MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY
Propaganda is information that is either false or partially true. Even though it seems believable, it is not logical. Common propaganda includes:
| Type of Propaganda | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Glittering Generality | Important-sounding words that have little or no real meaning and cannot be proved or disproved | “Green Granola is the natural, Earth-friendly breakfast choice.” |
| Transfer | An attempt to relate a popular symbol to a person or idea | “To vote Yes for Joe Smith is to vote Yes for Mother Nature!” |
| Testimonial | A famous person or group used to convince you to buy a product | “Sam’s Toothpaste is the only toothpaste used by the Denver Broncos.” |
| Plain Folks | Plain, simple words that refer to ordinary people and activities | “Natural Tomatoes makes pasta sauce just like Grandma used to make.” |
| Bandwagon | The idea that everyone else is doing something, so you should, too | “Five million users can’t be wrong. Sign up for Star Internet service.” |
| Name Calling | A negative label attached to a person or thing | “People who don’t recycle are litterbugs who don’t care about Earth!” |
Propaganda is usually found in advertising, such as TV, radio, newspaper, and magazine ads. The companies that are advertising want you to buy their product. They use propaganda to make you think their product is the best. Look at some ads and decide whether they use propaganda or logical evidence.
1 Collect Advertisements With a partner, look at newspapers, magazines, and the Internet to find ads for common products. If there is an upcoming election in your community, you might collect political ads.
2 Analyze Persuasive Techniques Think about how each ad is trying to persuade you. Does it contain any kinds of propaganda? Or does it contain evidence that is factual and logical?
3 Share Your Advertisements Present the ads you collected to the class. Point out examples of propaganda or logical evidence.
4 Discuss Propaganda in the Media Which kind of propaganda was the most common in the ads you and your classmates collected? Are people easily convinced by propaganda? Why could this be dangerous?