Transcript Propaganda Techniques - Mr. Furman's Web Pages

Propaganda
Techniques
Part I
What is PROPAGANDA?
Propaganda is made up of various different
kinds of persuasive techniques that
encourage people to act based on their
emotions alone, instead of using solid reasoning.
 We see propaganda everywhere—in
virtually every aspect of our lives—it influences
such things as how we spend our money and
what politicians we elect into office.
 Advertisements are the most concentrated
form of propaganda.

Why are we learning about this in
English class?
The AIMS Reading Test, more than
likely, will have some questions on it
about propaganda techniques. If you
know what these techniques are, you will
be better able to answer the questions!
 You will become a smarter
consumer if you understand the
different techniques being used to
persuade you to buy something or
someone!

Bandwagon Effect
The use of the
“Bandwagon”
technique implies to the
audience that it should
do/think/feel something
since everyone else is
doing it.
 The effect is meant to be
that the audience will be
“left out” if it does not
do/think/feel as others do.

Bandwagon Effect in Text
STATEMENT: “Fifty million people have
signed the petition, and fifty million people can’t
be wrong.”
 EXPLANATION: The attempt here is to get
the audience to join a large number of people
in its belief.
 WHY IT IS PROPAGANDA: While the
people MAY be right, it is in fact very possible
for 50 million people to be wrong.

Bandwagon in
Media
STATEMENT: “More
people are smoking
Camels than ever
before.”
 PROPAGANDA: The
attempt is to make
the audience want to
join a large number of
people.

Transfer
TRANSFER is an attempt to
make the audience view a
certain item in the same way as
it views another item, to link the
two in the audience’s mind.
 Political logos do this frequently;
they link patriotic images (like
flags) together with a candidate.

Transfer in Text
STATEMENT: “All across the rich, green
fields, the towering purple mountains,
Americans are discovering Smel-Free
Deodorant.”
 EXPLANATION: The attempt here is to get
the audience to consume a certain product
because a positive image is associated with the
product.
 WHY IT IS PROPAGANDA: While the
product may or may not be high quality, there is
nothing regarding quality established by its
connection to a positive image.

Transfer in Media


STATEMENT:
Santa says, “Coke
Time.”
PROPAGANDA: The
audience is meant to
transfer its positive
feelings about Santa
into positive feelings
about consuming
Coke, though the two
are in no way related.
Testimonial
Testimonials are
quotations or
endorsements, in or out of
context, which attempt to
connect a famous or
respectable person with a
product or item.
 The effect is meant to be
that the audience will
desire to be more like the
celebrity by doing as the
celebrity has done.

Testimonial in Text
STATEMENT: “Kobe Bryant only drinks Coke.”
 EXPLANATION: The attempt here is to get
the audience to consume a certain product
because a celebrity uses the product.
 WHY IT IS PROPAGANDA: While the
product may or may not be high quality, there is
nothing regarding quality established by the
statement that a celebrity consumes it.

Testimonial
in Media


STATEMENT:
“I choose milk.”
PROPAGANDA:
Taylor Swift’s
choice to drink
milk is meant to
make the
audience
members believe
milk will help
them be beautiful
and glamorous as
well.
Bait and Switch
This technique transfers the readers’
attention from an exciting idea to a less
exciting idea.
 This technique is in some cases against
the law.

Bait and Switch in Text
STATEMENT: “Imagine having more money than
you could ever spend! Imagine being rich, famous,
and attractive! Dove soap is the first step.
 EXPLANATION: The attempt here is to get the
audience excited (money, fame, & beauty), and then
to switch to something not remotely exciting
(soap).
 WHY IT IS PROPAGANDA: While the product
may or may not be high quality, there is nothing
about soap that will lead to money or fame.

Bait and Switch in Media


IMAGE: Lipstick marks,
pictures of girls, phone
numbers, and deodorant.
PROPAGANDA: The
audience is meant to be lured
in by images suggesting a
man’s attractiveness to
women; attention at the
bottom of the add is then
switched to deodorant. A link
is suggested where none
actually exists.
Glittering Generalities
Glittering generalities are
words that are patriotic,
attractive, or catchy but don’t
really say anything: honor,
glory, love of country, and
freedom.
 When examined closely, these
words have little meaning and
little relationship to what
they advertise.

Glittering Generalities in Text
STATEMENT: “We are at a crossroads for
human destiny! We must chose a true leader
for our city.”
 EXPLANATION: The attempt here is to get
the audience emotionally connected to the
subject through use of words such as “destiny”
and “leader.”
 WHY IT IS PROPAGANDA: The candidate
may or may not be a good leader. The text
provides no evidence to suggest actual positive
qualities.

Glittering Generalities in Media


STATEMENT: “Change We Can Believe In.”
PROPAGANDA: The audience is meant to be lured in by
the promise of “change.” The idea is catchy and attractive,
but without substance or evidence.
Emotional Words
The use of emotional
words is meant to stir the
audience’s emotions,
making little or no use of
facts.
 Words such as love, adore,
hate, care, and/or
support may be used to
attach the audience’s
emotions to a product or
idea.

Emotional Words in Text
STATEMENT: “If you love your dog, you’ll
buy him Eukanuba.”
 EXPLANATION: The attempt here is to
get the audience to attach the emotion of love
to a product.
 WHY IT IS PROPAGANDA: The true
love one may feel for a dog has no actual
relationship to the purchase of dog food.

Emotional Words in Media


STATEMENT: “Don’t
let your loved ones
mourn for you!”
PROPAGANDA: The
audience is meant to
connect its positive
emotions for loved
ones to the idea of
surrendering to the
enemy in order to
spare its loved ones
pain.
From a leaflet distributed by the North Korean
army, encouraging American soldiers to
surrender
Repetition

The writer sells an item
or an idea by using a
certain word again and
again until it is
associated with the
item or idea.
Repetitive Words in Text
STATEMENT: “The senator’s cheapskate tie,
cheapskate jacket, and cheapskate shoes should
tell you what kind of cheapskate politics he’s
practicing.”
 EXPLANATION: The attempt here is to get
the audience to attach the negative idea of
being a cheapskate to the senator.
 WHY IT IS PROPAGANDA: The word
“cheapskate,” which has a negative connotation,
might have no actual connection to the senator.

Repetitive Words in Media
IMAGE: President
Obama; the word
HOPE; red, white, &
blue colors; the flag.
 PROPAGANDA: The
audience is meant to
associate President
Obama with hope, a
word with a positive
connotation.

Let’s identify some of these
propaganda techniques in
commercials!
On your whiteboard, write the first 7
techniques listed on your Propaganda
Techniques handout.
 View the commercials.
 Determine what propaganda technique (or
techniques) have been used for each
commercial.
 Make a checkmark in the box that identifies
the technique/s used.

Which propaganda technique is
this?
Testimonial!
Can you figure this one out?
Bandwagon
Which propaganda technique is
this?
Emotional Words
This one is a two-fer!
(Listen carefully to the lyrics!)
Repetition
and
Testimonial
What’s this one?
Glittering
Generalities
What is this technique?
Bait
& Switch
Can you figure this one out?
Transfer
Can you identify this one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op3uz2
4dqXw
REPETITION!
Now you practice!
Follow the
directions on the
worksheet your
teacher gives
you!