You Have the Wrong Idea About Propaganda

The other day in FYS-183, we were divided into groups to discuss WWII-related articles. Ours was on the topic of propaganda usage in the war, both by the US and the Axis powers. One point brought up in our discussion was how shocking it was that the US government used propaganda on us. In our minds, propaganda seems like a manipulative tactic that feeds the public lies to brainwash them. If that’s so, then how could the US stoop so low to use propaganda on us? Isn’t the US supposed to be a good guy here? Those questions are a whole other can of worms, but I’ll say this: the US using propaganda is not as big of a betrayal as you might think. Propaganda is nearly everywhere in the modern world, and that’s not entirely a bad thing.

Now, I might sound crazy for saying that. “What do you mean it’s not bad? Are you telling me that concealing the truth and manipulating the public opinion is ethical?” No, of course, it’s not. But our definition of what propaganda is is skewed. It doesn’t always involve white lies or the justification of immoral behavior. 

According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of propaganda is “the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person.” Let’s separate this into two parts. For something to be propaganda, it must:

• Spread ideas, information, or rumors.
• Support or oppose a cause, place, or person.

With this definition in mind, let’s explore some modern-day things that fit the definition of propaganda. First, I present the following: Anti-smoking PSAs.

You’ve all seen anti-smoking PSAs, whether it’s a poster on the wall or an advertisement on YouTube. These PSAs support the cause of preventing nicotine addictions and convincing current smokers to quit. That’s one part of the definition checked off. What about the content of these PSAs? Usually, they offer facts and statistics about how nicotine can cause various diseases and the idea that life with an addiction is unsavory. That fits the other half of the definition, thus proving that the anti-smoking PSAs are a type of propaganda.

What about the anti-bullying posters you may have seen in your elementary school? These posters support the cause of ending bullying in schools. It spreads the idea that bullying is not tolerated and gives information about what counts as bullying and how to deal with a bully. Therefore, by definition, anti-bullying posters are propaganda.

Here’s one last example: have you ever seen posters about mental health? Their cause is to lower the stigma around mental health, and usually contain information about the effects of mental illnesses, give statistics about people who have mental health issues, and spread the idea that it’s ok to talk about your feelings and ask for help. Once more, this fits the definition of propaganda.

Just because these examples are propaganda doesn’t mean that they’re immoral. Smoking is harmful to your health. Preventing bullying does create a healthier school environment. Reducing the stigma around mental health does prevent needless harm and suicides. These posters, PSAs, and advertisements are for good causes, and they are not purposefully deceitful. But they still fit the bill for the dictionary definition of propaganda.

Why Do We Think This Way?

I think the reason we associate negatively with propaganda loops back to WWII. We are taught again and again that the Axis powers brainwashed massive amounts of people into following antisemitic beliefs. How could so many people knowingly support mass discrimination and killings? Well, propaganda was a deciding factor in that, and the Axis supporters were living proof of its effects. We know that Axis propaganda featured false information, as stated in the PBS article, “The insidious propaganda film “The Fuhrer Gives a City to the Jews” was produced… to prove that Jews were being well-treated in the camps. But the film was a hoax, presenting a completely false picture of camp life.” Plus, don’t forget about the US propaganda that’s meant to paint the Axis powers as the bad guy; they likely cited their propaganda as a source of their villainy. These ideas stuck within the minds of the American people and were then passed down through generations of history lessons.

Knowing what propaganda is by definition and not by connotation is vital to eliminating bias in our thinking. Attribute fault to the US for withholding information about casualties and racial discrimination in the army, not for the fact that the US’s actions can be labeled as propaganda. It’s also a tool that lets you make your own observations and analyses about modern-day happenings. For example, you could argue that product advertisement is propaganda created to support a company. What conclusion can you draw from that? Does it make the world seem more dystopic, or does it seem the same? The opinion is yours to make.