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Image Manipulation: Propaganda
Image Manipulation: Propaganda
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23/4/2010
Contents
Introduction..............................................................................................................page 3
Techniques of Propaganda......................................................................................page 7
Modern Propaganda................................................................................................page 9
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Leni Riefenstahl.....................................................................................................page 12
Banksy...................................................................................................................page 12
Digital Manipulation...............................................................................................page 15
Resolution..............................................................................................................page 15
Pixels.....................................................................................................................page 16
Creating a Vector...................................................................................................page 18
Mind Map...............................................................................................................page 19
Proposal.................................................................................................................page 19
Concepts................................................................................................................page 21
Final Concepts.......................................................................................................page 23
Final Piece.............................................................................................................page 25
Evaluation..............................................................................................................page 26
Glossary.................................................................................................................page 26
Reference List........................................................................................................page 26
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Propaganda Research
Introduction
"It is worthy of remark that a belief constantly inculcated during the early
years of life, whilst the brain is impressible, appears to acquire almost
the nature of an instinct; and the very essence of an instinct is that it is
followed independently of reason." (Darwin, 1871, The Descent of Man,
p.113) 3
Propaganda is the communication of ideas and values with the intent of affecting the minds of
the target audience, it is often used to characterise preferable truths and untruths to encourage
a specific blend of emotional rather than rational responses to the information being revealed.
This is to provoke a change in attitude towards the targeted subject, often aiding a political
agenda for example the Nazi Party’s disparaging disinformation about the history and traits of
the Jewish people from 1933 to 1945. Such information can be repeated by journalists and
parents, thus reinforcing the ideas as fact even though there is no known authoritative source.
Without the need of direct governmental intervention the ideas can then be recycled through the
media and the education system. As the quote from Charles Darwin’s The Descent of Man
suggests propaganda can arguably become instinctive when the targeted minds have been
subjected to it for a long enough period. Adolf Hitler showed further understanding of this when
he bluntly stated “Through clever and constant application of propaganda, people can be made
to see paradise as hell, and also the other way round, to consider the most wretched sort of life
as paradise.” As a chilling testament to this idea George Orwell wrote the novel 1984 (1950) to
show that a world of war, government surveillance, public mind control, and the voiding of
citizens' rights can indeed be possible and not be challenged if it has been drilled into the minds
of the citizens.
Although the use of propaganda has been discredited due to its employment in the 20th
Century it is important to classify propaganda in order to better understand its various attributes
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and applications. This classification process is focused on the exact nature and origins of the
message as well as the potential for correct information and thus placement in its correct grade.
gentler methods of persuasion and is the most common type of propaganda. Examples of this
can be found in public information campaigns such as don't drink and drive. Opposition to White
Propaganda is often readily found and may slightly discredit the propaganda source. Black
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Propaganda is identified as being from one source but is actually from another, this is to
disguise the true authors of the propaganda. An example of who would use this is an
organisation with a negative image. Opposition to Black Propaganda is often unavailable and
may be dangerous to reveal. Grey Propaganda is propaganda without any identifiable origin. An
application of this would be to use an irrelevant piece of information and reorganise it to direct
attention from the original issue. Opposition to Grey Propaganda may create some level of
Within less than one hundred years photography, film, radio and television were all invented.
Each one of them allowed works of art or pieces of entertainment that might once have been
restricted to a few number of people to be transmitted in the same form around the world to be
viewed by a large number of people. Now suddenly entertainment was available for all. Early
media theorists struggled to understand this and they came up with the idea of mass audiences.
“First, its membership may come from all walks of life, and from all
distinguishable social state; it may include people of different class
position, of different vocation, of different cultural attainment, and of
different wealth... Secondly, the mass is an anonymous group, or more
exactly is composed of anonymous individuals (By anonymous, Blumer
means the people of the mass audience do not know each other). Third,
there exists little interaction or change of experience between members
of the mass. They are usually physically separated from one another,
and, being anonymous, do not have the opportunity to mill as do
members of the crowd (Early theorists compared media audiences with
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crowds). Fourth, the mass is very loosely organised and is not able to
act with the concertedness or unity of a crowd.”
The Hypodermic Needle Model theory is perhaps the most simple to understand and has
such been popular with many people who fear the effects of the media. This dates from the
1920s and was the first theory of how mass audience might react to mass media. It suggests
that audiences passively receive the information transmitted via a text, without any attempt to
During the Second World War and before it, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin had
attempted to use the media as psychologically powerful propaganda through films, radio and
poster art. Ever since propaganda has been seen as a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands
Nazi propaganda was heavily centred on anti-semeticism but also expressed themes of
the imminent defeat of Germany’s enemies, and the need for security etc. Doctored newsreel
footage was also used to gain support for the Nazi cause. Triumph of the Will (1935) is still
viewed today as a masterpiece in film making. In the 1920s, Nazi propagandists wanted to draw
support for their political machine and create a new attitude of the German countrymen. The
Nazis produced a number of films to promote their views; themes included the virtues of the
Nordic or Aryan race, German military and industrial strength, and the evils of the Nazi party's
enemies.
Fig. 1
footage of uniformed party members who are drilling to classical music. The film contains
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excerpts from speeches given by Hitler and various Nazi leaders. Another film is The Eternal
Jew (1940); this film was done in the style of a documentary. The film (see Figure 2) centres on
the racial traits that characterise the Jews as a parasite, whilst Aryan men found satisfaction in
physical labour and honour. These traits are contrasted throughout the film.
Fig. 2
Rasse und Seele (1926) by Dr. Ludwig Ferdinand Clauss attempt to identify the differences
between the German, Nordic or Aryan type and other supposedly inferior people. These books
The ability to confuse audiences en masse may have first become obvious as a result of one of
October 30th 1938, millions of Americans tuned into a popular radio program that
featured plays directed by Orson Welles (see Figure 3). The performance that evening was an
adaptation of the science fiction novel The War of the Worlds (1898). Under Welles’ direction
the play was written and performed so it would sound like news broadcasts, presumably
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Fig. 3
protection from Martian poison gas. The broadcast revealed the way politicians could use the
Sanes (no date) cites Thompson (1938) who wrote an article printed in the New York
All unwittingly, Mr Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre of the Air have
made one of the most fascinating and important demonstrations of all
time. They have proved that a few effective voices, accompanied by
sound effects, can convince masses of people of a totally unreasonable,
completely fantastic proposition as to create a nationwide panic… But
Mr Welles scared thousands into demoralization with nothing at all.
The effects of the broadcast suggested that the media could manipulate passive and
gullible audiences leading theorists to believe this was one of the ways media authors shaped
audience perception.
Techniques of Propaganda
Propaganda is transmitted through many media; these include news reports, government
reports, historical revision, anecdotal evidence, books, leaflets, films, radio, television, and
posters. In the Connecticut Historical Society, Civil War Collections there are even examples of
letter envelopes bearing scaled down northern and southern propaganda posters.
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To indoctrinate the target campaigns must follow a strategic transmission pattern. This
may begin with leaflets being dropped from a plane. These messages use seven practiced
enthusiastic statement presented as a fact, although it is not necessarily true. They often imply
that the statement requires no explanation or back up, but that it should merely be accepted 8
without question. Examples of assertion, although somewhat scarce in wartime propaganda,
can be found often in modern advertising propaganda. Any time an advertiser states that their
product is the best without providing evidence for this, they are using an assertion. Assertions,
although usually simple to spot, are often dangerous forms of propaganda because they often
Bandwagon is a technique which has been commonly used in wartime as well as having
a subject to follow the crowd, essentially trying to convince the subject that one side is the
winning side because the most people have joined it. However in modern propaganda
bandwagon is effectively used in advertising. Subjects are compelled to join in because their
peers are doing it for example Apple uses the bandwagon techniques by making the iPod look
desirable by using desirable people. This can often be enhanced by using celebrity
endorsements.
Selective omission involves only presenting information that is positive to an idea and
omitting information that is negative. This technique is used in all forms of propaganda and is
Glittering generalities often occurs in politics and political propaganda and have positive
meanings for individual subjects but are linked to highly valued concepts. For example freedom
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and democracy are vague terms with high moral connotations intended to arouse faith and
respect. Other words often used are honour, glory, and love of the country.
The lesser of two evils technique is often used to try and convince us of an idea by
presenting it as the least offensive option. This technique is often used to convince people of the
need for sacrifices and difficult decisions during wartime, so is often supported by blaming the
Often in politics and wartime but not in advertising the name calling technique occurs. It
is the use of words that carry negative connotation when describing the opposition. Through
labelling a target something that the public does not like can arouse prejudice, for example Nazi
propaganda.
The final of the seven main techniques of propaganda is pin-pointing the enemy which is
extremely used in wartime. This is an attempt to simplify situations by representing the target as
the enemy which needs to be stopped or killed. Although there may be other factors involved
the subject is urged to simply view the situation in terms of right and wrong.
Modern Propaganda
This belief is characterised by Ellul, who noticed the conformist images we often unknowingly
• Industrialisation
This is a significant division of labour and expertise. In such situations and complex
environments “dangerous ideas” maybe used to seek out and persuade others to join a
particular cause. Industrial societies are commonly connected greatly between more people,
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thus enabling a constant spread of ideas in a short amount of time. In an environment where
authority is infallible complex propaganda is not necessary in the frozen classes of feudalism or
totalitarianism. For example when the peasants revolt, you simply put them back in their place.
• Complexity
making speeches and posters, but that seeks to reach people through all media and situations. 10
The white propagandist Sir Winston Churchill won a Nobel Prize in Literature because of his
"Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States
have fallen or may fall into the grip of Gestapo and all the odious
apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the
end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we
shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we
shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be...we shall never
surrender" (Churchill, 1940)
For the people of the overrun countries, or who felt they where the next to be invaded,
these words rose their spirits and urged them to keep going on. To add further complexity to the
propaganda effort dis-confirming evidence or opinion can be very destructive, so these must be
discredited.
• Masses
In a depersonalised society, where identity comes from the group rather than personal missions,
beliefs, and values, people are forced into the “masses” such as religious, political, work and
social groups. If the propagandist can infiltrate the leaders and fundamentals of the groups they
• Integration
The main goals for controlling organisations that use modern propaganda do not do so to
agitate the “masses” but to integrate individuals into society through the use of social norms.
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• Blocs
Propaganda on a global scale has a tendency to fall into a limited and small number of “Blocs”
that often are involved with particular ideologies. Political blocs have long used internal
propaganda to demonise the other, most notably capitalist and communist blocs. Arguably
another example of this is Christian and Islamic blocs fighting in various ways and using
• Totalitarian
In all directions and from virtually every environment propaganda appears and contains
elements of messages that promote conformity, for example thought. In totalitarian countries
people are willing participants in their own imprisonment yet may perceive any other alternate
• Simplification
To make nation or global affairs seem far simpler is a popular effect propagandists seek.
Enemies and friends are always clear whereas social issues for example civil partnership,
euthanasia, and abortion are simplified. Opinions expressed by the public are stereotyped and
represented through a media which expresses great pride in clarifying issues but is also subject
to propagandist messages.
• Omnipresent
This is the final characteristic of modern propaganda and means that that it is everywhere, from
television programmes to your garden shed. All aspects of everyone’s life has been completely
surrendered to the invasion of propaganda from the fashions that people choose to the food that
is eaten.
Leni Riefenstahl
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Helene Bertha Amalie Riefenstahl (see Figure 4) is arguably the most famous director to be
associated with Nazi propaganda and is widely known for her aesthetics and innovations as a
film maker. Her most famous film was Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will) and chronicles
the 1934 Nazi Party Congress at Nuremburg. The film shows Hitler and various other Nazi
leaders giving speeches interspersed with footage of massed party members. The overall
purpose of the film is to show that Germany has amassed great power and that Hitler is the true
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leader to bring glory to Germany.
Fig. 4
Mein Kampf. Techniques of propaganda are clearly used throughout the film to elevate Hitler
such as during the opening scenes Hitler’s plane is flying through the clouds, giving a sense of
divinity and casting a crucifix shaped shadow on the crowd below, and the clever filming of the
crowds watching Hitler’s procession on the streets which gave the impression that every street
Banksy
Graffiti borrows elements from popular culture and advertising and thus gives new meanings to
otherwise obsolete or unmoved elements. The subversive and politically controversial graffiti
artist Banksy uses limited colours and stencils in order to quickly place a message in the public
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view in order to gain significance. These messages are often on the topic of embarrassing
Fig. 5
the stream there are two shopping trolleys and a traffic cone. In
odd addition, a CCTV tower with cameras pointing in different directions as if trying to find
Fig. 6
propaganda.
The celebrated photograph, by Alberto Diaz Gutierrez Korda (see Figure 7), Guerillero Heroico
has been an embodiment of young generations since the 1950s. So much so, that its complex
and conflicting narratives have given Guerillero Heroico its own life independent of the real Che
Guevara.
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The mass production of the image is owed to Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick (see Figure 8)
whose unique style involved using a paper negative on a grant and printing in black and red.
The stark black cut out became easy, cheap, and fast to reproduce without losing quality by
using lith film and screen printing. This enable wide spread usage of the image, which was
aided further by the lack of copyright on the image which made it possible for the image to
Fig. 8
danger, it is also true to say that red can conjure mixed and
the image that this colour appeals to. Studies have also
cleanliness, and innocence. White can also be seen as to represent wholeness and completion
because white is the manifestation of all colours. Black, like red, has many meanings and it is
up to the viewer to judge their own ideas about the use. The opposite of white, black also
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represents polarity. Black absorbs light and conceals, which has come to mean a hidden link to
the unknown or the unseen and also evokes feelings of fear and uncertainty. Under a positive
light black symbolises emptiness in which anything may appear such as potential and
possibility.
Digital Manipulation
For digital manipulation there is editing software, such as Adobe Photoshop CS4, and many
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techniques are beneficial in order to create an edited image of quality. Factors that affect the
The quality and appearance of a bitmap image is determined by its size and it’s Dots Per Inch
(DPI). DPI is specified by how many dots across by how many dots tall thus defining the grid
that gets filled in to present the image. In some instances, as when printing images to actual
paper, size can refer to the number of pixels or the physical dimensions, for example 8 by 10
inches. Graphics have different DPI for different purposes, and it's important to know how the
graphic will be used. If the image is very high DPI but is used on the web, it will take longer than
necessary to download. The traditional rule is 72 DPI for images that will only appear online and
The term DPI is also used when referring to the overall size of a bitmap graphic. So, for
best results it is necessary to know the number of pixels, the DPI, the physical size, and how the
image is to be used especially when the images are to be printed by a commercial printer.
Bitmaps can effectively be made smaller, but cannot be made larger without degrading the
Resolution
Resolution is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed (for example
1920x1200 pixels) on display devices. The most common application of resolution is Plasma
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Display Panels (PDP), Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD), Digital Light Processing (DLP) projectors,
or similar technology. In digital measurement the display resolution would be given in pixels per
inch.
Pixels
A pixel is a single point in an image. Pixels are normally arranged in a 2-dimensional grid, and
are often represented using dots or squares. Pixels may be blown up to a larger size however
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there is a limit to that size. This depends on the resolution and size of the original image to how
Lossy compression is a data compression method which discards some of the data with the
result that decompressing the data yields content that is different from the original. Lossy
By contrast, lossless compression is required for text and data files. This technique of
compression loses none of the original information stored in the file whilst reducing the size,
while lossy compression only loses data that is not perceptible by humans.
A bitmap is made up of pixels and heavily relies on its size and DPI. Advantages of bitmap
images include the ability to represent complex photographic images, and are compatible with
any program that can work with simple bitmap file formats. Whilst its disadvantages are
bitmaps are not effectively scalable to larger sizes and lose the possibility to maintain edit
data and images, and is generally used to hold and transfer full colour photorealistic images.
Although JPEG compresses photos with loss in quality. Photos and multi-colour images,
transferred in this format, are ideal for networking. It is not possible to retain edit ability with
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JPEG images without losing quality, though it is possible to debase them by decreasing the file
size.
The format uses a palette of up to 256 distinct colours from the 24-bit RGB colour space. It also
supports animations and allows a separate palette of 256 colours for each frame. The colour
limitation makes the GIF format unsuitable for reproducing color photographs and other images
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with continuous colour, but it is well-suited for more simple images such as graphics or logos
• Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) is a container format for storing images,
including photographs and line art. TIFF is a popular format for colour and black and white
images. The TIFF format is widely supported by image-manipulation, publishing and page
layout, scanning, faxing, word processing, optical character recognition and other applications.
lossless data compression. PNG was created to improve upon and replace the GIF format. PNG
supports palettes of 24-bit RGB colours. PNG is designed for transferring images on the internet
• Photoshop Document (PSD) format stores an image with support for most
imaging options available in Photoshop. These include layers with masks, colour spaces, ICC
profiles, transparency, text, alpha channels and spot colours, clipping paths, and duotone
settings. This is in contrast to many other file formats like GIF that restrict content to provide
Vector graphics (see Figure 9) are points connected by paths to create various shapes,
filled with solid or gradient colours. More points and more paths can make more complex
shapes. Basic geometric shapes like lines, circles, ovals, squares, rectangles and polygons with
any number of sides, are mathematically simple and are a good starting point for vector
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graphics. Advantages of vectors include the ultimate size of
Fig. 9
Creating a Vector
By using Adobe Photoshop CS4 it is possible to create a vector graphic. This is in order to make
use of the vector’s advantages; low in memory size, and can be enlarged without any pixilation.
The process of manipulating the chosen image in this way relies heavily on the pen tool in order
to create shapes resembling features of the original image and then fill them with colour, which
Detail on vector images is not necessary but it does make it easier to recognise key features of
the face and makes it more realistic. Although it is easy to create an image that looks blotchy by
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Mind Map
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Proposal
For this project I have been asked to research propaganda poster art and document its different
styles, whilst designing and creating my own poster. During my research it is important to pay
particular attention to the change in visual style throughout the history of propaganda be it
understandings of decoding media. In my design there must be a clear target audience and
contain certain suggested elements. These are digital photographic images, manipulated
images, scanned objects and images, drawn vector images, and graphical text.
Through my research into propaganda uses and techniques I have found that it is best to
persuade your audience using subjects that they already fear, whether through the truth or lies
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and so for my ideas I decided the objective should be to educate the public in our government’s
surveillance techniques through fantastical possibilities. The final product should pose the
question: Is our government allowed to watch us this closely? I want to also include a sense of
radicalism and revolution into my ideas to invoke a feeling in the audience that an underground
organisation is at work in the peoples service, with the sole duty to overthrow totalitarian
authority.
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The overall style should be simple and easily reproduced, as well as include ideas of
colour usage seen in Jim Fitzpatrick’s Guirillero Heroico and political controversy as seen in
Banksy’s art.
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Concepts
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Final Concepts
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These concepts follow the idea of compulsory national identification, that we are required to
have our finger prints on governmental records in order to allow access to things that would
otherwise require keys for example our own homes, vehicles, and places of employment. The
tattooed barcode is an identity tag that is swiped for instant identification and is reminiscent of
the numbered tattoos often forced onto prisoners during the Holocaust.
Another idea about the barcode is from the book of John concerning the coming of the
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anti-Christ and the end of days. There is a description that says the people of the earth must
wear a symbol on their right wrist or forehead in order to purchase food and clothing, as well as
use services. This idea translates to the barcode as not only identification but also as a credit
card and a way of gaining entry to members’ only institutions such as golf clubs or nightclubs.
Other possibilities are that the barcode could be scanned when you enter a public area
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Evaluation
For the final product I used the idea of the barcode and transformed it to look like it had been
unceremoniously gouged into the skin. The quotes in the background: war is peace, freedom is
slavery, and ignorance is strength are from George Orwell’s 1984 and represent a controlling
authority with absurd ideas. The use of ransom note type lettering and the lacking of a logo
represent anonymity, as though the creators of the propaganda are afraid for themselves.
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If I were to do this project again I would take more time to acquire editing skills in Adobe
Photoshop as well as create more in depth and critically evaluated designs in order to best
Glossary
Reference List
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Cited in: Baker, S. (no date) Media Studies [online] Available at:
<http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/REVmedia.htm> [ Accessed 14th January 2010]
Clauss, Dr.L.F. (1926) Rasse und Seele. 1st ed. Berlin: Bü chergilde Gutenberg.
Darwin, C. (1871) The Descent of Man. London: John Murray, Albemarle Street.
Ellul, J (1965) Propaganda: The Formation of Men’s Attitudes. New York: Random House Inc.
Gunther, H.F.K. (1922) Rassenkunde des deutchen Volkes. Munich: Lehmans Verlag.
27
Hitler, A (1925) Mein Kampf. Munich: Franz Eher Verlag
Jenkins, R. (2001) Churchill: A Biography. New York: Farrar, Straus and Girox.
Le Bon, Gustave (1895) The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind. Atlanta, Georgia: Cherokee
Publishing Company.
Thompson, Dorothy. (1938) ‘On The Record’. New York Tribune, November 2nd. p.92-93.
Cited in: Sanes, K. (no date) ‘War of the Worlds, Orson Welles, and the Invasion from Mars’
[online] Available at: <http://www.transparencynow.com/welles.htm> [Accessed 14th
January 2010]
The Eternal Jew (1940) Directed by Fritz Hippler. Germany, Deutsche Filmherstellungs- und -
Verwertungs- GmbH [Film: 35mm]
Think Exist. (no date), Adolf Hitler Quotes [online] Available at:
<http://thinkexist.com/quotation/through_clever_and_constant_application_of/190521.ht
ml > [Accessed 13th November 2009]
Triumph of the Will (1935) Directed by Leni Riefenstahl. Germany, Leni Riefenstahl-Produktion.
[Film: 35mm]
Wells, H.G (1898) War of the Worlds. London: Heinemann publishing house.
Banksy (2005) Kissing Policemen [photograph] In: Banksy (2005) Wall and Piece. London: The
Random House Group Limited.
Banksy (2005) Show me the Monet [photograph] In: Banksy (2005) Wall and Piece. London:
The Random House Group Limited.
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Jellyse (n.d.) T-Shirt Design [online image] Available at:
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/30127088@N06/4329720850> [Accessed 11th April 2010)
Korda, Alberto Diaz Gutierrez (1960) Guerrillero Heroico [online image] Available at:
<http://hcvanalysis.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/chelacoubre1.jpg> [Accessed 11th April
2010]
Unknown (n.d.) The Eternal Jew [online image] Avalable at: <http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zoA-
ZomYOKQ/R2jbSGLC_sI/AAAAAAAAB0k/b8WJIsi9mBE/s400/Der+Ewige-2.jpg>
[Access 11th April 2010]
Unknown (n.d.) The Mercury Theatre on the Air [online image] Available at:
<http://www.vermontmornings.com/WarOfTheWorlds_1938.jpg> [Accessed 11th April
2010]
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