PROPAGANDA THEORY

PROPAGANDA THEORY

Basically states that with the media the public is easily manipulated. The media is controlled by a group of individuals and because this groups of elite tend to promote a particular idea and ignores others.

What is Propaganda?

Propaganda- No bound communication where only a particular belief is propagated.

Black Propaganda- Deliberate and strategic transmission of lies

Grey Propaganda- Communication of ideas that may be false

White Propaganda- Open supervision of information, ideas with information given out to distract attention for the real events.

ORIGIN OF PROPAGANDA

The term was introduced by Jesuits- Society For the Propagation of the Faith.

With advancement of technology and media’s reach, propaganda became more powerful.

Fritz Hippler, Head of Nazi propaganda mentioned effective propaganda is to simplify a complex issues and repeat the simplification over and over.

Michael Sproule said effective propaganda is covert- its persuades people without seeming do so.

The Propagandist believes the end justifies the need and hence there is a need of half-truths. They believe that the public is not rational and hence there is a need for manipulation. They also use the same reason for suppression of opposition- the public is easily swayed.

During the 1940s to 1980s propaganda was widely used for the ideologies of democracy (American way) and communism (Soviet and China).

INFLUENCE OF PROPAGANDA THEORY

n Behaviorism: Watson propounded that human action is conditioned responded to an external stimuli. Theorist seen media as providing external response that triggers a response.

n Freudianism: There a constant conflict with the Id, superego & ego. The media manipulation, stimuli could set the id lose beyond the control of the ego & superego.

n Magic Bullet Theory: People no matter what have no defenses against propaganda which sends out magic bullets which penetrates the subconscious.

LASSWELL’S PROPERGANDA THEORY

People have are manuplable to propaganda even when there is a sense of tension about the public that can be caused by such things as economic depression or political which can result in a touch of reality.

People need to be prepared to accept radical ideas. This can be done by a long term campaign. Symbols must be created and meanings must be attached to them. If successful these will be called Master Symbols. These Master Symbols will evoke a strong emotion from the audience. Master Symbols gains these symbols due to its past experience. For example the Indian Flag which has been used to commemorate Indian Freedom.

Hitler was an evil artist but not a scientist. Hitler did not know what he was doing. Proposed a new science of propaganda to combat Hitler. The control of propaganda through mass media would be handed over to the new elite who were scientific and they would pledge to use it for good and not evil. The only hope that social scientist would use it for good.

LIPMAN’S THEORY OF PUBLIC OPINION FORMATION

Lasswell’s Theory played a great influence on Walter Lippmann, a columnist of New York Times.

People are not able to rationalize themselves and understand the media around them. People could not learn and understand enough of the world from the media. He went on to say even serious journalism could not overcome the psychological and social barriers that limit the public thought.