Propaganda In Duck And Cover

The end of World War Two resulted in a power struggle for ideological world dominance between the United States, who were convinced that post war world desired democracy, and the Soviet Union, who saw the postwar period as an opportunity to expand their idea of communism. Having observed the power and impact of propaganda as utilized by the Nazis in Germany, both countries developed numerous methodologies to spread their message and create a fear of the ‘other’ and support for their ideological views of the world. This result in what became known as the Cold War, in which both countries utilized indoctrination through education, which became a legitimized practice adopted by both nations (Hope, 2011).

Because of the genuine threat of nuclear

In Duck and Cover, the film simplifies the harmful effects an atomic bomb can have so that youth viewing the film have something to relate to the possible adverse effects a bomb would have. An example of simplification is depicted when the narrator equates an atom bomb burst as being brighter than the sun, brighter than anything the children have ever seen, and that the flash can burn them worse than a sunburn (1952). Simplification of the message, according to Ellul (1957), is also essential in assisting people so they may readily understand the problem, but also promises a solution only if they participate as directed. In Duck and Cover’s case, the narrator repeats in each situation that youths may find themselves in that if they follow the instructions, they will allow themselves to be much safer. The message implies that if you don’t do what everyone else does, you will be severely harmed or even die, which leads us to the next propaganda concept, shaping

First, the film stresses the importance of obeying all authority figures, such as teachers, parents, older persons and civil defence authorities. Obeyance is evidence in two ways by having the film distributed through the American education system in every classroom and using the teacher as the trustworthy purveyor of the message, who not only plays the film but has the students practice. In this way Ellul’s belief that propaganda must educate people that problems can be mitigated as long as people follow directions from those in the know (Ellul, 1957). Secondly, as life does not just exist in the classroom, the narrator in Duck and Cover provides an example of how the fire is dangerous, which is why people practice fire drills so they can be safe from fire. This aspect of the film sends the message that if the audience follows the same directions from authorities that kept them safe from fire, they will also be safe from an atom bomb, which is grounded in purported