What I learned about Propaganda

 Since we learned about the World Wars in our middle school history classes, we’ve all been aware of propaganda and how our government strategically used it to alter our perceptions of what was really happening out in the world. The presentation was given on propaganda, however, made me see it in a new light. The presentation made it clear that propaganda is not a thing of the past, it is still strategically utilized today. As we look back at early examples of propaganda, it's easy to see in hindsight how conniving they were. Propaganda is misleading or biased information used to promote a particular political cause. The most obvious example of this, and one that comes to my mind any time I hear the term propaganda, is the well-known Uncle Sam “I want you…” poster, urging young men to join the armed forces. This was at a time where Americans often didn’t grasp the depth of the horrors of war. This made it possible, and actually easy, to mislead young men into thinking that joining the army was a noble, positive thing for them to do. These propaganda messages failed to illustrate the downsides of joining the war, and how horrible the scenes of the war really were. 

Today, propaganda takes a slightly different form, and while it's less recognizable in real-time, we now know more about what the government is capable of. I found it very interesting to look at memes as modern sources of propaganda. Interestingly, the term ‘meme’ is actually defined as “an idea, behavior, style or usage that spreads from one person to another in a culture”. It's astonishing the rate at which memes are shared on social media, with over 70% of users sharing at least one meme every day. Memes are used to communicate and often promote viewpoints usually using satire. Similar to how propaganda has always been used, memes underscore the significance of events and can sometimes be misleading or biased. Some memes are used to underscore certain political viewpoints, thus supporting the opposing view.

 

This meme on the left, for example, underscores the importance of global warming and seeks to present the viewer with the opinion that “they'' are lying to us about global warming and we shouldn't trust what Time Magazine writes. Or the meme on the right, attempting to criticize and sway voters against then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. As users of social media, we are exposed to dozens, if not more, memes every day. So it’s understandable why this would be a pertinent use for spreading calculated messages. Often, they simply make us laugh, and convey a message without us even realizing it. They have the power to seep into our brains and change our opinions. This modern use of propaganda is something we should all be on the look for. We have a personal responsibility to be aware that it's out there, be able to identify it and be able to correctly interpret it. This is how we take power back from the ones who are trying so hard to deceive us. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Photography

Image
  The history of photography was of particular interest to me, especially because of the research I did on the history of television. Obviously, photography was instrumental in the creation of film and television. Photography was first used in the early 1800s. Kodak sold the very first commercial camera in 1888. This was a monumental event because it made it possible for people like you and me to capture everyday moments that previously could not be relieved in such a real way. Before this time, cameras and photography were exclusively available to the rich and powerful. The first commercial camera had only a single lens and a nonadjustable focus. With this camera, customers would take pictures and send the camera back to the factory to have the photos developed, much like disposable cameras today. At this time, most photographs taken were staged portraits. When World War II started, that changed. War had an impact on photography, and photography had an impact on the war. As I stated
Read more

Diffusion Theory

Image
The very first glimpse of the technology that made television possible was an exclusive opportunity reserved for the privileged few. The idea was around for a while before it was willed into solid reality, and there isn't one person credited for its creation. To name a few, Philo Farnsworth, John Logie Baird, Charles Francis Jenkins, and Kenjiro Takayanagi were the pioneers of the technology. When first released , television sets ranged from $200-$600, with the higher end of that being equivalent to about half of the average annual salary at the time. The high price made it exclusively available to upper-class citizens, making them the early adopters of the technology. After the end of World War I, television became much more popular .  People weren't facing the threat of war and such bad economic hardships, and television had already evolved since its initial debut. The combination of these factors made television more accessible to middle-class Americans. They make up the e
Read more

The Supreme Court

Image
  Until this point, I can’t say that I have ever made the effort to teach myself about the workings of the Supreme Court, and I can’t say any of my teachers did either. Like many other Americans I assume, what I knew is that the Supreme Court is responsible for upholding the Constitution and essentially ensuring American citizens equal justice under the law, however, what I lacked was the understanding of the intricacies of this process. After viewing this Supreme Court Video , detailing the process of how cases are brought to the court, as well as how decisions are reached and the individual responsibilities of the justices, I’m amazed at the procedures and operations that have been preserved for so long. One part of this process that I didn't know about was that each of the nine justices decides on each case individually before counseling and reaching a consensus. The video tells us that the court receives more than 100 cases per week, most of which are petitions for certiorari,
Read more