[NOTE from Modemac: Take a look at the theorems below and see how many
of them can be applied to allegedly "unbiased" TV news shows. For that
matter, ask your self how many of these ideas are used in *political
campaign commercials.* Is it any wonder we get a government of idiots,
because the public elects the person who runs the BEST TELEVISION
COMMERCIALS? And people say the Conspiracy doesn't exist. Yeah, RIGHT!
You're so independent that the next conversation you have about the Hot
New Story of the Day (such as the Olympics bombing) isn't going to be
just an echo of what you last saw on television...]
[ Article crossposted from alt.religion.scientology ]
[ Author was A.J. ]
[ Posted on Tue, 30 Jul 1996 21:11:26 +0000 ]
It occurs to me, reading this newsgroup day in and day out, that people may
benefit from this piece of research that I am currently refining.
The following is a document on the 40 main tools of propaganda, which I
have adapted from the Institute of Propaganda analysis. It can be used as
a checklist when reading/viewing/listening to any argumentitive messages
typically used to state only one side of a story and persaude the reader
to take up that viewpoint. You know, propaganda and mind control.
Have fun. I apologise for the shitty line breaks...
PROPAGANDA ANALYSIS CODING SCHEDULE GLOSSARY ver.0.92, 30/7/96
No. TECHNIQUE
GLITTERING GENERALITIES
1 Scientific/statistical assertion - Any ³scientific² or ³statistical²
assertion made without sourcing the data and analysis.
2 Unsubstantiated argumentative assertion - Any assertion made without
proof, sourcing data.
3 multiple meaning words/catchwords - democracy, freedom, etc, etc...
NAME-CALLING
4 Negative Labelling - individual/group - implied or outright abuse of an
individual/group, or negative associative language (see examples from
Prop. Anal. document)
5 Negative Labelling - argument/policy - implied or outright abuse of an
argument or policy (usually held by someone else), or negative
associative language
6 Positive Labelling - individual/group - implied or outright
endorsement or positive associative language of an individual or group.
7 Positive Labelling- argument/policy - implied or outright endorsement of
an argument or policy (usually held by someone else), or positive
associative language
8 Negative Labelling - audience - implied or outright abuse of possible
audience characteristics in order to produce reaction
9 Positive Labelling - audience - implied or outright endorsement of
possible audience characteristics in order to produce reaction
TRANSFER
10 Negative incidental (background) images - Backgrounds (not primary
focus) designed to produce negative reaction from audience, (ie. brutal
traffic accident.)
11 Positive incidental (background) images - Backgrounds (not primary
focus) designed to produce positive reaction from audience, (ie.
beautiful landscape.)
12 Negative Primary images - Primary (focus of attention) images designed
to produce negative reaction from audience, (ie. brutal traffic
accident.)
13 Positive Primary images - Primary (focus of attention) images designed
to produce positive reaction from audience, (ie. beautiful landscape.)
14 Negative implied (language) images - Vivid emotion-provoking language
designed to produce a negative reaction from audience (ie. ³reds under
the bed². Also see labelling, above, and fear, below.)
15 Positive implied (language) images - Vivid emotion-provoking language
designed to produce a positive reaction from audience (ie. ³kiwis
can fly²)
16 Negative background aural transfer - Unpleasant background noise or
music that is designed to produce negative emotional reaction from
audience
17 Positive background aural transfer - Pleasant background noise or music
that is designed to produce positive emotional reaction from audience
TESTIMONIAL
18 Explicit primary character - Testimonial from a recognised individual
or celebrity, playing themselves, OR an authority figure such as
scientific ³white coat² or similar, as primary character of
advertisement.
19 Implicit primary character - Implied or association of testimonial
from a recognised individual or celebrity, playing themselves, OR an
authority figure such as scientific ³white coat² or similar, as primary
character of advertisement.
20 Explicit secondary character - Testimonial from a recognised
individual or celebrity, playing themselves, OR an authority figure
such as scientific ³white coat² or similar, as secondary character of
advertisement (ie. ³special guest² in infomercial.
21 Implicit secondary character - Implied or association of testimonial
from a recognised individual or celebrity, playing themselves, OR an
authority figure such as scientific ³white coat² or similar, as
secondary character of advertisement (ie. rugby players in the ³Chef²
butter advertisement)
PLAINFOLKS/AUTHORITY APPEAL
22 Primary plainfolks images - Primary character appears in ³just like a
normal person² working-class surroundings or causal clothing, etc.
23 Primary Authority images - Primary character appears in ³authoritative²
business surroundings or business/ ²scientific² clothing, etc.
24 Secondary plainfolks images - Secondary characters appear in ³just like
a normal person² working-class surroundings or causal clothing, etc.
25 Secondary authority images - Secondary character appear in
³authoritative² business surroundings or business/³scientific²
clothing, etc.
26 Plainfolks language/voice - Voiceover/primary character¹s
language/accent is colloquial, ³everyday² in tone.
27 Authority language/voice - Voiceover/primary character¹s
language/accent is elevated, ³severe², authoritative in tone.
LOGIC TRAPS/ARGUMENTS
28 Rationality trap - ³You believe/behave ³x², you believe/behave ³y²,
therefore, you must believe/behave ³z², or else you are inconsistent.
29 Personality trap - ³You are ³x² type of person, or want to be ³x²
type of person. To be ³x² type of person, you should do ³y².
30 Incomplete argument - ³w² is true, ³y² is true, therefore ³z² is
true. (Ignoring countering ³x² clause...)
31 False logic argument - ³w² is true, ³y² is true, therefore ³z² is
true. (Ignoring required ³x² clause. ie. w= Christians must in god, y=
all Muslims believe in god, therefore z= all Muslims are
Christian...ignoring the obvious...)
32 Fact Statement - statement of common knowledge fact to built
credibility with audience. (Be careful - often fact statements are in
fact unsubstantiated assertions, in which case code as above.)
FEAR APPEALS
33 Fear/Uncertainty argument/statement - Statement or argument designed to
elicit a response of uncertainty or fear from audience or part of
audience.
34 Combined with name-calling - Fear/uncertainty statement, as above,
combined with name-calling/labelling of group either as cause or simply
associating group with fear statement (ie. ³Asian invasion²)
35 Combined with images/sounds - Fear appeal as per ³no. 33² combined with
negative primary or secondary images or sounds to enhance fear reaction
from audience.
36 Classic Fear argument: attack-solution - any of 33-35, combined with an
explicit or implicit suggestion of how to ³solve² the problem or
³remove² the fear.
BAND WAGON
37 Explicit images - Images showing large numbers of people supporting or
endorsing advertised product.
38 Implicit images - Images showing few desirable image role-models (non-
celebrity) supporting or endorsing advertised product, directly or
associatively.
39 Explicit language - Language specifically expressing large numbers of
people supporting or endorsing advertised product, (ie. ³1,000,000
people served...why not you?²)
40 Implicit language - Language associating desirable image role-models
with advertised product. (ie. ³Real men wear Wrangler jeans².)
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A.J.
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Lots of small animals were harmed in the production of this e-mail: Rare white
Tigers,penguins, cute baby fur seals, puppies, horses, and my neighbours cats.
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a.johnson@student.canterbury.ac.nz "D'oh!" - Homer.
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Reverend Modemac (modemac@netcom.com)
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