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Types of Propaganda
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There are many techniques commonly used in
spreading of propaganda. Use this handout to help you identify different types
of propaganda throughout Animal Farm
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BANDWAGON
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The basic
idea behind the bandwagon approach is just that, "getting on the
bandwagon." The propagandist puts forth the idea that everyone is doing
this, or everyone supports this person/cause, so should you. The bandwagon
approach appeals to the conformist in all of us: No one wants to be left out of
what is perceived to be a popular trend.
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EXAMPLE: Everyone in Lemmingtown is
behind Jim Duffie for Mayor. Shouldn't you be part of this winning team?
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TESTIMONIAL
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This is
the celebrity endorsement of a philosophy, movement or candidate. In
advertising, for example, athletes are often paid millions of dollars to
promote sports shoes, equipment and fast food. In political circles, movie
stars, television stars, rock stars and athletes lend a great deal of
credibility and power to a political cause or candidate. Just a photograph of a
movie star at political rally can generate more interest in that
issue/candidate or cause thousands, sometimes millions, of people to become
supporters.
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EXAMPLE: "Sam Slugger", a
baseball Hall of Famer who led the pros in hitting for years, appears in a
television ad supporting Mike Politico for U.S. Senate. Since Sam is well known
and respected in his home state and nationally, he will likely gain Mr.
Politico many votes just by his appearance with the candidate.
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PLAIN FOLKS
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Here the
candidate or cause is identified with common people from everyday walks of
life. The idea is to make the candidate/cause come off as grassroots and
all-American.
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EXAMPLE: After a morning speech to
wealthy Democratic donors, Bill Clinton stops by McDonald's for a burger,
fries, and photo-op.
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TRANSFER
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Transfer
employs the use of symbols, quotes or the images of famous people to convey a
message not necessarily associated with them. In the use of transfer, the
candidate/speaker attempts to persuade us through the indirect use of something
we respect, such as a patriotic or religious image, to promote his/her ideas.
Religious and patriotic images may be the most commonly used in this propaganda
technique but they are not alone. Sometimes even science becomes the means to
transfer the message.
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EXAMPLE: The environmentalist group
PEOPLE PROMOTING PLANTS, in its attempt to prevent a highway from destroying
the natural habitat of thousands of plant species, produces a television ad
with a "scientist" in a white lab coat explaining the dramatic
consequences of altering the food chain by destroying this habitat.
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FEAR
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This
technique is very popular among political parties and PACs (Political Action
Committees) in the U.S. The idea is to present a dreaded circumstance and
usually follow it up with the kind of behavior needed to avoid that horrible
event.
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EXAMPLE: The Citizens for Retired Rights
present a magazine ad showing an elderly couple living in poverty because their
social security benefits have been drastically cut by the Republicans in Congress.
The solution? The CRR urges you to vote for Democrats.
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LOGICAL FALLACIES
Applying logic, one can usually draw a conclusion from one
or more established premises. In the type of propaganda known as the logical
fallacy, however, the premises may be accurate but the conclusion is not.
EXAMPLE:
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Premise 1: Bill Clinton supports gun control.
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Premise 2: Communist regimes have always
supported gun control.
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Conclusion: Bill Clinton is a communist.
We can see in this example that the Conclusion is created by
a twisting of logic, and is therefore a fallacy.
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GLITTERING GENERALITIES
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This
approach is closely related to what is happening in TRANSFER (see above). Here,
a generally accepted virtue is usually employed to stir up favorable emotions.
The problem is that these words mean different things to different people and are
often manipulated for the propagandists' use. The important thing to remember
is that in this technique the propagandist uses these words in a positive
sense. They often include words like: democracy, family values (when used
positively), rights, civilization, even the word "American."
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EXAMPLE: An ad by a cigarette
manufacturer proclaims to smokers: Don't let them take your rights away!
("Rights" is a powerful word, something that stirs the emotions of
many, but few on either side would agree on exactly what the 'rights' of
smokers are.)
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NAME-CALLING
This is the opposite of the GLITTERING
GENERALITIES approach. Name-calling ties a person or cause to a largely
perceived negative image.
EXAMPLE: In a campaign speech to a logging company, the Congressman
referred to his environmentally conscious opponent as a "tree
hugger."
