OUGD601 - Essay - Propaganda & Persuasion Theory Research

What is propaganda? Propaganda vs Persuasion 

Propaganda is a form of communication, it can change the behaviour of society as well as peoples opinions on subjects that would otherwise not be possible with any other type of communication. 

Propaganda has been studied in many forms, history, journalism, political science, sociology and psychology. Media/journalism shapes the information helping to emphasise positive features and downplay the negative ones. 

Propaganda is to disseminate or to promote particular ideologies, it suggests something negative or dishonest. 

It can be commonly described as “organised persuasion” with the covert intent and poor or non-existent reasoning.           

The purpose of propaganda is to convey an ideology to an audience with a related objective. 

Propaganda is more than just a clever deception - 

• it is withholding vital information 

• meaningless association 

• questionable ethics

Quotes / Key findings from books on propaganda and persuasion - 

Defined as “mass suggestion” or influence through the manipulation of symbols and the psychology of the individual. 

“Propaganda is the deliberate and systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behaviour to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist.”  - Garth S. Jowett and Victoria O’Donnell, Propaganda and Persuasion

Propaganda is - 

• Deliberative/careful consideration what is the most effective strategy to promote an ideology and maintain an advantageous position.
• Systematic way of carrying out something with organised regularity 
• Shaping perceptions
• Attempt is the goal of propaganda   

“Because members of a culture share similar values and norms as well as the same laws and general practices, it is quite possible to have a group perceptions or, at least, very similar perceptions within a cultural group” - PAGE 9 Propaganda & Persuasion

George W Bush - “The war on terror” 

The phrase started after 9/11 “the phrase was engineered to heighten fear while simultaneously tapping righteous indignation of citizens in ‘civilised nations’ against barbaric murderers who would perorate despicable atrocities on innocent victims”      

This was then also continued to be used by B.Obama and the media to instil hatred against these bad forces

Propagandists exploiting the media to shape perceptions -

Mary Richardson, Nation Gallery 1914 when she slashed Diego Velasquez’s painting Rokeby Venus - PAGE 12 Propaganda & Persuasion  

1991 Gulf War, the US dropped 29 million leaflets on Iraqi forces to attract defectors. 

75% were influenced by the leaflets - 

“Because so many factors determine the formation of beliefs, attitudes, and behaviour the propagandist has to gather a great deal of information about the intended audience” 

Achieving a response 

• Specific reaction or action that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist. 
• Target audience thinks they have the best interests at heart but the propagandists' motives are selfish ones
• But selfish doesn't mean negative 

Forms of propaganda 

White propaganda 

• A source that is identified correctly, and the information is accurate (mostly)
• Attempts to build credibility with the audience, for example, national celebrations 
• Emphasises superiority  

Black propaganda

• The “big lie” 
• Creative deceit 
• Ghost army 
• Success or failure depends on the willingness to accept the credibility of source and content of the message. PAGE 24 Propaganda & Persuasion
• Brexit - remain campaign (negative connotations)  - leave campaign was looking the positive

Grey propaganda 

• Is between blacks and white 
• Source may or may not correctly identified 
• Used to embarrass opposition 
• Edward Snowden was used as grey propaganda when China's state-run media revealed the truth by hailing Snowden as a hero. 
• When the source is hidden but it can then be legitimised by a relabel source (new station) 

Propaganda devices - 

The seven propaganda devices are listed below with a brief description: 

Name-calling 

Giving an idea a bad label, and therefore, rejecting and condemning it without examining the evidence. 

Glittering generalities 

Associating something with a “virtue word” and creating acceptance and approval without examination of the evidence. 

Transfer 

Carries the respect and authority of something respected to something else to make the latter accepted. Also works with something that is disrespected to make the latter rejected. 

Testimonial 

Consists of having some respected or hated person say that a given idea or program, product or person is good or bad. 

Plain Folks 

The method by which a speaker attempts to convince the audience that he or she and his or her ideas are good because they are “of the people”, the “plain folks”. 

Card stacking 

Involves the selection and use of facts or falsehoods, illustrations or distractions, and logical or illogical statements to give the best or the worst possible case for an idea, program, product or person. 

Bandwagon 

Has as its theme “everybody (at least all of us), is doing it!” and thereby tries to convince the members of a group that their peers are accepting the program and that we should all jump on the bandwagon rather than be left out. (Jowett & O’Donnell, 2012, p.237) 

Propaganda can be applied to graphic design in many different ways and it can be seen in many examples of graphic design such as book covers, album art, gig and movie posters, magazine layouts, websites as well as magazine and newspaper advertising and billboards. The knowledge gained through a study of propaganda can be of great value to a graphic designer or anyone that works within the eld of visual communication. The connection between propaganda and advertising is so great that it could almost be seen as a topic that should be focused on more within a visual communication or graphic design education, such as the effectiveness of a well thought through and constructed a piece of visual propaganda. Many who work within the advertising branch are aware of this connection and have adopted the techniques stated here due to the powerful and persuasive communication that can be gained by using them (Pratkanis & Aronson, 2001, p.71-79). 

Happiness machines (part 1) - Adam Curtis 

This documentary looks into how propaganda was used by Edward Bernays (the pioneer of public relations techniques). Shows perfect examples of how propaganda techniques were used to persuade the American public in the 1920s. This documentary has then been able to lead me on to looking further into Bernays ideas and theories which I can use within my essay to illustrate how public opinion change works and how similar theories that were used then have developed over the years and where they stand today. 

Edward Bernays - Took Frueds ideas to manipulate the masses 

Edward Bernays coined the phrase “public relations” 

Information drives behaviour 

Bernays was the first to theorize that people could be made to want things they don’t need by appealing to unconscious desires 

Persuading women to smoke in public - 

• Sexual power 
• Challenging this power 
• “Torches of freedom”
• The public student made it socially expectable 
• Engaging yourself in the product or service (emotional connection) 
• Unconscious desires  
• Lucky strike advertising which target the women uncurious desires to be slim they used clever advertising for the first time which played on selling a kind of lifestyle to the women rather than just product. But they were able to persuade more people to smoke even though people were aware of the consciences. 

Aggressive instincts of human - S. Freud 

The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organised habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. We are governed, our minds are moulded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. - (Bernays, 2005)

Unconscious feelings of the masses  

The popular mind

Consumerism 

S. Freud did not believe in equality 

Opinon polling 

• Based on the idea that people could be trusted to know what they wanted (Roosevelt, 1930s)

Avoid manipulating emotions 

Scientific polling 

Peoples desires are in charge 

If your can trigger wants and desires you can get what you want from the masses  

Visual Communication Design - 

User Centred Graphic design: Mass Communication and Social change. 

“The role visual communication does not end in its deployment but in its effect” 

“Objective of all VC is to effect a change in the publics knowledge, attires and behaviour”

Communication must be - 

• Detectable 
• Discriminable 
• Attractive 
• Understandable 
• Convincing 

“If information at stake is intended to change certain deeply ingrained attuideds in a certain group, the problem calls for a communication strategy based on detailed knowledge of the target audience.” [1.1.2] PAGE 4/5

“Although Communications are essential tools … they cannot generate these changes alone.” PAGE 5 

Designers role - “ designers will have to become initiators of projects and coordinator of developments” 

“The methods of enquiry used in sociology can provide designers with useful instruments for the investigation of communication problems” PAGE 7 

“Generic communications that intend to reach everybody actually only reach few, particularly when it is in-tented to affect the attitudes and behaviours of people” PAGE 8