One of the key issues found in many of today's entertainment mediums is how it can be used to purport ideology, morality, philosophy, and values. This is often considered a good thing because since it allows an audience to think about and refine their own values, they can become more grounded. However, as unfortunate as it is, not all media we consume operates in a genuine fashion. Sometimes an author, publisher, etc. has ulterior motives. Consequently, the finished media takes more of a propagandistic form, with intention to force a reader/viewer's mindset in a particular direction through ingenuine framework instead of honest messaging.
A Brief Clarification and Definition
Of course, something that is extremely important to note before continuing is that just because a narrative is written in a compelling or persuasive way does not make it propaganda. Otherwise, it could be argued that any persuasive essay is propaganda, a statement which I don't really agree with. Though, this would cause me to differ from most accepted definitions of the word found online, so please keep this in mind. In my opinion, the biggest difference between persuasion and propaganda is the forms the argument takes. If those forms are truthful, rational, and realistic, then it is not propaganda. If, however, the purpose is to manipulate or misinform with malevolent intention, that is when it becomes propaganda.
Therefore, I will define propaganda as follows:
Any form of media which attempts to manipulate its intended audience into accepting an opinion which they would otherwise not agree with. It often contains misinformation, disinformation, emotional rhetoric, unscientific/unfounded beliefs, and it almost always is done with dishonest intentions. Most frequently, it is used to cause harm to its intended audience though purporting itself as being harmless.
The Purpose of Propaganda and Why You should Care
Often times, the question might be posed.... why? Why would someone want to misinform the public? What is the point and motive of doing so? And unfortunately, the answer to that question isn't particularly pleasing. The Purpose behind Propaganda is always going to be to further an idea within public opinion in order to exert control, often to benefit from the population . Yes, this is rather obvious to think about, but it's important to maintain that understanding when analyzing and consuming media. The reason why someone wants to exert that kind of control is because it benefits them. This is also why you should care, because it effects you, and if you are not careful it will actively make your life worse.
For example, take this popularly shared screenshot from an Amazon Anti-Union instructional video:
In this video, Amazon falsely frames its position as being "Between Anti-Union and Neutral" in order to give itself a sense of rapport between individuals who might be fence sitting on whether or not to join a union. This screenshot also tries to sell the impression that the other things contained in this video are not exclusively anti-union, even if they actually are. Amazon, in reality, is known to be extremely anti-union. Not only do they monitor employees to try and detect any signs of union activity, but they are also known to fire pro-union employees. In 2024, they even spent 14 Million Dollars on Anti-Union consulting groups.
Because of how successful Amazon's efforts have been, workers are not able to bargain with Amazon as well as they could otherwise in regards to their pay, benefits, and treatment. This means their lives are much worse off than they could have been if they were able to organize a union or work in a union job. This is why it is so important to recognize and understand propaganda. It can benefit your life substantially, and hopefully if enough people become more aware it will help change society for the better.
In Conclusion
When consuming media always keep an eye out for propaganda. If you believe something is propaganda, question its message more closely. And in general, do not immediately accept everything that you consume as fact.
This will be the first article in a series covering various forms of Media Literacy. The next two articles will be discussing Authoritarian/Nationalist and Capitalist propaganda since those are some of the most relevant kinds of propaganda we see in modern society.
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