...Propaganda by Edward Bernays Book Review “We are governed, our minds molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society” stated Bernays (p.37). Whether I believe this statement of organized propaganda to be true or not, I do accept that our society today is influenced on a daily basis through all facets of media and leadership through manipulation (both ethical and unethical). The main point Edward Bernays effectively brings to our attention is that fact that propaganda is an evolving code of ethics and practice and invisible leaders control the public mind and how it is influenced by the leaders “who seek to create public acceptance for a particular idea or commodity” (p. 44-45). Edward Bernays provides the reader with many subject topics, in particular business and political leadership, to support his arguments. He makes clear points and provides countless examples how businesses understand the valuable uses of propaganda to promote ideas and products while politicians have a hard time recognizing what the public wants and the valuable use of “dramatic” propaganda in order to connect to the audience. The politician, according to Bernays, should determine his objectives, clearly promote his objectives to the public, follow a strict budget...
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...Propaganda as defined by Jowett and O’Donnell “is the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist” (Prop, 7). In this definition, similar to others, the words “shape”, “manipulate”, and “direct” tend to spur an uneasy feeling for many. Propaganda, which “is associated with bad things or evil forces,” (Pers 33) has such a negative connotation that people who disagree with a message will publicly label it as propaganda to make the audience feel threatened by the communicator and by the message delivered by the enemy. Historically, propaganda has been known to be the cause of war and deaths. But, can propaganda ever be a good thing? It has served as an end to genocide and as a reinforcement to stay healthy. Therefore, propaganda can be ethical or unethical depending on the situation and the purpose. The role of propaganda during wartime periods has been present since we can remember and has such a powerful impact that brings out the same result of a violent war in a nonviolent manner (Prop, 231). When propaganda outcomes are viewed as similar to war it most definitely makes it an unethical form of persuasion. A specific example of that is Nazi propaganda during World War II. When Hitler took power his Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, described Hitler’s propaganda as possible to prove that a square is a circle with enough repetition...
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...to explain how propaganda and psychological warfare influences and manipulates people to make them support a country. I am going to show how the media works as the medium through which the governments spread their propaganda. The government manipulates masses using pamphlets, speeches, morality and priorities. This manipulation is done through the media. Media and subjects like censure are going to be discussed in this report. I will show how the Persian Gulf War can be set on as an example of the media spreading government propaganda and psychological warfare. This report also includes an analysis on propaganda and it’s denotative and connotative meanings. This report is also going to show us it’s effect and importance in our community and society. Whats Propaganda All of us, know about the horrors and the devastation that are a result of wars. Despite these horrors, we act indifferent towards war and it’s effect on the world community. Countries’ governments manage to manipulate us and make us think that their war actions against another nation, race or culture are well justified. Nations make the members of the society believe, that they are doing the right thing, and that this military action against a declared enemy is the most desirable thing to do in order to keep “the world’s stability and peace”. For this reason people say we are “meant” to help and serve our country, in it’s war against their enemy which changes into being our enemy too. Propaganda and psychological...
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...Is Propaganda Evil? Most people associate the word ”propaganda” with Nazi Germany in which it was used to unify a nation by turning Adolf Hitler into a demigod, by identifying and demonizing those countries which stood in the way of Germany fulfilling its destiny, and by scapegoating Jews. The result of all that propaganda was the destruction of Europe and the death of some 50 million people, so it is not surprising that propaganda has negative connotations. Propaganda is also used to keep North Korea’s dictatorial Kim family in power by stirring up hatred of the imperialist USA which – according to the Kims – is determined to destroy them. Propaganda was also used to prevent the Soviet Union from fragmenting, also by positioning the USA as a threat. Propaganda leads to deception and that makes it different with Public Relations(PR). This evil technique was used by Nazi party and it is used in advertisements nowadays. I will argue all these points in this text. There are people who believe that there is beneficial propaganda, that supports noble causes such as mobilizing the nation in the face of nation, promoting equal rights for women or racial minorities and for the sake of improved public health, to give just a few examples. One propaganda campaign that might be considered ethical is the one opposing the practice of female genital mutilation in North Africa, a brutal practice that entails surgery performed by mothers or grandmothers on little girls without...
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...Throughout history, propaganda has been used to spread a belief and advocate for action during times of war. Whether it be posters or messages, propaganda has shown its effect on society by shaping the public’s opinions to what influential leaders would like it to be. However, often times citizens are mislead and a false narrative of reality overcomes any truth. Propaganda becomes more of a method of deception and influential leaders abuse it against their own people. Because people lose sight of reality, political leaders become corrupt, and the public’s opinions are forever affected, propaganda posters and messages should not be used in times of war. As propaganda spreads a belief and instill it in the people with repetition, people begin...
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...There are always lines that should never be crossed. It is like when a helicopter flies around the Himalayas, however, becoming lost by taking a wrong route, but decides to travel further. This will only make the situation worse, as it lowers the possibility of returning to the original route. The pilot has crossed the line, which means he can no longer turn back to find his home. In similar ways, propaganda plays an important role in twisting an individual’s view, making one feel the need to follow and believe whatever it states. This causes one to lose their ability to distinguish truth from false ideas; stumbling from their own pool of confusion, they are forever changed, and cannot return to their old past. Often times, propaganda evokes...
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...Propaganda is something that has become deeply ingrained in Russian culture. Russian counter-information features several harmful, key components. The most harmful component is anti-intellectualism. This paper will focus on the rise and effects this has had on not only Russian culture but on scientific values in Russia. The research will investigate the effects this has had on scientist and also the effects on regular people’s day to day lives. It will also attempt to find the source and the “why” for this rise. The research will also aim to examine how the anti-intellectualism propaganda has hindered or helped Russia’s scientific progress compared to other countries. To understand the intellectual discourse in Russia’s culture, one must...
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...Orwell describes politics is “a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred, and schizophrenia” (p.366). While I do not fully agree with his statement, I do acknowledge that politics is full of propaganda which contains lies, evasions, and hatred. Propaganda attempts to gain power by manipulating the masses’ beliefs or actions by means of symbols. The Conservative party’s ad The Interview is a piece of propaganda using techniques of propaganda and rhetorical elements to demean the Liberal party leader Justin Trudeau, and uses identification to appeal to the audience of the ad. The Interview presents Trudeau as one who is not capable of upholding the job of prime minister, and the ad blatantly illustrates to the audience that voting for Trudeau...
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...Propaganda Galore Propaganda techniques are used in many of today’s advertisements in order to persuade buyers to purchase their goods and services. Almost any commercial that you would watch today has some form propoganda buried deep behind the light humor and smiling faces. Companies like AT&T and Verizon have both released a swarm of commercials that has every type of propaganda. I have discovered two commercials for both of these companies that have great examples of how big business persuade buyers to purchase their products and services. My first commercial is by Verizon it is about how everything is not made to last and breaks very quickly and the fact that manufactures lie about the quality, functionality, or reliability of their products. The commercial starts with a random assortment of products breaking in everyday live. During this time the narrator is using negative words describing her frustration with the cheaply made things in life. After the random assortment of products break the narrator introduces Verizon as the most reliable network, thus giving the viewer a reason to switch to Verizon. One of the more evident propaganda technique used in this essay is plain folks. The producers of this...
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...World War II Propaganda Poster The poster I made was a propaganda poster that would be used in hopes of recruiting more soldiers. In this case I have used my poster to go mainly against the Nazi’s, but I added a little bit against the Japanese as well. Within the poster itself you are able to see a nasty green hand with a swastika on top of it. I also included four hands breaking apart the swastika, and lastly I have portrayed the Japanese and their evils within a sort of scythe. This is what is mainly seen, apart from the slogan itself and the evil eyes in the background. As you can see, I used Demonization in this poster. This can be seen in the way Hitler’s hand was drawn. It is a nasty green color, with long yellow nails in which way giving it the looks of, perhaps, being a zombie or simply un-human. When it comes to the Japanese, I have represented them within the scythe. This was supposed to be a scythe just like the one of the grim reaper, but I decided in the end to make it look more like a skeleton hand as opposed to just having a long rod as is typically seen. The last factors used were the evil-looking eyes. I added Hitler’s mustache and comb-over so that he could be identified. In this way effectively showing how evil he is. The next tool I was able to use was name-calling. By saying, “Help get rid of those filthy Huns!” I am, in a sense, degrading the German army. I also used “Eliminate the yellows from the rainbow.” By doing so, I am not only making fun of...
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...Propaganda is commonly biased information, used to promote or publicize a specific point of view or cause. Today, we see many examples of propaganda, in advertising, politics, and media. People assume that propaganda only started in the 20th and the 21st century, but in reality the roots can date back to times in Ancient Egypt. It’s hard to believe that propaganda has been happening for quite long, but people are always trying to find ways to obtain power, even if it includes lying. Pharaohs and Queens in the 18th dynasty have used propaganda to make themselves seem more powerful. In this essay, propaganda in the 18th dynasty, the ways the propaganda was expressed, and how it manipulated people will be discussed, using historical sculptures,...
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...1. What were the primary roles of media delivering news to the public during the Vietnam War? One of the main roles is providing correct and accurate news. Media are different in each country, so they handle information in several ways; some emphasize the behavior of people and some others the way they live. The way of transmitting news, and the way of talking about those news shows the way people get informed. Although the responsibility of media is to inform real stories, they must be aware about the way they are impacting our minds. Nevertheless, the main goal of media is achieved since they do have an impact on modern society, whether good or bad. 2. What were the significant result of immediate news media delivery on our culture? Since media is nowadays the most important source which is feasibly accessible by all people through several devices, such as television, radio, Internet, appliances, etc, it is said that the world is getting used to using news media as an important part of their lives. The significance of immediate news media delivery on culture is that media is implementing and reinforcing new ideas and new ways to act. Immediate news is a form of expression, a form to get informed and a way to tell us how to live and what to think. 3. What were the outside influences on our media during the Vietnam War that helped perpetuate the destruction of our social culture towards the military? News media must provide individuals with accurate information and...
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...at various factories and manufacturing plants, so the government needed to find a way to fill these jobs as quickly as possible. As a result, the Office of War Information (OWI) was introduced in June of 1942. The OWI was in charge of crafting and communicating important government messages about the war. The OWI found that the use of propaganda would be the easiest way to distribute this information, so they started hiring artists, filmmakers, and intellectuals to help with their campaign. Propaganda was displayed in a variety of ways including through posters, radio, film, magazines, and other forms of media. The first goal of this...
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...Propaganda is used to all aspects of life to rally people behind a cause. In the context of politics, militarism and war it is often associated with authoritarian governments, but it is used in democracies as well. Although the practices of propaganda contradict democratic ideals, many propaganda techniques are more easily utilized in a liberal society that encourages freedom of speech. When propaganda is used in a liberal society, it is especially effective because in a liberal society people assume they are thinking and acting freely, without recognizing the subtle manipulation of propaganda. Although it may seem unethical, the American government and its military officials often use deceitful tactics of propaganda to hide the truth about...
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...In the three clips that I watched, various themes appeared throughout the duration of the short propaganda films. Themes of secrecy, intelligence, and the consequences of spilt secrets was a reoccurrence. The first clip showed how there are spies everywhere and to be cautious of your secrets, while the second clip dealt with the consequences of said secrets getting out. The third clip warned of the various ways enemy spies can get their hands on secrets and how easy it is to fall prey. All three clips displayed efforts of counterespionage that the US utilised against the Germans. The purpose of these clips was to educate government officials, military personnel, and espionage agents about the dangers of sharing secrets. During a time when...
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