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What are the goals? -

The goals of propaganda can vary, but it's most commonly used to shape people's opinions, encourage certain behaviors, and to convince people to support a specific cause or political candidate.

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How propaganda is used -

Used in a variety of ways, propaganda is typically seen in media, advertising, war, and politics.

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Propaganda in media -

Mass media is often used to make societies or large groups of people think a certain way. One example of propaganda in media is the film 'Triumph of the Will' (1935), which was made to promote the Nazi regime.

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Propaganda in media -

Also made to encourage people to support Adolf Hitler, this film is considered to be one of the most effective propaganda films ever made.

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Propaganda in advertising -

Advertisers use persuasive techniques to try to convince people to buy their products.

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Propaganda in advertising -

For example, fear tactics are often used to convince people that they need a certain product to avoid a negative outcome.

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Propaganda in war -

In war, propaganda is often used to make people support the war effort or to discourage them from supporting the enemy.

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Propaganda in war -

War propaganda often relies on misinformation or the use of derogatory terms. For example, during World War II, the Nazis referred to Jews as "rats."

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Propaganda in politics -

Propaganda is often used in politics to shape people's opinions about a specific political candidate or issue.

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Propaganda in politics -

Political propaganda can use many techniques, but it often relies on emotional appeals, name-calling, and scare tactics.

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Effects of propaganda -

Propaganda can be dangerous because it often uses partial truths or biased misinformation. This doesn't provide a complete and accurate picture for people to consider when forming their opinions and behaviors. As a result, this can end up spreading hate, inciting violence, undermining democracy, and impacting people's emotions and mood.

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Propaganda techniques -

There are a variety of techniques used to spread propaganda. Click on to discover the most common ones.

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Name-calling -

This involves derogatory terms to describe an opponent or enemy.

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Appealing to emotions -

Propaganda often relies on emotional appeals to influence people's opinions. Propagandists might incite fear and anger to get people to support a person or cause.

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Bandwagoning -

Bandwagoning is essentially peer pressuring people to do something. For example, a political candidate might say, "Everyone is voting for me, so you should too."

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Scare tactics -

Used to frighten people into supporting a particular cause, a campaign might warn people that if they don't vote, a dangerous criminal will be elected.

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Manipulating information -

This tactic involves distorting or misrepresenting the facts to influence people's opinions. For example, a political campaign might make false claims about an opponent.

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Using false statistics -

A common propaganda technique, a campaign might claim that most people support their candidate, even if it isn't true.

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Using symbols -

Symbols are often used to represent an idea or concept. For example, the Nazis used the swastika to represent their belief in racial purity.

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Making unrealistic promises -

Another common technique, a political candidate might promise to end poverty, even though it isn't possible.

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Slogans -

These short catchphrases are used to summarize an idea or concept. A famous slogan was Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again."

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Plain folks' appeal -

This technique uses average, everyday people to endorse a product or candidate. The idea is that if an average person likes something, then it must be good.

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Testimonials -

Testimonials are endorsements from famous or important people. For example, a celebrity might endorse a political candidate.

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Stereotyping -

Stereotyping is a technique that uses oversimplified and often inaccurate ideas or beliefs to describe a person or a group of people.

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Transfer -

This technique uses positive associations to make an object or person seem more favorable. For example, a political campaign might use the national flag to seem more patriotic.

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Card stacking -

Card stacking only presents favorable information about the person or thing being promoted. For example, a company might only keep positive reviews visible of their products.

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Snob appeal -

This technique uses the idea of exclusivity to make something seem more desirable, like a luxury watch or car.

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Loaded language -

Language is a propaganda tool that shouldn't be underestimated. Loaded language is a technic that uses words that evoke certain emotions or feelings, such as "pro-life."

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Weasel words -

This technic uses words to mislead people. For example, someone might say, "I'm not saying X is a bad person, but," which implies that the person is bad without actually saying it.

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How to avoid being manipulated by propaganda -

By knowing these tactics, it's easier to see through the manipulation. It's also important to critically evaluate the information. Take initiative to see if the information provided is actually accurate.

Sources: (Verywell Mind) (Britannica) 

See also: How to become a better thinker

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