Propaganda Essay

Propaganda has a Latin origin which means to propagate or to sow. Propaganda is usually associated with conflicts around states, but it can also be associated with religion, politics and other matters of strong belief. Propaganda has long been used as a tool for the governments, but the term was first associated with the Latin tittle of the Council of Bishops of the Roman Catholic Church. The Congregation for Propagation of the Faith was established in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV, which was trying to find way in order to convince the public opinion. During that period, historically propaganda became a powerful weapon among nations, which caused a lot of conflicts between them. Propaganda is considered a form of persuasion, which involves a message

In Propaganda and Persuasion, Garth S. Jowett and Victoria O’ Donnell the definition that is provided about propaganda is, “The deliberate and systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist”. The definition given above is a neutral version of propaganda, which is associated with all the negative aspects that have to with the seven devises of propaganda. The result of the propaganda critique came with the establishment of the Institute for Propaganda Analysis (IPA) in 1937.

The devices given by IPA had as a purpose to inform and protect the public from the negative effects of propaganda and they still remain up to today, the 21st century, one of the best guidelines that people can use to detect propaganda. Propaganda has become a form of communication, which is applied in several parts of the world and is associated with social to political and psychological issues. Propaganda is everywhere. In this essay all propaganda devices will be examined and examples will be provided in order to understand each devise

It is mostly associated with spokespersons. A Spokesperson is a person that talks for another person or a group of people who can understand and empathize with a listener's concerns. This device used to be more common in politics than it was in advertising, although such campaigns for commercial products have increased in recent years. In the book of Lee and Lee this device is explained as “Plain folks is the method by which a speaker attempts to convince his audience that he and his ideas are good because they are ‘of the people,’ the ‘plain folks”. (p.92). The speaker gives the audience a sense of trust and comfort, believing that the speaker and the audience share common goals believing that the spokesperson is one of them and someone that they can trust. All this is done in order to persuade the audience to vote someone or to buy their product. For example, Bill Clinton ate at McDonald's and confessed a fondness for trashy spy novels. Politician, Bill Clinton was trying to act normal by eating McDonald in order to approach the public. Many politicians use ordinary language, dress casually in order to blend with the regular citizens and become trustworthy. All this is done in order to gain the citizens trust and votes. In advertising the use of the Palin Folks technique has changed. Now days, the use of everyday people instead of famous people are portrayed in commercials, reestablishing the use of “role