Topic 5: Public relations and society

Propaganda and Persuasion

■ Each involves the skillful presentation of an argument in an attempt to convince someone of

the rightness of a cause, the value of a service or the merit of an idea—all ethical and respectable
goals.

■ But a darker side to persuasive communication can be seen in activities such as false
advertising, information campaigns that withhold important facts and deliberate
misrepresentations by public officials. This type of persuasion is propaganda— persuasive
communication gone bad. Concept of Propaganda

■ The problem with propaganda, as the term now is understood, is not that it promotes
ideological causes but that it does so dishonestly.

■ Propaganda foists its message on an unsuspecting audience and indoctrinates people without
their realizing what is happening.

■ It is communication that conceals the identity of the source or the purpose of the message, and
in doing so manipulates rather than persuades.

■ Propaganda insists on a message that is intended primarily to serve the interests of the
messenger. It can also be defined as the spreading of information in order to influence public
opinion and to manipulate other people’s beliefs.

■ Propaganda can also be viewed as a systematic effort to persuade. The issue here is not the
truth or the falsehood of what is said. The propagandist sends a one-sided message, emphasising
the qualities of one side and the weaknesses of the other. History

■ Propaganda did not always have a bad reputation. The word itself is related to propagate,
meaning “to grow” or “to publicize.” As a synonym for persuasive communication, it grew out
the name of Catholic Church’s 17th-century missionary activity, the Congregatio de Propaganda
Fide (Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith).
■ From 1933 to 1945 the Nazi Government of Germany, was also very adept of propaganda. In
order to get power, Adolf Hitler used his orator’s ability to tell each audience what they wanted
to hear. After his party got into office he installed Joseph Goebbels as head of the Ministry for
Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. In that capacity Goebbels controlled everything, from the
press and radio to theatres and films, music, literature and fine arts. He obtained mass support for
the war by drawing parallels with historical events and by emphasising the Nazi concept of
Germany’s destiny and racial superiority.

■ Until the early 1900s, the term was commonly used to mean information, promotion and
persuasion. In the popular mind, the word came to be associated with deceptive communication
efforts, stemming from the Nazi propaganda bureau of the 1930s, and more recently with the
Cold War disinformation campaigns of the 1950s and ‘60s, which used news as a weapon to
discredit and deceive.

TYPES OF PROPAGANDA

Black propaganda (Covert)

■ Black propaganda was usually defined as involving deliberate and strategic transmission of
lies—its use was well illustrated by the Nazis. According to Howard Becker, a sociologist who
worked as an Office of Strategic Services propagandist during World War II, black propaganda
always misrepresented the source of the message so that it appeared to come from an “inside,”
trustworthy source with whom its target had a close relationship.

■ Deliberately propagated rumors or gossip would fit this definition.

White propaganda (Overt)

■ It is usually defined as involving intentional suppression of contradictory information and

ideas, combined with deliberate promotion of highly consistent information or ideas that support
the objectives of the propagandist.

■ Sometimes white propaganda was used to draw attention away from problematic events or to
provide interpretations of events that were useful for the propagandist. Becker asserts that to be
white propaganda, it must be openly identified as coming from an “outside” source—one that
doesn’t have a close relationship to the target of the propaganda.

Grey propaganda (unidentified)

■ Grey propaganda involved transmission of information or ideas that might or might not be
false. The propagandist simply made no effort to determine their validity and actually avoided
doing so—especially if dissemination of the content would serve his or her interest.

■ Gray propaganda is information that’s really on the other end of the spectrum. It’s propaganda
that might seem like it’s presenting legitimate arguments that don’t have any sort of agenda
behind them, but the origins of the information (or even the names of the groups releasing it) are
almost never properly sourced. A source might be noted occasionally, but it’s often ultimately
untrue. PR and Propaganda

■ The task of PR is to create a positive image of an individual or institution for the public. The
image is not necessarily false, but flaws and faults are omitted, ignored or played down. From
this point of view, PR is not different from propaganda, which can also contain true facts. A
candidate for office who insists he is the best for the job may prove it after winning the election.

■ As a matter of fact, Sergei Chakotin divides propaganda into two categories – black and white
– stating that public relations include white propaganda, which is the kind that omits false
information and has a known source.

■ The real difference comes from the fact that propaganda intentionally omits personal flaws
and faults, exaggerating positive aspects of self image, on the one hand, using half-truths or
outright lies about opponents, i.e. willingly promoting a negative image for adversaries, on the
other.

■ “Tell a lie once and it will remain a lie. Tell a lie a million times, using all means necessary,
and it will become and indisputable truth”, would say cynically Joseph Goebbels
Why is persuasion important?

When you are trying to influence people you need to not only sell yourself but help consumers
understand how your product or service will make their life easier, better, amazing?
Persuasion in PR is important because of the following reasons…

 The Principle of Liking

 Authority
 Social Proof
 Consistency
 Scarcity

THE PRINCIPLE OF LIKING

We all want to be liked. It’s human nature to want to return favors when someone does
something for us. In public relations, the favor may be handing out a hot story to a reporter or
placing a press release with the right publication for a colleague. Stopping to get coffee for
another employee may end up benefiting you because at some point in the future you’ll need
help. A journalist or magazine may be willing to listen when you let them know your ideas or
pitch a story if you’ve proven to be a good source in the past.

When you find the things that others like, it gives you a foundation to talk about common
interests. When common interests are discovered, it builds trust in a relationship. Something as
simple as noticing the brand of phone someone is using allows you to start a conversation.
Opening up dialog gives up that cheerful moment of pleasant conversation, but it also gives us
more.

Listening to others opens up the thought process and may spark ideas and solutions. Also, a
different perspective gives us a chance to see problems that can be solved, or possibly a
different way to use a product. That opens another revenue stream without having to come up
with a different product. Friendly conversation also improves our skills and understanding of
how to communicate more effectively. That means our powers of persuasion can improve.
AUTHORITY
When you establish someone’s credentials through something as simple as showing the number
of years they’ve worked in their field or some proof of their top-level performance in the past,
you bring credibility and authority to their support or endorsement. People love to know who is
qualified and are more likely to go with someone who knows what they are doing. Think of
your doctor; you always want to know that he or she is one of the best in their field in the area
you live.

SOCIAL PROOF
Clients need to know that with a PR firm representing a brand or product is not only effective
but ethical. They may learn of products and services from billboards, social media, speaking
engagements, books, and even pamphlets.

CONSISTENCY
It is important to be consistent. Consider the recent elections where many signs were put up to
promote the importance of voting. In those areas were multiple signs were out, voter turnout
increased. This can also apply in PR. Getting someone to consider your ideas or products often
helps the client in presentations and media. This is usually much more effective than flooding
someone’s email box.

SCARCITY
When something is harder to get or obtain, don’t we all want it that much more? Best example
happens every year at Christmastime when there is always one toy that kids want, and because
they all want it, it sells out early and becomes hard to find. This principle also applies to PR if
an item is scarce and people want it, then it is easier to market to that select group with access.

Persuasive PR presents these same principals in written and oral form to the public, but it
doesn’t end there.

Persuasive PR works best when integrity and honesty are part of the presentation. It’s not about
selling something that may not be necessary; it’s about establishing a relationship that lasts and
brings consumers back to the client time and time again.
The goal of any propaganda is to create a false sense of legitimacy for the agenda it is promoting
and gain the acceptance or compliance of its audience. It’s an age-old concept used by some of
the most powerful movements and influential leaders.

Propaganda is a persuasion technique used to manipulate or influence individuals to adopt a

particular opinion or belief. It is not limited to a single medium and can be found in artwork,
films, speeches, music, memes, and more.

Biased information and half-truths are presented in a way that furthers a particular agenda,
whether political, religious, financial or otherwise. Propaganda works to manipulate people into
believing that this misappropriated information is a fact. The best forms of propaganda will go
even further to convince people that these ideas and “facts” are their own beliefs and not the
result of propaganda tactics.

Propaganda is so pervasive that most people experience it regularly and often don’t even notice
it. It works in the shadows to control public perception, effectively influencing political
campaigns, spending allocations, corporate gains, and everything in between. Propaganda tactics
can be found almost everywhere, including:

 Advertising and public relations

 Marketing
 Politics
 Social media

This blog will dive into the murky world of propaganda, starting with how to identify it. Then,
we’ll discuss its relationship with fake news, public relations, and the effect it can have on your
reputation.

How to identify propaganda

If propaganda is everywhere, how can you identify it? With the lines between artistic expression,
marketing, advertising, public relations, propaganda, and actual news becoming increasingly
blurry, it can be difficult to single out propaganda for what it is.
People in power have been influencing public opinion using half-truths, outright lies, and other
questionable tactics for as long as written records exist. Since Darius I’s rise to the Persian
throne in 515 BC, propaganda has been used to incite genocide, influence political elections,
change course on religious beliefs, and more.

Despite its long history and proven effectiveness, there are some telltale signs that most
propaganda exhibits. It is important always to consume media through a critical lens. Here are
some common propaganda techniques to watch out for:

 Half-truths and distortion of data: Hyper-focusing on the parts of a story that further a
particular agenda can gain audience support.
 Inflammatory statements: Bold statements based on emotion rather than facts can ignite
passionate people.
 Leveraging emotions: Embarrassment, humor, comparison, and fear are all examples of
emotions that can be used to unify an audience.
 Creating an enemy or scapegoat: Targeting a particular person or idea can also be used
to unify people against a supposed adversary.

Public relations vs. propaganda

Public relations and propaganda inform and persuade the public to push a particular agenda.
They both engage specific community segments in ways that will influence their opinion and
encourage them to take action.

The main difference between the two is that public relations campaigns promote “the truth,”
although this is not always the case when dealing with dark PR or other negative campaigns.

Generally speaking, though, the Public Relations Society of America defines PR as “a strategic
communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and
their publics.”

Some of the most common PR activities include:

 Donating time, goods and money to local charities and community organizations, using
related events as opportunities to “show you care.”
 Securing interviews and promotional spots on TV shows, influential blogs and other
media outlets relevant to what you do.
 Sending out branded press releases highlighting achievements.
 Investing in positive off-line press, such as TV commercials, outdoor and indoor ads,
and more.

Fake news vs. propaganda

Like propaganda, fake news has been around for a very long time. The difference between fake
news and propaganda is that fake news is patently false. It is often used to damage the reputation
of a person, group, or idea and can promote propaganda to gain traction.

Fake news discredits its target by using outrageous headlines and doctored images to entice
people to click a link or buy a tabloid. Fake news took on a whole new meaning during the 2016
presidential election and continues to cause problems on social media sites like Facebook.

In 2019, the top 100 fake news stories on Facebook were viewed over 150 million times. That’s
enough views to reach every registered voter at least once, according to Avaaz, the non-profit
that did the study. Here are a few of the top viewed fake news stories of 2019: