Propaganda

 
 Propaganda is the dissemination of information to acheive the deliberate goal of manipulating other people's attitudes and behaviors. It involves the presentation of facts, arguments, and symbols in such a way that it influences the viewer to believe in and further spread the message being portrayed. In order to be effective, propaganda takes into account variables that affect human behavior such as predisposed attitudes towards specific symbols; economic, physical, and emotional motivations; and social pressures. Considering all of these factors together, a propagandist can produce the most persuasive message possible to induce their target audience.

    While the term propaganda began having widespread use during World War I, its efforts have persisted since early in human history. For instance, in Ancient Greece, specifically in the city of Athens, citizens were very conscious of their beliefs over religious and political matters, which led to the spread of propaganda, primarily through word of mouth. Additionally, they would use public locations like the theater, assembly, law courts, and religious festivals to share their messages. Propaganda was also used during the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and in both World Wars.

Propoganda Examples:

    In the present day, propaganda is spread through all available media sources including press, radio, film, computers, posters, speeches, monuments, books, music, etc, and it is used consistently for political and social persuasion through things like election commercials and social media posts. 

    Furthermore, propaganda can have both positive and negative uses. On the positive side, propaganda can be used by governments and organizations to promote positive messages and lifestyle habits like in the cases of messages against smoking and drugs. However, it can also be used to spread false information, damage reputations, and create animosity towards a certain country or group. As a result, propaganda is an incredibly powerful tool for manipulation and persuasion that poses a risk to the unsuspecting viewer.