Propaganda Techniques

A propagandist is a specialist in selling attitudes and opinions.
~Hans Speier

The whole world presents a cosmic equation of propaganda - the success of a variable (be it in terms of survival, propagation or progress) depends to a significant extent upon how much it can influence its surroundings via its interaction with other variables to have its way and reach the desired objective. Before we proceed towards discussing the various types of propaganda techniques, let's first understand the complete implications of this word. So what is propaganda all about?

Well, a propaganda is a piece of communication, irrespective of the media via which it is conveyed, that seeks to influence the opinions and judgment of the target audience in such a way that such an audience begins to see an issue or a situation from the same light as the communicator or propagandist wants them to see. The target audience believes what the propagandist wants them to believe and based on such belief, they direct their opinions and conclusions the way the propagandist intends them to. The communicator achieves this objective by typecasting an issue as good or bad and reinforcing such an image through verbal, legible, audio or visual expressions. Now let's take a look at what are the various propaganda techniques and what means each employs to achieve the desired ends.

Different Propaganda Techniques

Following are the various types of propaganda tools and techniques that can be used individually or in combination with others for the purpose of influencing public opinion using the dynamics of propaganda. There are various reasons behind the need to influence public opinion, the most significant reasons being politics and marketing. Check out the following propaganda techniques and examples to get a strong grasp of this subject.

Ad Hominem
This method follows the path of attacking the opponent instead of his arguments. Character assaults, defamation antics, etc. are examples of propaganda technique that follows the principle of ad hominem. This is also known as name calling.

Ad Nauseam
Repeat and repeat yet again - that's the maxim of the ad nauseam technique of propaganda. Continuous reinforcement of an idea tends to result in the target audience subconsciously accepting it as the truth or the right thing. This influences their judgment in favor of the propagandist.

Testimonials
Citing popular and dignified figures to strengthen the premises of an idea or an argument is most often used to move the target audience to support or initiate a desired course of action. This propaganda technique aims to exploit the public's appeal to authority of certain prominent figures in certain specific fields. For instance, beauty and cosmetic products marketers often get movie stars and super models to testify the benefits and effectiveness of their commercial offerings.

Appeal to Fear
Instill panic in the masses against a certain idea, object, situation or person and reinforce it such that their emotional feathers are significantly ruffled - this makes for a great propaganda technique for turning the masses against an opponent and gaining their favor. For instance, the book Germany Must Perish by Theodore Kaufman was used by the Nazis as a propaganda against Jews, framing them for plotting against the nation, to instill mass fear and hatred for the Semitic populace.

Appeal to Prejudice
The use of emotionally saturated and sentimentally appealing expressions to sway the public opinion has been used as a propaganda technique since ancient times. Many wars have been initiated and much blood has been shed on account of tireless propaganda that appealed to the prejudice of the people. For instance, the treatment of the Jews during the Nazi era and the silence, sometimes support, of the non-Jewish populace over the atrocious injustices prove the success of this propaganda technique. Glittering generalities, flag waving and virtue words also come under this category.

Bandwagon
Most of us harbor a herd-mentality and it is this since they do so, so shall I psychology that the propagandist seeks to exploit. By making it appear that the majority of the people are going for a certain course of action, the propagandist impliedly nudges the individual audience to join the crowd.

Plain Folks
This is a widely used propaganda technique employed by marketers and advertisers. In marketing and advertising parlance, this propaganda technique is known as slice-of-life advertising. In such a propaganda, common people are depicted as following a certain course of action, implying that this is only right and practical. Vaccination and inoculation drives are often publicized using slice-of-life advertising.

Card Stacking
In the words of Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, the most dangerous untruths are truths slightly distorted. Indeed, and that is what the card stacking propaganda technique is all about. You tell them only those truths about your position which appeal to them and conceal those facts that might disturb them. Take, for instance, credit card sales pitches. They tell you all about the offers, that payment-in-instalments feature, the cash back facilities, etc. but it is only when you have the credit card statement in your hand that you come to know of all the hidden fees (processing fees, membership fees, etc.).

Transfer
Under this propaganda technique, any negative aspect of an idea, product or a person is conveyed across all things that are even remotely related to such person, product or idea. For instance, a political party may bank upon the criminal proceedings that a politician belonging to the opposing party is undergoing to defame the entire entity, principles and beliefs of the opposing party. This way, the smear on the reputation of one politician can be used to assault the reputation of the entire party.

I'm sure that by now you have a clear idea of what are the various propaganda techniques and I hope the various examples of propaganda, specific to the individual techniques, helped throw some light on how each works. Communication is a potent tool, which if used effectively, can make princes of paupers and vice versa. This rings true in the words of James B. Conant when he said, "Some of mankind's most terrible misdeeds have been committed under the spell of certain magic words or phrases". This opinion is, ironically, reflected by Nazi German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda, Paul Joseph Goebbels when he is famously quoted to have said, "We have made the Reich by propaganda". Indeed, Herr Goebbels...the whole world's got you straight and clear by now.