Propaganda
According to the Encyclopedia of Social Problems, propaganda can be defined as simply "persuasion in bad faith." According to the Encyclopedia of International Media and Communications, "The term “propaganda” has roots in the religious, intellectual, and political struggles of the Counter Reformation, when the Roman Catholic Church launched a counterattack against breakaway religions and secular explanations of natural phenomena." During times of war, propaganda has been used to boost morale or encourage civilian participation.
Seen as a willful act, propaganda is not always deceptive. In order to evaluate an item as propaganda, it is important to view the accuracy, method, intent, and scale (Marshall, 2008).
This page covers resources on propaganda and includes links to numerous online collections.
- Propaganda: Credo ReferenceA Credo Reference landing page on propaganda. This page includes reference materials, journal articles, and a mind map.
- Propaganda: Encyclopedia of International Media and CommuncationReference entry on propaganda from the Encyclopedia of International Media and Communications, as cited above.
- Propaganda: Encyclopedia of Social ProblemsEncyclopedia of Social Problems information on propaganda, as cited above.
Internet Resources
- The Story of Propaganda: American Historical AssociationThe fact that wars give rise to intensive propaganda campaigns has made many persons suppose that propaganda is something new and modern. The word itself came into common use in this country as late as 1914, when World War I began. The truth is, however, that propaganda is not new and modern. Nobody would make the mistake of assuming that it is new if, from early times, efforts to mobilize attitudes and opinions had actually been called “propaganda.” The battle for men’s minds is as old as human history.
- History of American Propaganda Posters: American Social Issues through PropagandaLeaders throughout history have been able to use propaganda to their own needs and desires. By stirring an individual’s imagination and emotions whether it is for better or worse, figures in power who create campaigns of propaganda imagery can drive a population towards their end wants. Propaganda became a common term around America during World War I when posters and films were leveraged against enemies to rally troop enlistment and garner the public opinion. Propaganda became a modern political tool engendering good will across wide demographics and gaining favor of the country.
- The Power of PropagandaTeaching plan for propaganda. Unit Essential Question: What does learning about the choices people made during the Weimar Republic, the rise of the Nazi Party, and the Holocaust teach us about the power and impact of our choices today?
50 powerful examples of visual propaganda and the meanings behind them
Explore this online collection of 50 examples of visual propaganda from Canva.
Source: https://www.canva.com/learn/examples-of-propaganda/
Lesson Plans
- A Brief History of Propaganda During Conflict: Lessons for Counter-Terrorism Strategic CommunicationsThis research paper explores the history of propaganda during conflict and draws out key lessons.
- Propaganda Techniques in Literature and Online Political AdsAfter reading or viewing a text, students are introduced to propaganda techniques and then identify examples in the text. Students discuss these examples, and then explore the use of propaganda in popular culture by looking at examples in the media. Students identify examples of propaganda techniques used in clips of online political advertisements and explain how the techniques are used to persuade voters. Next, students explore the similarities of the propaganda techniques used in the literary text and in the online political ads to explain the commentary the text is making about contemporary society. Finally, students write a persuasive essay in support of a given statement.
- Teaching Materials on PropagandaThese lesson plans explore how propaganda and hate speech were used by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Lessons encourage critical thinking about the effects of propaganda on people and society.
Streaming Media
- Art With A Message: Protest And Propaganda, Satire & Social CommentThis program investigates the ways various art forms are used to sway minds and to argue political causes. Examples include Napoleon and Hitler; artist such as Daumier, Hogath and Shann; writers Dickens, Swift and Orwell; and pop artists who mock popular ideals.
- Influence & Persuasion: Crash CourseWe’ve mentioned already that there’s a lot of money in media and a huge chunk of that money is spent on trying to get you to do something – buy something, vote a certain way, change a behavior. How does advertising work? And what’s the difference between advertising, public relations, and propaganda? We’re going to talk about all that and more today.
- Literature With A Message: Protest & Propaganda, Satire & Social CommentThis program analyzes literature written for a purpose--to rally support for causes, to satirize human folly, to protest injustice, to encourage idealism and spiritual rebirth. It examines different types of literary propaganda in the Horatio Alger stories, the wartime speeches of Winston Churchill and the story "Flowers For Algernon." Literature of protest is illustrated by passages from "Cry The Beloved Country" and poems by Stephen Crane, ee. cummings and Judith Viorst. Satire is examined in "Gulliver's Travels" and "Animal Farm." Social comment in modern drama is seen in Arthur Miller's "Death Of A Salesman."
- The Myth of the Liberal Media: The Propaganda Model of NewsEdward Herman and Noam Chomsky overturn one of the dominant myths in our political culture - the notion that mainstream media have a liberal bias. Drawing on extensive empirical research, they reveal that in actuality the news media have become so subordinated to corporate interests that they are far to the right of the American people.
- Propaganda: The Art of Selling LiesDemystifies the predominant methods of persuasion that have been employed by those seeking power, analyzing the present day and contextualizing it by looking back at periods when propaganda defined nations and kept populations in check.
- Propaganda WarThis lecture examines the increasing sophistication of official propaganda. You also study the phenomenon of spontaneous propaganda produced by citizens, which could take the form of rumors, myths, and stereotypes of the enemy.
Perspectives
Propaganda and Persuasion
Propaganda and Persuasion, Fifth Edition is the only book of its kind to cover a comprehensive history of propaganda and offer insightful definitions and methods to analyze it. Building on the excellence of the four previous editions, the Fifth Edition has been revised and updated. Authors Garth S. Jowett and Victoria O'Donnell provide a remarkable and cogent understanding of persuasion and propaganda, including rhetorical background, cultural studies, and collective memory. Key Features: * Offers a comprehensive history of propaganda, from ancient times to present day. Updated research in propaganda and persuasion and the use of propaganda in psychological warfare are also included. New examples to this edition include the global war against terrorism, the 2008 election, and the question of ideological propaganda in a polarized mass media system * Encourages a systematic approach to analyzing propaganda: An in-depth look at rhetoric, theory, and methodology helps students analyze propaganda * Differentiates propaganda from persuasion: Succinct definitions of propaganda and persuasion are given, as well as an original model that illustrates both their commonalities and their differences.
Archives
- Posters: World War I Posters - Library of CongressDuring World War I, the impact of the poster as a means of communication was greater than at any other time during history. The ability of posters to inspire, inform, and persuade combined with vibrant design trends in many of the participating countries to produce thousands of interesting visual works. The Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division makes available online approximately 1,900 posters created between 1914 and 1920. Most relate directly to the war, but some German posters date from the post-war period and illustrate events such as the rise of Bolshevism and Communism, the 1919 General Assembly election and various plebiscites.
- Posters: Yanker Poster CollectionThe Yanker Poster Collection includes more than 3,000 political, propaganda, and social issue posters and handbills, dating 1927-1980. Most posters are from the United States, but over 55 other countries and the United Nations are also represented. The materials were acquired by gift of Gary Yanker in 1975 and later.
- Propaganda Posters: Washington State UniversityThe 525 items in this collection comprise a Propaganda Poster collection primarily consisting of images from 1914-1945, the start of World War I to the end of World War II. Prior to the advent of broadcast radio and television, governments looked to other media to communicate information to their citizens. One of the most eye-catching formats is the propaganda poster, the use of which peaked during World War I and remained pervasive through World War II. The U.S. government alone produced an estimated 20,000,000 copies of more than 2,500 distinct posters during the first World War. Through these “weapons on the wall,” governments persuaded their citizens to participate in a variety of patriotic functions, from purchasing war bonds to conserving scarce resources. These posters also strengthened public support for the wars by providing “message control” about the government’s allies and enemies.
- Russian Posters Collection, 1919-1989 and undatedThis collection of 20th-century Russian posters spans almost the entire history of the Soviet Union (1917-1991). It can be divided into three main series, each representing distinct eras in the history of Communist political advertising. The General Political Poster series features works from the earliest days of Soviet power and is especially strong for the late 1920s, a period that coincides with the "cultural revolution" of I. V. Stalin. The Twenty-Second Communist Party Congress series includes electioneering placards from the early 1960s that graphically illustrate N. S. Khrushchev's promise to catch up and overtake the capitalist West. The Perestroika Era series, which rounds out this collection, is an assemblage of posters from the late 1980s that offers a poignant reminder of the promises and perils of the period of "restructuring" (perestroika) and "openness" (glasnost) under M. S. Gorbachev.
- World War I Posters: McKee LibraryMcKee Library's collection of digitized World War I posters.
- WWII Propaganda Poster CollectionOriginal American, German, and Russian World War II propaganda posters. The posters were acquired through donation and purchase over many years. The digital versions were created through a joint grant-funded project with the University of Minnesota in 2003.