them are propaganda. The difference between propaganda and persuasion is that the propaganda text presents only one side, and assumes that this is the only acceptable point of view. Opposing ideas may be mentioned, but only in order to mock them or argue against them. Any information provided is selected to favor the main message. Other information is ignored or twisted to suit the purpose of the speaker or writer. Very often propaganda distorts facts, or deliberately cites erroneous material in order to distract the audience from forming a balanced opinion. A lawyer or a politician who argues a case will point out both sides of an argument and try to persuade the audience that one side is more believable and supportable than the other. This is not propaganda because it tries to be fair and uses reasonable argumentation. Propaganda is often used in political contexts. This is because politicians depend on the votes of an audience, and in election periods they work very hard to change people’s minds so that they become politically active, and choose one candidate over another. Slogans and posters serve to pinpoint key beliefs. Politicians sometimes resort to unfair tactics such as inventing negative stories about their opponents or twisting facts to make themselves look good and other people look bad. A classic example of this kind of propaganda is the way that Nazi German politicians categorized Jewish citizens as “barbaric and subhuman” and blamed them falsely for all the bad things that were happening in Germany at the time. (Welch, 1995, p. 47) The propaganda was so powerful that it ultimately sanctioned the persecution of Jewish people, resulting in the ultimate horror of concentration as the example of Nazi racism, but nevertheless many of the same techniques are used. Insurance firms describe accidents and make people worry about their safety in order to make people invest in insurance policies. This is a negative type of propaganda, but many companies use propaganda in a positive way, in order to make the audience feel that they need and want something. This can be seen, for example, in television advertisements for Panasonic Blu Ray equipment. These show an idyllic family living room, and a cinematic style voiceover makes soothing recommendations to “Free Your HD” and uses the justifying argument “Because HD Freedom matters.”(Panasonic, 2011) The use of the abstract word “freedom” in the context of storage of video content is an exaggeration of the importance of such a device. The advertisement mimics political rhetoric and depicts a materialist environment in which people are just assumed to have the last generation of technology (HD television) and to want the next one (Blu Ray equipment). People who view this are lulled into a feeling that they could and should have this new gadget. Without the propaganda they would not even imagine that they needed any more equipment, but once they have seen the advertisement they feel dissatisfied with what they have got. A third common context for propaganda is that of religion. It is entirely appropriate for pastors or imam to use persuasive language to preach and teach a particular set of beliefs to people of their own faith. Freedom of religion is an important part of American culture and is not usually propagandistic in nature. It becomes propaganda when it is directed from one religious group to another, or to the public in general, claiming to present an absolute truth that applies to everyone. The recent abduction and killing of Osama bin Laden was an extreme action which produced some quite extreme reactions in the media worldwide. One website called “Sharia4America” which is apparently a radical pro-Islam propaganda site, described the event as “murder of unarmed Sheikh Osama bin Laden without trial…” (Anonymous, 2011). Terms like “mercenary’s bounty” “dungeons of Guantanemo Bay” and “American injustice” are emotive and aim to arouse sympathy for Osama bin Laden. There was no mention of the 9/11 atrocities or the reasons why the American state took the action that it did. This article is propaganda because it misrepresents the truth. It suggests that the Americans killed an innocent civilian just because Americans are murderous criminals. It reasonable to disagree with the actions of America, and the way the SWAT team broke international laws, but it is unfair to make it look like a hate crime with no reason and no previous history. The way that propaganda usually works is to provoke emotional rather than rational responses. It uses unfair means to persuade people that certain assumptions are true, and it uses shock tactics and exaggeration to make it look as if there is only one possible position to hold on an issue. It does not adequately reflect the complexity of life, and the existence of grey areas or multiple perspectives. In conclusion, therefore, it is clear that propaganda is more about purpose and context than the actual point of view which is being expressed. Propaganda occurs when the audience is being hoodwinked into believing something. If the purpose is solely to change people’s minds, using any techniques available and with little regard for alternative views, then a text can be described as propaganda. References Anonymous. “Breaking News: Injustice has been done.” 2011. Sharia4America website. Available at: http://shariah4america.com/Press-Releases/BREAKING-NEWS-INJUSTICE-HAS-BEEN-DONE Mills, Michael S. Concise Handbook of Literary and Rhetorical Terms. Estep Nichols: 2010. Panasonic. Video advertisement “Free Your HD” 2011. Available at: http://www.tellyads.com/show_movie.php?filename=TA11089 Welch, David. The Third Reich: Politics and Propaganda. New York: Routledge, 1995. Read More