Propaganda
see also NEWS		 Resources, lesson plans related to how propaganda works
Red indicates newly added link; see recommended texts below

Note to educators: Propaganda did not just occur during WWI and WWII: it is also happening now all around us.
Unfortunately, many young people don't recognize it. Here is a timely resource that I highly recommend:
from PRWatch- their Propaganda website with links to current events in the US and the world.

KEY QUOTES/DEFINITIONS:
"Propaganda is not the same as advertising or art. Art today is preoccupied
with abstract ideas; advertising tries to get you to buy something. Propaganda, 
on the other hand, is interested in making you believe something. It is the 
stronger societal force; once you start believing in an idea or ideology you 
will buy anything – metaphorical or literal – it tries to sell you. Once the public 
was scared into believing Iraq was trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction, 
they didn’t seem to mind that they were being fed lies over and over. Untruths 
and misleading statements were quickly accepted as reinforcement and 
justification for a particular point of view, even when proven false. 
Propaganda is that strong."  (Source, Clamor Magazine)

Propaganda is "a manipulation designed to lead you to a simplistic conclusion rather than a
carefully considered one," adding, "It is an abuse of persuasion techniques because it tries
to short-circuit critical scrutiny, thoughtful evaluations and counterarguments."
Dr. Anthony Pratkanis (quoted in New York Times story)


"At its root, propaganda plays on emotions, often defying reason and 
facts in order to reach into the psyche of the audience. Propaganda 
is a mind game — the skillful propagandist plays with your deepest emotions, 
exploiting your greatest fears and prejudices."
(Source: Op Ed, Seattle Times)

"Propaganda is the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions,
manipulate cognitions [thoughts], and direct behavior to achieve a response
that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist."
(Source: Propaganda and Persuasion, Garth Jowett/Victoria O'Donnell)

Propaganda: Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used
to promote a political cause or point of view
(Source:  Concise Oxford English Dictionary)

WWI Posters Recall Another Time      (includes samples of propaganda posters)

TEACHER RESOURCES
The death of Nazi filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl offers teachers another opportunity to discuss propaganda 
techniques with their students. Here are some links to recommended resources:

Listen to a discussion about the impact of Leni Riefenstahl's film "The Triumph of the Will." 
(from PBS Newshour)
 

Culture Shock, the PBS program website, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/index_1.html
offers teachers some resources, including a look at some of the images from her films.

War on Film, from the PBS series, Art In The 21st Century
http://www.pbs.org/art21/education/war/lesson2.html
 
From Heritage, Civilization & The Jews

Recommended Texts
 


 Peter Lang: 2008


Filiquarian Publishing
2008

What Orwell Didn't Know: Propaganda and the New Face of American Politics
What Orwell Didn't Know: Propaganda and the New Face of American Politics
Nov. 2007

Read Excerpt

Propaganda in War & Peace (Influence and Persuasion)
 Propaganda In War & Peace: Manipulating The Truth
(Influence and Persuasion series)
Heinemann Library 
ISBN: 1-403-47655-1
October 2005

View Sample PDF

How to Detect Media Bias & Propaganda
The Foundation for Critical Thinking
Copyright 2004
ISBN: 0-944583-20-2

 


Propaganda: Understanding the Power of Persuasion
Teen Issues series,  Enslow Publishers
ISN 0-7660-1664-1
Copyright 2002


Propaganda, Inc  Selling America's Culture To The World (2nd Edition)
Nancy Snow


Design for Victory
WWII Posters on the
American Home Front

Princeton
Architectural
Press
ISBN 1568981406    ISBN13 9781568981406


Propaganda
and Persuasion
A Historical
Encyclopedia

Book Cover
Persuasion & Influence In American Life 
by Gary C. Woodward,
Robert E. Denton, Jr.
Waveland Press, Inc.
Fourth Edition (2000)
ISBN: 1-57766-070-6 

Propaganda and Persuasion by Garth S. Jowett &
Victoria O'Donnell 
Corwin Press; 3rd edition (August 1999) 
ISBN: 0761911472

 


Age of Propaganda  The Everyday Use and Abuse of Persuasion,
 Anthony Pratkansis &
Elliot Aronson


Propaganda and the Public Mind, David Barsamian & Noam Chomsky


Media Control,
 The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda, 2nd Edition
Noam Chomsky


Between The Lines  How to Detect Bias and Propaganda in the News and Everyday Life,  
Eleanor MacLean (out of print, but available)