QUESTIONS

If you are to vote, how do

you decide who is the best
candidate…

Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

or which is the best toothpaste ?

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Looking for facts to
back up your choice is
an excellent idea, but
find out who is
presenting those facts.
Are they facts
at all, or is the
advertiser using
propaganda
techniques to
persuade you? Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002
 What are Propaganda
techniques?
• Propaganda is designed to persuade.
• Its purpose is to influence your
opinions, emotions, attitudes, or
behavior.
• It seeks to “guide your choice.”
Who uses
Propaganda?
•Military

•Media

•Advertisers

•Politicians
 Propaganda Techniques

1. Bandwagon
2. Name-calling
3. Testimonial/Endorsement
4. Glittering Generalities
5. Plain-folks appeal
6. Transfer
7. Card Stacking
8. Wit and Humor
 Bandwagon
•Everybody is doing this.
•Ifyou want to fit in, you need to “jump on
the bandwagon” and do it too.
•The implication is that you must JOIN in to
FIT in.

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Bandwagon
For example:

If the whole
world uses this
VISA card, you Bank of the World Visa Card-
You can use it from Tennessee to
must need one Timbuktu-
anywhere you travel in whole wide
too. world !!

Sign up today at www.bowvisa.com

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Name-calling

•A negative word or feeling is attached

to an idea, product, or person.
• If that word or feeling goes along with
that person or idea, the implication is
that we shouldn’t be interested in it.
 Transfer

•Positivesymbols, quotes, or images

are transferred.
 Transfer
For example: Celebrate the
Independence
Juan uses this 12th of
symbols of June

Philippines to tie Eat at Juan’s

his restaurant to
Filipino values for Joe’s Barbeque

Independence
Day. Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002
 Testimonial
•A famous person endorses an idea,
a product, a candidate.

•If someone famous uses this

product, believes this idea, or
supports this candidate, so should
we.
 Testimonial

For example:

If we drink milk
we will all be as
famous as Milly Clipart-Microsoft Office XP 2002

the model. Milly the Model

asks, “Got Milk?”
 Glittering Generality
Definition: Using simple phrases that
sound good but have no real value or
meaning.
•A commonly admired virtue is used to
inspire positive feelings for a person,
idea, or product.
 Plain-folks appeal
This idea, product, or person
is associated with normal,
everyday/common people
and activities.
 Plain-folks appeal
For Example:
We want Juan, a mayor who
supports the regular Filipino worker.

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Vote for Juan

 Card Stacking

Selectively presenting only part of the

information in order to lean the
argument one way or another.
Example
“What about side effects? Well, Alli
diet pill won’t leave you jittery or
make your heart race.”
 Card Stacking

. Cigarette companies use

propaganda to persuade
their customers to buy
them. They leave out the
harmful effects of
cigarettes and use
beautiful people to
portray their product.
 Engaging Techniques:
Wit and Humor – diverts
the audience and gives
a reason to laugh often
through the use of clever
visuals and/or language.
Buyer Beware
Be a conscientious
consumer
Know what devices are
trying to influence you
Then…
Make an informed
decision
 How do we make sure that we are
making informed choices,

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instead of allowing others to sway us

in our decision-making?
We make our own choices when …
•we read and listen to reliable sources,
•we watch for combinations of truths
and lies,
•we check for hidden messages,
•we watch for use of propaganda
techniques
and, most importantly,

www.scottish.parliament.uk/ educationservice

WHEN WE LISTEN TO OUR OWN

VOICES !