Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Propaganda is material used to shape an opinion or lead an audience to a particular conclusion. It is a form of
advertising that can be found everywhere in modern society, and is an essential tool of political campaigns in
gathering support for a candidate. Recognizing some of the strategies used during political campaigns helps voters
identify election propaganda techniques and decide whether they want to accept or reject the message being
conveyed.
Guilt/Virtue by Association
The technique of suggesting a political candidate's guilt or virtue by association is also known as transfer
propaganda. A common example of virtue by association is the use of the American flag as a background when a
candidate is speaking at a podium. This suggests the candidate is loyal, trustworthy and committed to American
ideals. Guilt by association can be achieved by linking a candidate with a person or organization considered radical
or racist, such as the Ku Klux Klan.
Celebrity Testimonials
A study by researchers at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management showed that Oprah Winfrey's
endorsement of President Barack Obama in 2008 may have gained Obama as many as 1 million votes. Celebrity
testimonials don't generally raise a candidate's credibility level, but they can influence the celebrity's fans to support
the candidate and, at the very least, draw attention to a candidate.
Scare Tactics
Fear is used as a technique in political propaganda to convince voters that their support for an opposing candidate
will have dire consequences, such as higher taxes or the country's involvement in a war. The most famous fear
propaganda in political history is the "Daisy Girl" television commercial used in President Lyndon B. Johnson's
1964 re-election campaign. The commercial depicted a young girl plucking petals off a daisy while counting to 10.
When she reaches nine, a voiceover begins counting down from 10 to the explosion of an atomic bomb, followed by
Johnson's voice warning that Americans have a choice to embrace the world or destroy it. The commercial was
created to suggest Johnson's opponent, Barry Goldwater, would lead the country into a nuclear war.