ASSIGNMENT 1 Propaganda image choice + essay
As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda, in its most basic sense, presents information primarily to influence and persuade an audience. Propaganda often presents facts selectively (thus possibly lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or uses loaded messages to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a change of the attitude toward the subject in the target audience to further a political, religious or social agenda. Propaganda can be used as a form of ideological warfare…and can refer to uses that are generally benign or innocuous, such as public health recommendations, signs encouraging citizens to participate in a census or election, or messages encouraging persons to report crimes to law enforcement, among others.
Your assignment is to find one example of what you might consider contemporary (21stcentury – preferably current) published or shared propaganda. This may be single advertisements, posters, websites, videos, tweets, or any kind of published content. This could be a single example, or a complete campaign. In general, you should look beyond commercial advertisement (consumerism), and towards public service announcements or any more direct visual communication for a cause or ideology: a movement, a belief, a political position, a conflict, etc. However, while technically different, commercial advertising can often blur the line between selling a product or service and persuasion toward a particular social cause or point of view and could be considered for this assignment (see notes on advertising vs. propaganda in the supplemental Propaganda_guide.pdf, attached). Students may not use any images found through simple internet searches of “propaganda” as your selection. You should make every effort to find and/or photograph your choice in the real world somewhere, in the city, on the subways, in your daily experience, or one that you remember seeing. This may include social media campaigns or ads/images you see on web browsers; however, online choices should be well researched. This means clicking on any pop-up ad, and/or researching the secondary information in the ad that identifies who produced the content.
*Specific focus will be placed on addressing the common persuasion tactics used in advertising and propaganda. You must identify which specific common persuasion techniques are being used in your choice, illustrated and defined in the supplemental Propaganda_guide, attached with this assignment on Blackboard. There will most likely be more than one tactic used. Students may not use the examples given in the guide as their choice for this assignment.
Assignment Instructions :
Read fully the supplemental Propaganda_guide (.pdf attached file on Blackboard)
Choose an example of 21st century (preferably current) published propaganda.
Write an essay (min. 500 words, 10-11pt/single spaced.) describing your choice & why you have chosen it. Images of your choice must be included with the essay. If your choice is a video clip, include a functional link or file.
Submit essay (with image or video link included) into Blackboard.
In your essay, answer these questions:
Identify the common persuasion tactics (listed in the supplemental Propaganda_guide.pdf) that are being used in your choice.
Identify and evaluate the tone of voice being used in your choice to communicate the message (i.e. the expression or affectation behind the words/images), using simple, descriptive words that you feel express the tone such as: paternal, maternal, omniscient, aggressive, patronizing, rallying, desperate, sympathetic, angry, humorous, friendly…etc.
What elements of the communication are stressed and why?
Identify what specifically is being communicated (the underlying message), and the target demographic/audience.
What kind of language does the speaker use to address the audience? Is the message presented by or through a particular person, personality, or character? If so, who? How does the speaker persuade you, the viewer? How does the work make you feel?
Who created/published/paid for the propaganda? What is the intent/agenda of the propaganda?
