Propaganda

1. Propaganda World War II The Holocaust

2. What is propaganda? • Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed towards influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position by presenting only one side of an argument. • Propaganda is usually repeated and dispersed over a wide variety of media in order to create the chosen result in audience attitudes.

3. Mythbusting Propaganda • Propaganda has grown to have a negative connotation, though that is not true of all propaganda. • Can you think of any examples of positive propaganda?

4. Types of Propaganda • If you remember the logical fallacies we discussed last year, many of them are used in propaganda. • If you don’t remember the logical fallacies, here are some examples of logical fallacies used to create propaganda:

5. Fallacious Propaganda • Ad hominem – attacking one’s opponent • Ad nauseum – tireless repetition of an idea • Appeal to authority – citing prominent figures to support an idea, argument, etc. • Appeal to fear – building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the general population • Bandwagon – persuading the target audience to join in what “everyone else is doing”

6. Fallacious Propaganda • Black-and-white fallacy – presenting only two choices (or sides) to an argument • Cult of personality – creating a heroic public image (a hero) to advocate a given position • Demonizing the enemy – making the opposition appear worthless or immoral • Dictat – telling the audience exactly what actions to take

7. Fallacious Propaganda • Disinformation – creation or deletion of public records to mislead the public • Glittering generalities – emotionally appealing words that are applied to an idea, but present no concrete argument or analysis • Half-truth – a deceptive statement that contains some element of truth • Rationalization – using favorable generalities to rationalize questionable acts or beliefs

8. Fallacious Propaganda • Red herring – presenting data or issues that are irrelevant to the argument at hand • Repetition – repeating a certain symbol or slogan so that the audience remembers it • Scapegoating – assigning blame to an individual or group to alleviate feelings of guilt • Stereotyping – arousing prejudice by labeling objects as things the audience fears, hates, etc.

9. Fallacious Propaganda • Straw man – misrepresenting an opponent’s position and refuting the misrepresentation • Testimonial – quotations cited to support or reject a given policy, action, etc. • Transfer – projecting the qualities of one thing to another to make the second more acceptable or to discredit it

10. Nazi Propaganda • Nazi propaganda was produced under the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, which was headed by Dr. Joseph Goebbels, who often consulted Adolf Hitler. • The Nazi party used newspapers, speakers, posters, films, books, textbooks, comics, magazines, radio, and fine arts to spread propaganda during World War II.

11. Example of Nazi Propaganda • This is a picture from “The Poisonous Mushroom” children’s book. One page reads: • “However they disguise themselves, or however friendly they try to be, affirming a thousand times their good intentions to us, one must not believe them. Jews they are and Jews they remain. For our folk they are poison.”

12. British Propaganda • During World War II, British propaganda was presented through cinema, posters, leaflets, books, and radio. • Much of the propaganda in Britain called for actions necessary to support the war efforts, such as contributing to production, enlisting in the military, and supporting yourself in times of need.

13. Example of British Propaganda • This is an example of British propaganda used during World War II as part of a conservation effort. • The Ministry of Food urged people to help with the public burden by providing for themselves.

14. United States Propaganda • American propaganda was spread using posters, advertising, comics, leaflets, radio, books, movies, magazines, and newspaper. • American propaganda was used to increase support for the war and commitment to the victory of the Allied nations. • Some American propaganda was anti-German, anti-Italian, and anti-Japanese, meant to oppose the Axis powers.

15. Example of American Propaganda • This piece of propaganda combined Nazis and the Japanese into a two-headed Axis “monster.” • This example plays upon the fear of Americans in order to promote domestic production.

16. The Propaganda Project