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# Propaganda

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Propaganda, in the broad sense of the term, refers to information that serves a particular agenda. The information may be true or false. If true, it is often one-sided and fails to paint a complete picture. Examples would include information released by any corporation (so-called [corporate propaganda]?), and, in many cases, national histories as taught to school children.

In a narrower and more common use of the term, propaganda refers to deliberately false or misleading information that supports a political cause or the interests of those in power. The propagandist seeks to change the way people understand an issue or a situation, for the purpose of changing their actions and expectations in ways that are considered desirable by the propagandist. In this sense, propaganda serves as a corollary to censorship, in which the same purpose is achieved, not by filling people's heads with false information, but by preventing people from knowing true information. What sets propaganda apart from other forms of advocacy, is the willingness of the propagandist to change people's understanding through deception, rather than persuasion.

In an even narrower, less commonly used but legitimate sense of the term, propaganda refers only to false information that is meant to reassure people who already believe. The assumption is that, if people believe something that is false, they will constantly be assailed by doubts. Since these doubts are unpleasant, people will be eager to have them extinguished, and are therefore receptive to the reassurances of those in a position of authority. For this reason propaganda is often addressed to people who are already sympathetic to the agenda.

Propaganda, like censorship, is generally most extreme within totalitarian systems, and probably can be expected to increase, or decrease, as a government becomes more, or less, despotic.

Common forms of propaganda include news reports, government reports, historical revision, junk science, books, movies, and posters.

Adolf Hitler's propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels was considered a master in this area.

Could someone add a brief note with the etymology of the word? It comes from a Catholic Church congregation, the "Congregatio Propaganda something", the congragation for the propagation of faith. I don't do it myself because i don't remember the exact name.

Congregatio de propaganda fide; propaganda is a future participle, meaning that which ought to be propagated.

I don't agree that propaganda is generally most extreme within totalitarian systems, if only because it seems unnecessary whenever a person can be executed or "disappeared" for dissension. I'd have to argue that propaganda seems more necessary in "open" societies. But again, I'm neither a sociologist nor a, um, political scientist, and I'm sure data in this area--especially data to be trusted--are hard to come by.

see also: propaganda film

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Last edited August 6, 2001 12:05 pm (diff)
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