In this informational text, Shelby Ostergaard defines what propaganda is and explains how it
influences people's beliefs and actions. She discusses several famous historical examples of
propaganda and examines the impact that new technologies have on its reach. As you read,
make note of the details that support how propaganda has been used throughout history.
Mass media are the methods we use to
communicate with large numbers of people at
one time. We live in the age of mass media,
whether that’s social media, the Internet,
television or even advertising. Propaganda is
misinformation that is intentionally circulated
through mass media with a political agenda.1
In the past, governments in many different
parts of the world, often during times of war,
have used everything from newspaper articles
to movie previews to disperse propaganda.
Propaganda has been used to encourage
soldiers to fight under the worst conditions, to
instruct civilians to ration their food during
wartime, and to convince citizens to hate the
enemy. This misinformation has taken form in
political cartoons that depict a wartime
enemy as animal-like, and in ads or posters
that exaggerate the success of a war effort.
The authors of propaganda try to convey their political agenda through the messages
embedded in their slogans, writing, or art. Propaganda is like a political advertisement with a
shaky relationship to the truth.
Nazi Germany showcased the unbelievable power of propaganda. Hitler was a huge proponent
of the use of propaganda; writing in Mein Kampf2
in 1926 that, “Propaganda tries to force a
doctrine on the whole people... Propaganda works on the general public from the standpoint of
an idea and makes them ripe for the victory of this idea.” After the Nazis seized power in 1933,
[1]
1. Underlying intentions or motives of a particular group
2. an autobiographical book by Adolph Hitler, published in 1925
1
Hitler quickly established a Reich Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda, headed by Joseph
Goebbels. The Ministry’s mission was to ensure that Nazi ideas of racism, anti-Semitism,3
and
anti-Bolshevism4
became popular in Germany. The Nazi message was communicated through
art, music, theater, films, books, radio, educational materials, and the press. Through every
medium of culture, the German people were assaulted by the message that non-Jewish German
people represented a better race, that the Germans had suffered unfairly after World War I,
and that this suffering was the fault of “inferior” races. Films portrayed Jews as rat-like creatures
that infiltrated5
societies. Newspapers ran editorials and comics that supported this view. Later,
as the Germans began to lose World War II, the Nazis used propaganda to convince ordinary
Germans that they were actually still winning and that citizens should continue their support for
the war effort.
Nazis used propaganda extensively, but most governments use some form of propaganda. In
both World War I and World War II, governments on both sides of the war ran propaganda
campaigns to convince citizens to enlist. These campaigns misled citizens by downplaying the
horror of war conditions, especially in WWI, and by emphasizing the evils and inhumanity of the
enemy. In the decades following World War II, during what was known as the Cold War,6
both
the Soviet Union and the United States ran extensive propaganda campaigns. Both countries
sought to convince its citizens of the evil and hypocrisy7
of the other side. Both governments
also sought to convince citizens that measures taken during the Cold War, such as the build-up
of nuclear weapons, were worth it.
The battle for people’s minds is as old as history itself. Greek writers often complained of the
lies told by their political rivals. In the late 1500s, after England defeated the Spanish Armada,
Spain spread word of the exact opposite — that they had achieved a decisive victory over
England. Propaganda has been a part of war for as long as humans have been able to spread
information, but propaganda is not just a part of history books.
Modern nations like North Korea use propaganda extensively. When the country suffered from
extensive famine8
in the 1990s, the government produced posters that encouraged people to
eat only two meals a day for its health benefits. Still, museums in North Korea teach visitors
about American atrocities9
that never occurred. North Koreans are told that their leaders are
"Propaganda: Battling for the Mind " b
revered around the world, and that they live in the second happiest country in the world. In
North Korea, access to the Internet is restricted to ensure it is more difficult for citizens to
access non-government media sources. Because of propaganda, a North Korean’s
understanding of history and the world today is radically different than a South Korean’s
understanding of those same things.
While governments have historically been responsible for most propaganda, sometimes
corporations run campaigns that are similar to propaganda. Non-profit organizations and
political campaigns utilize techniques that are similar to propaganda, especially now that mass
media has made it possible for them to reach huge numbers of people. This non-governmental
propaganda can be anything making a photo go viral to using a blog to spread rumors about
opposing political candidates. Anyone who intentionally spreads misinformation for political
purposes is disseminating10 propaganda. New methods of mass communication make it
possible for anyone to spread propaganda.
The rise of the Internet has made the creation and sharing of propaganda easier than ever.
Publishers who want to generate revenue11 from advertisements placed on their webpages can
run “news” articles with provocative12 headlines and misleading or incorrect information. Open
internet access and social media sharing can help this information spread quickly. Some of
these websites are solely motivated by profit; others are interested in spreading false
information for ideological13 reasons. This phenomenon is often referred to as “fake news.” The
placement of "fake news" on the internet can be haphazard or unplanned, while propaganda is
typically part of a larger strategy by its creator. It is a planned approach to convince citizens of
something specific.
Leaders have always and will always battle for the minds of their citizens, or the minds of other
people’s citizens. The difference between propaganda and persuasion is that propaganda often
doesn’t fight fair in that battle. Although propaganda has historically been a neutral term, it has
become more associated with manipulation in the twentieth century. And while the
propaganda of one hundred years ago might have taken the form of cartoons, posters,
pamphlets, and radio shows, propaganda messages are now conveyed through an increasingly
wide range of media as new technologies have been invented.
Part One: Propaganda: Battling For The Mind
Please use the passage linked here to complete questions 1-10. Choose the best answer
for each question.
1. Which of the following best describes the main purpose of propaganda as discussed in the
article?(5 points)
A) To entertain the public
B) To spread information neutrally
C) To influence public opinion and behavior
C) To influence public opinion and behavior
2. Who was responsible for the creation and spread of propaganda in Nazi Germany according
to the article?(5 points)
A) Heinrich Himmler
B) Joseph Goebbels
C) Adolf Hitler
D) Hermann Göring
3. What is one method the article mentions as being used to spread propaganda?(5 points)
A) Social media
B) Television commercials
C) Radio broadcasts
D) Scientific journals
4. How does the article describe the relationship between propaganda and truth?(5 points)
A) Propaganda always aligns with the truth.
B) Propaganda manipulates the truth to influence public opinion.
C) Propaganda is a direct reflection of factual information.
D) Propaganda ignores the truth altogether.
5. In the context of the article, how has modern technology affected the spread of propaganda?
(5 points)
A) It has slowed the spread of propaganda.
B) It has made it easier and faster to disseminate propaganda to large audiences.
C) It has had no impact on the spread of propaganda.
D) It has made propaganda obsolete.
6. According to the article, what is the significance of emotional appeal in propaganda?
(5 points)
A) Emotional appeal is irrelevant in propaganda.
B) Emotional appeal is used to bypass logical reasoning and directly influence people’s
feelings.
C) Emotional appeal weakens the effectiveness of propaganda.
D) Emotional appeal is only used in propaganda targeting children.
7. What does the article suggest about the role of propaganda during wartime?(5 points)
A) Propaganda has little influence during wars.
B) Propaganda is used primarily for entertainment purposes during wars.
C) Propaganda is a powerful tool for shaping public perception and morale during wars.
D) Propaganda is used to provide neutral information to the public during wars.
8. How does the author use historical examples to support the claim that propaganda is a
longstanding practice?(5 points)
A) By showing how propaganda has evolved over time.
B) By comparing propaganda in different countries.
C) By citing examples from ancient times to the modern era.
D) By analyzing propaganda in recent political campaigns.
9. What is the meaning of the word disseminating as it is used in paragraph 6 of the article?
(5 points)
A) Concealing or hiding
B) Restricting or limiting
C) Spreading or distributing widely
D) Modifying or changing
10. The author uses the term assaulted to describe how the Nazi propaganda was spread to the
German people. How does this word choice affect the reader's understanding of the impact of
propaganda?(5 points)
A) It implies that propaganda was passively received and had minimal impact on the
German people.
B) It suggests that propaganda was subtly introduced and gently presented to the German
people.
C) It conveys that propaganda was aggressively and pervasively forced upon the German
people, implying a strong, overwhelming influence.
D) It indicates that propaganda was only occasionally seen and had little effect on the
German people.
1 answer
Here are the answers to the questions based on the provided text about propaganda:
C) To influence public opinion and behavior
B) Joseph Goebbels
A) Social media
B) Propaganda manipulates the truth to influence public opinion.
B) It has made it easier and faster to disseminate propaganda to large audiences.
B) Emotional appeal is used to bypass logical reasoning and directly influence people’s feelings.
C) Propaganda is a powerful tool for shaping public perception and morale during wars.
C) By citing examples from ancient times to the modern era.
C) Spreading or distributing widely
C) It conveys that propaganda was aggressively and pervasively forced upon the German people, implying a strong, overwhelming influence.
These answers are based on the information and arguments presented in the article by Shelby Ostergaard regarding the role and effects of propaganda throughout history.
11 answers