May 19, 2025 05:50 PM
Is understanding propaganda a necessary skill for modern democracy?
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1083991
INTRO: Propaganda is not simply a tool of manipulation, and in fact a professor of communication suggests it may even be a necessary skill for any citizen to address global challenges. After carrying out extensive research examining the role of mass persuasion in an era of viral videos, social media campaigns, and global messaging, Professor Nathan Crick says propaganda has become an inescapable part of modern life.
In Propaganda: The Basics, Professor Crick suggests propaganda is not merely a tool of deception and instead should be understood as a fundamental aspect of mass communication in a technological society.
Redefining propaganda for the digital age. For many, propaganda carries negative connotations, suggesting hate speech, coercion, and manipulation. Crick argues it is time to return the word closer to its original meaning, “to propagate,” which is a technique of modern, mass persuasion.
“We must come to terms with the larger implication that in the digital age, all of us consume and often produce propaganda on a daily basis, sometimes unwittingly, but more often deliberately and eagerly,” he advises. “Much of what we willingly consume is propaganda, and what makes it propaganda is not necessarily the fact that it is exploitative and full of disinformation (although it very well might be), but because it makes use of a repertoire of persuasive techniques adapted to a mass audience.”
For Crick, propaganda is unavoidable in modern society, affecting even those who actively try to avoid it. Traditional definitions focusing solely on lies and manipulation prove inadequate for understanding modern propaganda's complexity and reach.
Instead, he suggests that understanding propaganda techniques has become essential for democratic participation. In fact, citizens can learn to use these techniques ethically to promote positive social change
“Only when we accept propaganda as part of our lives can we begin to actively criticize and resist manipulation, push back against the tide of disinformation, and master the arts of persuasion on our own to make society more democratic and more just,” he explains... (MORE - details)
PAPER: http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003607236
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1083991
INTRO: Propaganda is not simply a tool of manipulation, and in fact a professor of communication suggests it may even be a necessary skill for any citizen to address global challenges. After carrying out extensive research examining the role of mass persuasion in an era of viral videos, social media campaigns, and global messaging, Professor Nathan Crick says propaganda has become an inescapable part of modern life.
In Propaganda: The Basics, Professor Crick suggests propaganda is not merely a tool of deception and instead should be understood as a fundamental aspect of mass communication in a technological society.
Redefining propaganda for the digital age. For many, propaganda carries negative connotations, suggesting hate speech, coercion, and manipulation. Crick argues it is time to return the word closer to its original meaning, “to propagate,” which is a technique of modern, mass persuasion.
“We must come to terms with the larger implication that in the digital age, all of us consume and often produce propaganda on a daily basis, sometimes unwittingly, but more often deliberately and eagerly,” he advises. “Much of what we willingly consume is propaganda, and what makes it propaganda is not necessarily the fact that it is exploitative and full of disinformation (although it very well might be), but because it makes use of a repertoire of persuasive techniques adapted to a mass audience.”
For Crick, propaganda is unavoidable in modern society, affecting even those who actively try to avoid it. Traditional definitions focusing solely on lies and manipulation prove inadequate for understanding modern propaganda's complexity and reach.
Instead, he suggests that understanding propaganda techniques has become essential for democratic participation. In fact, citizens can learn to use these techniques ethically to promote positive social change
“Only when we accept propaganda as part of our lives can we begin to actively criticize and resist manipulation, push back against the tide of disinformation, and master the arts of persuasion on our own to make society more democratic and more just,” he explains... (MORE - details)
PAPER: http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003607236