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Com Sci - Chapter 11: Global Communication and Propaganda (Propaganda =…

- - - - Intent to mould public opinion on international issues that have a bearing on a country and its people
    - - To reinforce a country's public actions or policies, or perhaps to change or reinforce perceptions of a country, its citizens or its reputation among individuals elsewhere in the world
    - - Seek access to global comm channels in order to sway public opinion or affect public policy formation
  - - - 1. Bandwagon
        
        Exaggerate the value of joining the cause you speak of. The bandwagon approach involves utilization of a notion that "everybody is doing it" or " we are all doing it" so that group members are encouraged to just join or follow the crowd.
        -To assert that everyone must join the fight against terrorism is a clear bandwagon technique
        "You are either with us, or against us "America, love it or leave it"
        The slogan " Four out of 5 dentists use this toothpaste" is a form of bandwagoning. Bandwagoning also appeals mostly to those who are joiners, they join because everyone else is
      - 2. Card-stacking
        
        -> Create a highly biased case for your position.
        It occurs when a presentation uses a selection of facts & distortions, and both logical and illogical statements.
        The propagandist stacks cards against the truth.
        It is also the most difficult to detect, for not all info has been provided, through distortion or omission, for the audience to make an informed decision.
        E.g The 'Big Lie' was a label used to characterise disinformation campaigns in Nazi Germany.
        Statements were used to generate hatred of Jews that later fed support of genocide.
        Joseph Goebbels, minister of propaganda in WW2 said: If a lie is repeated enough times, it would become widely accepted as truth.
        --Implying that an opponent is evil or guilty of reprehensible acts, the emphasis has shifted to an emotional one, and reasonable discussion has to be curtailed.
      - 3. Glittering generalities
        
        -> Use power words to evoke emotions. Tendency to associate an issue / image with a noble or virtuous term.
        
        Use of vague terms, typically with high moral connotation, is key to the glittering generalities.
        
        The device is intended to arouse both faith and respect in listeners/readers.
        
        HW Bush announced his new world order - he was using a glittering generality. The difficulty was that there was never great clarity of exactly what the world order was.
        
        -The terms freedom and democracy are examples of this propaganda approach & are cited in the same Bush address.
        Consider that even in the US freedom is not always the same.
        Clinton campaign promoting the construction of an information superhighway - meaningless terms.
        Most unfortunate term: collateral damage - effect of playing down, even eradicating terrible notion that innocent civilians are injured and killed as a result of being in the general area of an attack - an accident.
        -> Tend to be accepted placebos by the communicators, the media and the audience. Captivating phrases reduce matters, thus creating a level of comfort and audience acceptance of info.
        
        These generalities present info with minimal details camouflaging contentious ideas and possibly distorting facts.
        These may be used too by people who seek to muzzle freedoms and democratic governance.
      - 4. Name-calling
        
        -> Attack the character of opponents. Use of labels to project an idea in a favorable or unfavorable light.
        -Purpose: also to discourage individuals from examining substantive evidence on an issue.
        -Stereotyping
        -Point a negative image of the opposition/ enemy. Intent may be to suggest major political or ideological differences, real or imagined.
        
        Employs emotional reactions, encourage the public to draw hasty conclusions with only cursory examination of issues.
        
        E.g Soviet Union - Evil empire, president Bush labelled Saddam Hussein another Hitler, Hussein termed US as the Great Satan.
      - 5. Plain Folks
        
        -> Make the leader seem ordinary> increase trust and credibility.
        Communicator wishes to convince others that they or their ideas are good or valid since they are similar to everyone else, just everyday ordinary people.
        -Regular guy
        -Bill Clinton's penchant for cheeseburgers, Big Macs and french fries was a positive for him when it came to public image building.
        Yet political leaders with regular-guy images must still demonstrate the ability to achieve, particularly in the international domain.