Propaganda methods, or how we are treated by the media, politicians, advertising

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

One way or another, we are all inhabitants of the media space, and therefore, without noticing it ourselves, we are constantly exposed to the influence of propaganda. To effectively deal with it, you need to learn to recognize it. So what propaganda methods are used against us?

1. Anonymous authority

propaganda is a popular misleading technique that is widely used by all media. It belongs to the so-called "gray" propaganda. It has long been proven that one of the most effective methods of influence is to appeal to authority. The authority to which they apply can be religious, it can be a significant political figure, a scientist or another profession. The name of the authority was not disclosed. At the same time, citation of documents, expert assessments, testimonial reports and other materials that are necessary for greater persuasiveness can be carried out. Examples: "Scientists have established on the basis of many years of research …", "Doctors recommend …", "A source from the closest presidential entourage, who wished to remain anonymous, reports …". What scientists? What doctors? What is the source? The information provided in this way is in most cases a lie. References to non-existent authority give it solidity and weight in the eyes of ordinary people. At the same time, the source has not been identified and the journalists do not bear any responsibility for the false report. So, if a passage in popular media begins with the words “sources inform” or “scientists recommend,” rest assured that this is not information, but propaganda or hidden advertising; moreover, the authors of the message are very far from scholarship and just as far from self-righteousness.

2. "Everyday story"

"Everyday" or "everyday" story is used, for example, to adapt a person to information that is clearly negative, causing denial, content. In the literature, this method is described calmly and in a businesslike manner. So, if you need to tame people to violence, blood, murder, atrocities of all kinds, then a fine-looking TV presenter with a calm face and an even voice, as if casually, informs you every day about the most serious atrocities. After several weeks of such treatment, the population ceases to react to the most heinous crimes and massacres taking place in society. (The psychological effect of addiction sets in)

This technique was used, in particular, during the coup d'etat in Chile (1973), when it was necessary to induce the indifference of the population to the actions of the Pinochet special services. In the post-Soviet space, it is actively used when covering mass protests, actions of the political opposition, strikes, etc. For example, there is a demonstration of thousands of opponents of the current regime, which is dispersed by riot police using truncheons and tear gas. The women and the elderly participating in it are severely beaten, the leaders of the political opposition are arrested. The next day, journalists casually and in a businesslike tone, without emotion, in passing tell us that, they say, another protest rally was held the day before, law enforcement agencies were forced to use force, so many violators of public peace were arrested, against whom criminal cases were initiated "in accordance with with the current legislation ", etc. This technique allows the media to preserve the illusion of objective coverage of events, but, at the same time, devalues the significance of what happened, creates an idea among the mass audience about this event as something insignificant, not worthy of special attention and, moreover, public assessment.

3. "Stop the thief"

The purpose of the admission is to mingle with your pursuers. A striking example is the experience of the CIA during the period of W. Colby (1970s). When this organization was accused of terrorism, murders, explosions, overthrowing governments, drug trafficking, and undercover failures, the CIA, led by Colby, ran ahead of the whistleblowers and began to expose themselves so zealously that the whistleblowers themselves barely calmed them down. So W. Colby kept the CIA.

The same technique is used to discredit, when the perpetrators, feeling the failure, are the first to raise a cry and direct the people's anger in the other direction. This technique is often used by "human rights activists" and "fighters against the mafia", whose task is to disorganize the public.

4. Chattering

The method of "chatting" is used when it is necessary to reduce the relevance or cause a negative reaction to any phenomenon. Using it, you can successfully fight the enemy, continuously praising him to the place and inappropriately speaking about his extraordinary abilities, constantly keeping his name on the ear, obviously exaggerating his abilities. Very quickly everyone gets bored and one name of this person causes irritation. It is very difficult to convict the authors of such an event of intentionally discrediting, since formally they make every effort to praise.

During elections, this technique is actively used in the form of an “information explosion” or a massive “leakage of compromising evidence”. The goal is to cause fatigue and headaches in people, to discourage voters from being interested in what is behind the soul of this or that candidate.

Another method of chattering is often used to create the so-called. "Information noise" when it is necessary to hide some important event or main problem behind the stream of secondary messages.

5. Emotional resonance

The technique of emotional resonance can be defined as a way of creating a certain mood among a wide audience while simultaneously transmitting propaganda information. Emotional resonance allows you to remove the psychological defense that a person builds on the mental level, deliberately trying to protect themselves from propaganda or advertising "brainwashing". One of the basic rules of propaganda says: first of all, you need to appeal not to the mind, but to the feelings of a person. Defending himself against propaganda messages, at a rational level, a person is always able to build a system of counter-arguments and reduce all efforts to "special treatment" to zero. If the propaganda influence on a person occurs on an emotional level, outside his conscious control, no rational counter-arguments will work in this case.

Appropriate techniques have been known since ancient times. They are based on the phenomenon of social induction (emotional contamination). The fact is that the emotions and feelings we experience are largely social phenomena. They can spread like an epidemic, sometimes infecting tens and hundreds of thousands of people and forcing the masses to "resonate" in unison. We are social beings and easily accept the feelings that arise in others. This is clearly seen at the level of interpersonal relationships - when it comes to close people. Everyone knows what it means to "spoil the mood" of a loved one and how easy it can sometimes be. Thus, a mother who possesses negative feelings always passes them on to her little child; the bad mood of one of the spouses can instantly be transmitted to the other, etc.

The effect of emotional contamination is especially pronounced in a crowd - a situational set of people who are not bound by a perceived goal. The crowd is a property of a social community characterized by the similarity of the emotional state of its members. In the crowd, there is a mutual infection of emotions and, as a result, their intensification.

6. The effect of presence

The technique was also introduced into practice by Nazi propaganda. Today it is featured in all journalism textbooks. Includes a number of tricks that should mimic reality. They are constantly used in "reporting from the battlefield" and in criminal chronicles, fabricating retroactively filming of the "real" capture of bandits or a car accident. The illusion of a "combat situation" is created, for example, by a sharp jerking of the camera and knocking it out of focus. At this time, some people are running in front of the camera, shots and shouts are heard. Everything looks as if the operator is in terrible excitement, filming reality under fire.

The illusion of certainty has a strong emotional impact and creates a feeling of great authenticity of events. A powerful effect of presence is created, as if we are thrown into a terrible reality, not suspecting that this is just a cheap trick.

This technique is widely used in commercial advertising - all sorts of "overlays" are specially staged to create an image of ingenuous "ordinary" people. Especially touching are the videos in which another "Aunt Asya" in a well-delivered voice of a professional actress tries to emulate the speech of "people from the people" - supposedly random pauses, stutters, slight pronunciation defects, ostentatious uncertainty … This is a primitive but effective method of "capturing the audience" …

7. Comments

The goal is to create a context in which a person's thoughts go in the right direction. The statement of fact is accompanied by an interpretation by the commentator, who offers the reader or viewer several reasonable explanations. It depends on the skill of the commentator to make the required option the most believable. For this, several additional techniques are usually used. They are actively used by all experienced commentators. First, the inclusion in propaganda materials of the so-called "two-way messages", which contain arguments for and against a particular position. "Two-way messages", as it were, anticipate the arguments of the opponent and, with skillful criticism, contribute to the creation of a certain immunity against them.

Secondly, positive and negative elements are dosed. In order for a positive assessment to look more believable, a little criticism should be added to the description of the described point of view, and the effectiveness of the judgmental position is increased if there are elements of praise. All used critical remarks, factual data, comparative materials are selected in such a way that the necessary conclusion is sufficiently obvious.

Thirdly, the selection of facts of strengthening or weakening of statements is carried out. Conclusions are not included in the text of the above messages. They should be made by those for whom the information is intended.

Fourthly, comparative materials are used to enhance the importance, demonstrate trends and scale of events and phenomena.

8. Principle of contrast

White is clearly visible against a black background, as well as vice versa. Psychologists always emphasize the role of the social background against which a person or group is perceived. A slacker next to working people is much more judgmental. Against the background of evil and unjust people, a kind person is always perceived with special sympathy.

The principle of contrast is used when, for some reason, it is impossible to say directly (censorship, the danger of a lawsuit for libel), but I really want to say it. In this case, conjecture in the right direction is provided.

For example, all media widely use a special arrangement of news items, leading the recipient of the information to quite unambiguous conclusions. This is especially noticeable during election campaigns. All internal conflicts and scandals in the camp of political opponents are covered in detail, with a savor of details. Like, "they are all there" - a bunch of demagogues and brawlers. On the contrary, “own” political movement is presented as a close-knit team of like-minded people who are professionally engaged in real, constructive affairs. News items are selected accordingly. The "bad" ones scold for places on the party lists - the "good" at this time open a children's hospital built at their own expense, help the disabled and single mothers. In general, the scenery is such that while some politicians are fighting for power and sorting out relations among themselves, others are engaged in creative work for the good of the people.

Some media portray some electoral blocs in a more favorable light, others - others. By the bias of the journalists, one can easily guess which financial and political group controls the given media outlet.