Isn’t propaganda just a form of persuasion? What about propaganda separates it from advertising or interpersonal communication?

Edit: Not all propaganda involves lying. For some reason, we seem to be more comfortable with a person lying to us than we are with viewing a propaganda poster that uses verifiable facts.

Edit 2: Another interesting note is that in some countries, propaganda is not viewed negatively like it is in English speaking countries.

  • Deestan@lemmy.world
    3·
    10 months ago

    Becsuse people are always angry at it.

    Its comparison to ad campaigns is a good one, and they are both considered bad for the same reasons: Manipulating people via selective facts, twisted facts or outright lies.

    Propaganda, however, is by definition related to conflicts. This means all propaganda has opponents who eagerly seek out to point out and destroy it.

    If a newspaper in New York City put a huge page about McDonald’s being an amazing place to work, you would not expect people to yell “that’s ADVERTISEMENT” and form gangs to go destroy all the issues for sale.

    If a newspaper in New York City put a huge page about how honorable and valiant the Russian soldiers are in defending Ukraine against Western degenerates, you would have furious people calling it “PROPAGANDA!” and trying really really hard to get rid of it and punish the people publishing it.