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#8: Beneficial & Detrimental Propaganda

 

Summary: Propaganda is intentionally-designed communication that invites us to respond emotionally, immediately, and in an either-or manner. -Neil Postman

 

Propaganda can be used to persuade people to various causes or beliefs, it can be positive or negative depending upon the context. As a persuasive message meant to influence public opinion, propaganda usually emphasizes one side of a perspective, may manipulate reason and intertwine facts with emotional reaction. Recognizing various forms of propaganda strengthens critical thinking skills and acknowledges the purpose of specific media messages.

 

Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to…

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  • recognize various forms of propaganda.

  • develop critical analytical skills regarding beneficial and detrimental propaganda techniques.

  • examine how context shapes the way messages are often understood.

  • play an interactive game and become a propagandist.

  • create a media product that demonstrates an understanding of both beneficial and detrimental propaganda. 

 

A. 10-15 Minute Overview: The History of Propaganda

 

Propaganda is information shaped to influence what you think or do. Propaganda techniques often include spreading ideas or statements that are exaggerated or emotionally charged to sway public opinion about a particular cause or point of view. According to the Media Education Lab, propaganda appears in a variety of forms and uses common techniques to successfully influence people, including:

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  • Activating strong emotions

  • Responding to audience needs & values

  • Simplifying information & ideas

  • Attacking opponents

 

Propaganda inundates today’s media culture. It can be found in news and journalism, advertising and public relations, and education – and in all aspects of daily life. It is present in information from government, business, religious and non-profit organizations, and in many forms of entertainment including music, TV shows, movies, videogames and social media like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

 

Activity: Consider the four propaganda techniques explained by Mind Over Media. Next, watch/view several propaganda examples and rate the examples on a scale of beneficial to harmful and discuss as a large group or watch the following Allstate Commercial video (3:17) and specify which propaganda techniques are used. Would you consider the video beneficial or detrimental propaganda?

 

Source: http://propaganda.mediaeducationlab.com/techniques/

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1. Beneficial: Some public interest propaganda is beneficial to society, for example, advocacy groups and nonprofit organizations strive to improve society or create social change by using propaganda to influence public opinion. Activists promote social, political, economic or environmental improvement by using communication activities, advertisements and public events that attract attention and influence people’s knowledge, attitudes and opinions about public safety, health, and social equality.

 

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, since the early 1980’s, alcohol-related traffic deaths per population have been cut in half with the greatest proportional declines among persons 16-20 years old. Education and PSA’s regarding drinking and driving have changed public perception of the practice. Consider the following advertisements.

What other public issues are impacted by propaganda images or videos? Consider the the music video Hwages by Majed Alesa. How does the video benefit public perception of young women living in Saudi Arabia?

2. Detrimental: After World War II, many Americans were shocked by the revelations of the Holocaust. When asking how the genocide occurred, it became increasing obvious that Nazi propaganda played a part by impacting public perception of Jews. The United State Holocaust Memorial Museum includes an interactive gallery for the public to examine how historical propaganda was used as a tool of deception, designed to fool or misdirect populations. Visit the website and examine the gallery of propaganda. Below is one example of a poster: “He is guilty for the war” 1943 anti-Jewish poster by the artist “Mjolnir” intended to persuade Germans that Jews were responsible for starting the war. 

 

[Visual Description: A poster drawing of a man wearing a black hat and coat with the Star of David (A Jewish Symbol) on his chest. Portrayed with stereotypical Jewish facial features and a large hand is pointing downward at the man in an accusatory fashion. German words say “He is guilty for the war!” Source: Dana Goldstein http://www.slate.com/2017/03/15; United State Holocaust Memorial Museum; Changing Times; A Kiplinger Magazine Mar/1943.]

Women sponsored anti-suffrage propaganda. Anti-suffragists used many arguments supporting their view; some said most women did not want to vote and only few would use it, some thought that women were physically unfit for direct competition.. [Visual Description: A propaganda pamphlet discouraging support for the Votes For Women / Suffrage Movement. 1912 Source: Women’s Suffrage and the 19th Amendment]

 

Can you think of any contemporary propaganda that is detrimental? Browse the Media Education Lab Propaganda Gallery and compare various examples of detrimental propaganda.

 

C. 45-60 Minute Activity: Play an Interactive Game

 

Become a propagandist and learn about disinformation. Play a free interactive game online about fake news on GetBadNews.com. It’s propaganda at its finest! Who can receive the high score?

D. 1-2 Hrs Extended Group or Multi-Day Project Create a Screencast of Contemporary Propaganda 

 

Step 01. Choose your Content. Select an example of propaganda from the Mind Over Media website. Develop a brief 2-3 minute screencast video analyzing one specific example of propaganda. When you critically analyze a single piece of propaganda by answering the questions below:

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  1. Who is the author and what is the author’s purpose?

  2. Who is the target audience?

  3. What techniques are used to attract and hold attention?

  4. How does this propaganda activate strong emotions, simplify ideas, respond to audience needs, and attack opponents?

  5. What lifestyles, values and points of view are presented?

  6. What attitudes or actions is this propaganda aiming to affect?

  7. How might different people interpret this message differently?

  8. What is the political, economic or cultural context in which this message circulates

  9. What is omitted from this propaganda that, if known, might affect people’s interpretation of the message?

  10. What might be some unintended consequences of this propaganda?

 

Step 02. Prepare a Script and Visual Materials. Learn more about the genre of screencast and get ideas about how to create a script by watching this tutorial on how to make a screencast with the free online tool, Screencast-o-Matic (7:27).

 

Step 03. Record Your Free Screencast using Screencast-o-Matic. Before you begin, make a test recording to check the quality of the sound. Use the pause function as needed as you move through the recording process.

 

Interested in watching a short screencast? This is an example from a student about an advertisement by Chipotle.

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