Propaganda and Bias

What’s the Difference?

 Bias
• Definition- a strong feeling for or against
something without enough reason; prejudice

Example: Making fun of someone because of

their race, religion, how they look, etc.. simply
because that is your opinion, is biased.
 Propaganda
• Definition- information that is spread for the
purpose of promoting some cause

It is information that serves a particular

agenda, which could be true or false. If true, it
may be one-sided and fail to paint a complete
picture. It is mostly found in advertising and
politics.
Example: During the campaign between Pres.
Bush and John Kerry, President Bush came to
Johnstown to campaign. He came dressed in
jeans and a flannel shirt and was talking about
how he loved to hunt and fish. He was
appealing to the major population of our area
by making it seem like he is one of the good old
guys.
 Fact and Opinion
• to detect whether there is a bias, one needs to know the difference
between fact and opinion
• Just because something is written in print, does not make it a fact.
• You need to be the judge and evaluate whether what magazines,
newspapers, and news programs are telling you is fact or opinion.

• Fact- a statement that can be proven true

• Example:
• The Romans made the first popsicle.
• The Chinese made the first wheelbarrow
• The Blue Whale's whistle is the loudest noise made by an animal.

• fishes communicate with each other by making noises in their throats by

rasping their teeth, others use their swim bladders to make sounds
 Opinion
• Opinion- a statement of what someone thinks
Example:
• Scott Brown will be an asset to the United
States senate.
• Given the data of inflation, I believe that the
minimum wage should be increased.
• Computers are an essential part of the success
of most businesses.
 Types of Propaganda
• The word propaganda refers to any technique
that tries to impact or influence the opinions,
behaviors, attitudes, or emotions in order to
benefit the author of the propaganda.
 Hidden Messages
• There are secret messages in propaganda and
they are not always easy to find. These
messages can be in sound, pictures, color, or
design.
• The purpose of propaganda is to persuade!

• Propaganda does not always have to be

negative or positive. Remember its purpose
is to persuade.
 Types of Propaganda
• Bandwagon
• Card Stacking
• Glittering Generalities (Loaded Words and
Phrases)
• Lesser of Two Evils
• Name Calling
• Testimonials
• Plain Folks
• Transfer (Transference)
 Bandwagon
• It is one of the most common techniques in
time of war and peace and also plays an
important part in advertising.
• Follow the crowd, join in, because everyone
else is.
• The idea is that since so many people have
joined in, it must be the winning side. The
average person wants to be on the most
popular side so they join in.
 Bandwagon
• "Over 1,000,000 units have been sold
already."

"America's most popular brand"

"4 out of 5 people choose Nestles"

 Bandwagon example

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAzZr0nT
0S0
 Card stacking
• Only presenting information that is positive to
an idea and omitting the contrary

• Much of the information in card stacking is

true, but It omits very important information
• Drug manufacturers do this frequently in
ads in which they skim over the possible
harmful side effects of their products.
Facts are Selected and presented which
most effectively strengthen and
authenticate the point of view of the
propagandist.
 Glittering Generalities
• Buzz words that produce a pleasant,
unthinking reaction in an audience. People are
more willing to agree because the term being
used has a positive connotation or meaning to
them
• For example: Love, honor, freedom, glory are
terms that have a positive connotation
especially in the United States.
Example of Glittering Generalities
Food products will quickly label their foods as
low fat hinting that they are more healthy,
when, in fact, the product might be high in
calories.
Advertisers will sometimes give an
incomplete comparison like “better tasting.”
Better tasting than what?
Cascade claims that their detergent will leave
your dishes virtually spotless. In other words,
there will be some spots.
 Glittering Generalities
– Virtue Words:
• Virtually, More, New
• Low Fat, Better, Pride
• Honor, Peace, Happiness
• Prosperity, Freedom
• Free enterprise,
• Family values
• Peace
People would react negatively
to words like “inflation and communisim”
• For example: the concept of democracy has a
positive connotation because it is associated
to a concept that they value. Love, honor,
freedom, glory are terms that have a positive
connotation especially in the United States.
 Lesser of Two Evils
• Tries to convince people of an idea by
presenting it as the better of two choices.
• Often used during times of war to convince
people to make sacrifices or justify difficult
decisions
 Name Calling
• Often occurs in politics and times of war
• The use of words with implied negative
meaning, it often labels the target
• something that the public dislikes
• It often shows up in
• political cartoons
Example of name calling
 – The most obvious type of name calling involved
“bad names.” For example:
• Pig
• Hippie
• Bum
My opponent is a
flip-flop man who
cannot make up his
mind. He changes mind
with the breeze! How
could anyone follow
such a weak-willed
flip-flopper?
– A more subtle form of name-calling involves
words or phrases that are Selected because they
possess a negative charge. For example
• Radical
• Stingy
• Counter-culture
 Testimonial
• Quotations or endorsements, in or out of
context, which attempt to connect a famous
or respectable person with a product or item
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkXbRwRg
iRw&feature=PlayList&p=0D5FC95302254024
&index=0
 Plain Folks
• Appealing to regular people’s values like
family and patriotism
• To convince the public that the views reflect
those of the common person and that they
are working for the good of the common
person
 Example-Plain Folks
• America’s recent presidents have all been millionaires,
but they have gone to great lengths to present
themselves as ordinary citizens.
• Bill Clinton eats at McDonalds.
• Ronald Reagan chopped wood.
• Jimmy Carter was an humble peanut farmer.
• President Bush loves hot
dogs and baseball and is
often portrayed at a
pro-baseball game
 Transfer or Transference
• transferring positive qualities associated with a
place or person for the writer’s or speaker’s
own cause(Measuring Up to Pa Academic
Standards)

-Used in politics and times of war

-Usually used to transfer blame or bad feelings

from one politician to another of his friends,
party members, or even the party itself
 Transference
• When you show yourself to be like a known
and respected person, then you are
encouraging the other person to categorize
you in the same way, such that they will then
attribute all of the characteristics of the other
person onto you (including trust).
 Examples- Words
• As I was saying to the President, it is so
important that we bring our forces together.
He agreed, of course and we will be taking it
forward next week.

• Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce my

good friend Brad Pitt. Brad and I go way back
and he's kindly come here today to tell you
what I'm really like.
 Such statements as “we the republicans” and
“we the democrats” are transference

National flags and related symbols like eagles

Images of political heroes or villains
•
 Symbols are constantly used in this form
of propaganda.
– Common Symbols
• The flag represents the nation.
• Uncle Sam represents a consensus of public opinion.
• A cross represents Christianity.
• The Star of David represents the Jewish faith.
Transfer devices can be used both for and
against causes and ideas.
– Examples:
• On TV commercials, actors in white lab coats tell us that
Brand X cold medicine is better that Brand Y.
• During the 2000 campaign, Gov. George Bush used the
American flag as part of his logo.
• During the 2000 campaign, Vice President Al Gore used
the colors, stars and stripes of the flag for his logo.
 Stereotyping
• Putting all members of a group together
without characterizing them as individual
people.
• Example- All the girls in track and field are
tough.
• Example- Boys always fight.
• Example- All dogs have fleas.
 Cited Sources
• Read,Write,Think,Copyright 2004.
www.readwritethink.org

• http://propaganda.mrdonn.org/techniques.
Html

www.ask.com/questions-about/Examples-of-
Bias