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Propaganda has alway been a critical function that helps shape the values throughout society and time. Although overlooked by the masses, propaganda has consistently been used to guide our thoughts and opinion. Like many, including myself, we tend believe that choices and opinions we have our volition and often assume we can recognize it easily. However, that is easier said than done since many of the forms of propaganda are not always so transparent. Moreover, through the readings of Edward Bernays, Ryan Holiday, and Caroline Jack it becomes quiet clear that even I have encountered so much propaganda that much has become undetectable. Here are six definitive examples that encountered in various aspects of my life. 

 

Advertising 

Personally, it seems advertising is where propaganda truly flourishes.  Before the holidays last year, I remember reading this Buzzfeed article, “22 Products On Amazon That'll Make Perfect Gifts”. After it seemed like random list of gift suggestions for the holidays, but in a small print Jessie Gaynor, a buzzed staff member wrote “Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales from the links on this page.” followed by the content in a much bigger print that way it can be easily overlooked. Essentially this article is a suggestions of products to buy from this one particular company. Ryan Holiday said it best in his book, Trust Me I’m Lying when he wrote “A article that provides worthwhile advice is no more valuable than one instantly forgotten. So as long as the page loads and the ads are seen, both sides are fulfilling their purpose” (Holiday, 2012, p. 37). In other words, the point of the article isn’t to offer help for their followers but rather to make a profit. 

 

News and Information 

Often branded as the place to get fair and current information on matters of the world, the news is a place where propaganda tends to run rampant. Since many rely on news outlets for information, it is a great place to help sway an individual’s opinion for financial motives. After the past presidential election, it became quite obvious which national news stations were in favor of which political parties. It also became clear to me how often many of these news outlet use their shows as a sort of informercial to help promote books or other merchandise. “Consider the flourishing of questionable news sites that published unsourced, unverifiable, or fabricated stories during the 2016 election cycle…Misleading the public was an incidental side effect of the primary goal: making money.” (Jack, 2017, p. 3). One clear example of this is when I notice that a candidate who’s book was releasing soon was schedule to be a prominent guest on a national show that was own by the same conglomerate, or corporation that was publishing the book.   

 

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Education 

I think one of the most iconic examples of propaganda in my education is the case of Christopher Columbus. I think the Media Education Lab explains propaganda in education best by stating “…some forms of education are explicitly designed to lead people to accept a particular world view. Education can be a form of indoctrination when certain doctrines, ideas, information, values and beliefs are not permitted to be questioned. ” As a child, I remember learning Christopher Columbus as a champion by how he “discovered” America. It was even easy to remember with a catchy hook like “Christopher Columbus sail the ocean blue in 1492”. But once I got older, I realized the heinous truth of how “America was discover”. This goes to show that propaganda in school can shape how students learn about the world as well as reinforce the idea America has done no wrong. 

 

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Activism

Thanks to social media, recent activism have started to become more impactful. From the Women’s March, to the Black Lives Matter Movement or the recent Me too movement, activism has been successful in raising awareness to social issues by using propaganda. As a woman and minority, these are issues that have impacted my life so they may had a little built in bias for swaying my opinion. B the Media Education Lab explains this as “Activists try to promote social, political, economic or environmental change through using communication activities and public events that attract attention and influence people's knowledge, attitudes and opinions.” This is something that Women’s March, the Black Lives Matter Movement and the Me too movement were successful in doing. 

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In the end, propaganda, depending on who is using it can be astonishing, creative and helpful tool as well as malicious and fearful tactic. Whether it be aiding content and narratives that represent a community or causing fear and confusion, propaganda is a tool that can truly make a difference in society. But ultimately, it does not matter how it is used, because it is something that is not going to stop anytime soon. The most important to do is educate yourself, become aware in the ways that hidden figures and corporations try manipulate you and your opinion. 

 

References:

 

Bernays, E. (1928). Propaganda. New York, NY: Ig Publishing.

 

Holiday, R. (2012). Trust Me I’m Lying. New York, NY: Penguin.

 

Jack, C. “Lexicon of Lies.” Data & Society, 1-20. Link