Propaganda Theory Essay

All everywhere the world, the wheel of propaganda keeps churning. Governments set about launched propaganda blitzes to mold mankind sagaciousness and further their political objectives. In certain instances, they puddle failed. In separate cases, same global wars, they sustain ca utilise mass deception and destruction. People call legion(predicate) propaganda techniques for a variety of reasons. It may be to cushion the continue of a crisis, soften antagonistic sentiments of people governed, reinforce friendly dealing between countries, or foil attempts to usurp power.Propaganda in recent days has been uptaked in a derogatory sense, characterized by doublespeak, coupled with endorsements from individuals muckledid of influencing others, to win public underpin for an idea or doctrine. When practiceed by nations as an act of aggression, it can unleash a never-ending series of expectpropaganda measures, and become counterproductive. Learning about propaganda how it works, and actual examples across cultures provides many be insights. Propaganda Theory I. The Meaning and Types of PropagandaPropaganda is defined in many ways. It is a domineering effort to persuade a body of people to support or adopt a particular opinion, attitude or course of follow out ( reduce & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary, 1963). Propaganda is something resorted to since ancient times, and has assumed many connotations finished the years. It is comm scarcely tacit as the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct appearance to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist.Propaganda is a termination culled from the Latin word propag ar which means to propagate or to show (Jowett and ODonnell, 2006, p. 2). French philosopher and sociologist Jacques Ellul, who conducted a thorough study on propaganda, propounded that it is a sociological phenomena, not as something made or produced by peopl e of intentions (Jowett and ODonnell, 2006, p. 4). Ellul did not discount the fact, though, that while it may have negative impact, curiously in discouraging critical thought, people have a rent for it. Propaganda is characterized by certain characteristics.It has to be total, seamless, with a target audience that is self-regulating and capable of screening out contrary communicates for themselves (or) partial to the thrust of the message and willing to listen to it, and works best when it prepares symbols that the public will belowstand, and on that pointfore manipulates those symbols to achieve a desired effect (Thompson, 2004, pp. 6-8). Propaganda, as widely aimd today, connotes a coordinated strategy to minimize negative information and lay in a favorable light a story that can be damaging to self-interests (Jowett and ODonnell, 2006, p.3). This is blatantly shown by many intelligence service organizations and politicss today. In most cases, propaganda themes are prod uced not beca drug abuse the relationship between the cite and the media is antagonistic and incompatible but because they serve a common end (Wilcox, 2005, p. 4). To achieve the propagandists intent, there are several types and techniques employed. In the corporate world, one type of propaganda is a simple testimonial.Testimonials may lend oneself celebrities and other people of prominence or credibility, or symbols like a flag or a respectable institution, in advertisements prodding and provoke people to purchase goods and services. Most advertisements that instill brand recall by being constantly aired on all forms of media are also a form of propaganda. Usually, the propagandist conceals his main agenda in a deliberate attempt to win public favor. Propaganda may be sort then as white, or from a correctly identified starting time and is not intentionally deceptive (Brahm, 2006, parag. 4) or black, which is the exact opposite.As for the techniques, propagandists employ age-o ld techniques to influence or win over people to their side, like name-calling, whereby the object is to make a person see an object, person or idea in a negative light without carefully assessing evidences use of glittering generalities that uses abstract terms, especially ideals like freedom, justice, and truth to appeal to the hearers emotions or valued principles card stacking, which highlights only one gull to an argument while downplaying or totally repressing the dissenting or contradictory opinions in order to manipulate the sentiments or change the wit of the audience transfer technique, in which case the propagandist uses an object or symbolism that is generally revered or respected to win over people testimonials, which uses prominent, authoritative or famous people to appeal to listeners emotions or in some instances, both the emotions and logic and bandwagon, which presupposes that since majority of people are doing or supporting something, then that general trend mu st have merits worth considering. The propagandist, in this case, expects the audience to conform to the general will and cast the benefits offered (The Art of Propaganda, n. d. ). II. Propaganda Through the Years Propagandas various meanings and connotations have evolved through the years. In the modern world, the most common conduit or mouthpiece of propaganda is the newsworthiness media, whether print, television, radio or online. many regimens have used media as disseminator of propaganda, especially during crisis moments or to win major support for conflict intervention.Milestones that have been part and parcel of the history of propaganda go way back to 1622, when the Vatican, under Pope Gregory XV, established the Sacra Congregatio de Propaganda Fide, meaning the sacred congregation, for propagating the faith of the Roman Catholic Church (Jowett and ODonnell, 2006, p. 2). Succeeding events led to the loss of impartiality in the term propaganda. In the present information age, some people who are well-read and aware of issues and news developments are able to discern whenever their government has set into motion a major information campaign to get in public support for an electoral campaign or even a war effort.There are also insidious ways individuals or governments use propaganda, like in the case of terrorist groups enlisting people to support their cause, or military leaders trying to outmart the enemy by overstating the coat of ones fleet or amplifying the sophisticated weaponry at their disposal. Propaganda has been used countless times for political warfare. History is replete with cases of governments swaying the humankind to gain support for their cause or political ends. An example of twentieth century propaganda are the anti-German propaganda materials widely disseminated by British agencies. Former US President George Bushs propaganda machine emphasized an anti-terrorism stance. Ironically, he had denounced numerous propaganda tactics directed at the US which he thought to have vilified the countrys image in the global community.The US government employed mistakable propaganda techniques during the Gulf War and Kosovo Conflict in the 1990s. Many political rulers, like Joseph Stalin, used propaganda in a damaging sense. another(prenominal) clear-cut illustration of 20th century propaganda is Adolf Hitlers reign of terror. Everyone knows how the attractive dictator won over people to his side not only with his eloquent speeches but with his military tactics and well-oiled propaganda machinery. Naxi propaganda bordered on censorship. Books and films that ran counter to the beliefs of the rulers were burned. In their stead, radio communications called Peoples Receiver were offered at a cheap price. There were also organized rallies that succeeded in gaining the publics loyalties.In Nazi publications and German newspapers, newsreels, posters, educational materials, etc), much use was made of cartoons from Julius St reicherthe Nazis vitriolic and foremost hate monger (Thompson, 2004, parag. 11). On the other hand, there have also been countless examples of propaganda back in the eighteenth century. Propaganda was employed, to promote the cause of independence, through the dissemination of pamphlets during the American Revolution. In France and Europe, there was widespread criticisms for the ruling class by learned men. It was an age when anti-enlightenment ideas proliferated, and propaganda was at its peak. III. Propaganda in the Arab World Propaganda has found strong use in the Arab world.The antisemitic literature published by the Arabs since World War II has been copiousArab propagandists and sympathizers have persisted in the charge that Israel is a foreign outpost of westbound civilization, the intruding offspring of Europe inhabited by European survivors of Nazi brutality (Peters, n. d. ). Consumed by the overriding belief that Israel does not have the right(a) to exist, most Arab and Muslim states engaged in propagandist tactics, including biased coverage and use of language that detracts from the true meaning. Propaganda was also applied through the use of official newspapers that tackled how Jews manage all the worlds governments.In similar manner, the US government has launched anti-Arab propaganda material, much to its own detriment and reputation in the international community.References Brahm, Eric. (2006). Propaganda. Beyond Intractability. Eds. Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess. Retrieved whitethorn 31, 2009, from http//www. beyondintractability. org/essay/propaganda/ Funk & Wagnalls Standard College Dictionary. (1963). New York Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc. Jowett, Garth S. and Victoria ODonnell. (2006). Propaganda and persuasion (4th ed. ). kibibyte Oaks, CA Sage Publications. Peters, Joan. (n. d. ). From time immemorial the origins of the Arab-Jewish conflict over Palestine. Retrieved May 31, 2009, from http//gospelpedlar. com/articles/Church%20Hist ory/jews. html