What Is Propaganda? Writers use many techniques to persuade their readers. Some of these methods, however, are faulty. They may be unsupported by facts, not related to the issue, or simply not true. These methods are called propaganda.
The most common place you see propaganda is in advertising. Companies want to persuade you to buy. Here are some common types of propaganda:
| Propaganda Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Glittering generality uses impressive words that may skip past the truth. | “Try the new and improved Sudso, a more modern way to clean your floors.” |
| Transfers use appealing ideas or symbols to get your support, but the ideas are not actually related. | “Our candidate was born in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty and raised by good parents. She will make a caring and patriotic mayor.” |
| Testimonials use famous people to try to persuade you. | “The world’s greatest soccer player wears an Exacta watch off the field. You should, too.” |
| Circular reasoning means to argue that something is true by simply restating what you’re arguing about. | “Everybody should buy this product because this product is something everybody should have.” |
| Bandwagon appeals claim that everyone else is doing something, so you should, too. | “The Guzzler is the number one selling SUV in the country. It must be the best for you.” |
| Name calling makes negative claims or attacks on a person or product. | “My opponent in this election is just a rich city boy. Who wants that kind of person for this office?” |
Practice Together
Analyze Propaganda Look at the photo on page 567. Dr. Frankenstein was a character in a story who created a monster. The photo shows a person holding a sign that says “Dr. Frankenfood.” What point is the person trying to make? What kind of propaganda is this?
Try It!
Find Propaganda Collect examples of propaganda from newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. Discuss whether they are effective. Explain.