Propaganda Analysis

Propaganda Analysis

ISBN 978-9987-727- 69-8

© By Dr. Godwin M. Gunewe
Email: ggunewe@tyndale.edu

Gunewe Publishers
P.O. Box 322, Mwanza-Tanzania.
Phone: +255784442128/+255752239825

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced

or stored in retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other-
except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior
written permission from the author.
ii
 CONTENTS

Preface ...................................................... v

INTRODUCTION TO PROPAGANDA .............. 7

Types of Propaganda? .................................. 8
Forms of Propaganda ................................ 11
The Difference between Propaganda
and Persuasion ......................................... 14
Propaganda in Democratic Countries ........ 19
The Danger of Propaganda ........................ 19
DETECTION OF PROPAGANDA .................. 22
Propaganda Techniques ............................ 24
Refinement of Propaganda Devices ............ 25
The Pentagon Propaganda Campaign ........ 25
Propaganda Combined With
Mind Manipulation .................................... 27
ANALYZING PROPAGANDA ......................... 33
Steps in Propaganda Analysis.................... 36
The Antidote to Propaganda ...................... 38
The Antidote to Mind Manipulation

iii
 Through Repeated Exposure ..................... 38
HOW PROPAGANDA OPERATES
IN MODERN WORLD ................................... 40
References ................................................ 162

iv
 PREFACE

One of the most confused subject in the

world is Propaganda. This is because of the way
it is frequently synonymously perceived as
distortion, lies, deceit, psychological warfare etc.
Another reason is that there are no books
written to help public to detect and analyze
propaganda. Many written books on propaganda
tend to satisfy to will of Propagandists. Some
have been written in a technical language that it
is very difficult to understand.
Due to this, propagandists have
continually been winners because their
opponents (Public) are not skilled in the game. It
is high time for everyone to detect and analyze
propaganda so as to deal with it unemotionally.
This book, will help you so much in setting out
to an unambiguous victory over propaganda
schemes.
(LLB., B.Th., MTh. M.D., DRE., Ph.D.)
v
vi
 Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION TO PROPAGANDA
The contemporary word ‘propaganda’
comes from the Latin verb ‘propagare’ which
means ‘to spread or to disseminate or to
propagate or to promote.’ Any movement to
spread some practices or ideologies that is
called propaganda.

Propaganda is the artistic work that deals

with propagating of information to a large
number of people. The information disseminated
might be true or false relying on the nature of
propaganda.
Periodic hatred against each other in
societies including political and religious
vendetta are the results of propaganda. Also, for
advertisements to be successful depends upon
propaganda techniques. It should be

7
understood that propaganda is the tool against
rational thinking for it plays only with emotions.
Because of its negative application through
the ages, the word propaganda frequently
synonymously used as distortion, lies, deceit,
psychological warfare etc. But propaganda is
the spread of information be it true or false
depending on the nature of propaganda.

TYPES OF PROPAGANDA
All propaganda can be grouped into two
types;
1) Spontaneous propaganda
2) Contrived Propaganda
Spontaneous Propaganda
This is the type of propaganda which is
found everywhere, when people have
conversations about their achievements and
success. They don’t need a clever arrangement
of a situation or a speech to pass it to others.

8
 What happens it this, when a person
succeed on a certain area, he/she automatically
and eagerly shares the information to others. It
is instantaneous advertising and always it is
harmless mode of communication when
exaggeration is not involved.
Contrived Propaganda
This is the type of propaganda which
needs a clever planning and execution. It needs
intelligent and professional propagandists.
Contrived propaganda can further be divided
into two types;
1. Informative Contrived Propaganda.
2. Manipulative Contrived Propaganda.

Informative Contrived Propaganda

The informative contrived propaganda is
sometimes known as educative propaganda. It
intends to bring facts to the people expecting
them to respond favorably, in this type of

9
propaganda sometimes there is an element of
persuasion.

Manipulative Contrived Propaganda

Manipulative Contrived propaganda aims
at controlling people’s behavior in a specific
manner. It stimulates them to buy a certain
product, think, act and dress in a certain
manner and sometimes to associate themselves
with certain movements.

A SIMPLE ANALYSIS OF PROPAGANDA

The aim of educative propaganda is to
inform people about products, services, sales,
educational opportunities, traffic, home safety,
energy conservation etc. Example of this type
are classified advertisements seen in
newspapers.
On the other side, there are
advertisements that convince people to smoke,
drink, buy unnecessary product and that

10
compel people to develop brand loyalties, all
these fall under category of manipulative
contrived propaganda. All political parties,
lobbying groups, exotic cults etc. always use
manipulative propaganda.
One should be very careful when analyzing
propaganda and advertisements. This is
because other will contain elements of both.
Some educational propaganda use
manipulative techniques while some
manipulative propaganda will contain
educational or factual matter. It should be
noted that, the most important for the one who
receives propaganda is his/her ability to change
in position and isolate facts from fiction.

FORMS OF PROPAGANDA
Propaganda takes countless number of
forms. Sometimes propaganda tries to wake up
an audience to certain ends and often gives
significant change, this form is called agitative.
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Propaganda sometimes makes an audience
passive, cooperative and non-challenging. This
form is called integrative.
We can also describe the forms of
propaganda by relating its source and accuracy
of information. This gives birth to white, black
and gray forms.
White propaganda; in this form always
the source and the information is correct, but
the rationale of this form aims at convincing the
audience the credibility of a particular person
using the finest ideas and political ideology. By
doing so, could pave the way to usefulness at
some point in the time to come eg in election
etc.
Black propaganda; in this form always the
source is concealed and the information is false.
Authority disseminate lies and deceptions.
Hitler’s public enlightenment and propaganda
minister Joseph Goebbels said that outrageous

12
charges evoke more belief than milder
statements that merely twist the truth slightly.
Jews massacre world widely was caused by
this form of propaganda. A forged anti-Semitic
document titled ‘The Protocols of the Elders of
Zion’ shows a false information about Jews plan
to dominate the world. This false document was
merely a black propaganda. It was published for
the first time in Russia in 1903. In 20th century
it was translated into many languages and
spread all over the world. It was due to this false
document led many world nations to hate the
Jews and kill them mercilessly including
German under Adolf Hitler.
Generally, all types of creative deceits are
called black propaganda. It should be noted
that the success and failure of black
propaganda relies on the willingness of the
recipient to accept the credibility of the source
and the content of the message.

13
 A black propagandist must understand
well the audience so as to design a message that
fits the society otherwise black propaganda may
appear suspicious and tend to be unsuccessful.
Gray propaganda; this form operates
between white and black propaganda. Normally
the source may either be correctly or incorrectly
identified. Also the information or message of
this form is not certain.
U.S. Department of Defense has been
sanctioning a practice of planting favourable
stories about the United States in films, foreign
newspapers etc. The aim is to convey selected
truthful information to foreign audience to
influence their emotions, the behavior of
government and other entities.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROPAGANDA
AND PERSUASION
The difference between propaganda and
persuasion lies on the ultimate intent.

14
Propaganda always tries to achieve a reaction
that extends the desired intent of the
propagandist. While persuasion attempts to
satisfy the needs of the one who is persuaded. It
should be noted that, when persuadee is
satisfied automatically the persuader is also
satisfied because that was his/her target.
Propaganda utilizes persuasive strategies,
the only difference between them is purpose.
PROPAGANDA IN DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES
In all countries which adhere the principle
of democracy and social justice propaganda is
inevitable.
In Tanzania, the constitution of United
Republic of Tanzania of 1977 in section 18
states;
Every person-
(a) has a freedom of opinion and
expression of his ideas;

15
 (b) has a right to seek, receive and, or
disseminate information regardless of
national boundaries;
Freedom of expression is one of the human
rights. With this right, propaganda gets the
door. For this case, suppressing propaganda
through legislation would violate the
constitution of United Republic of Tanzania.
The same thing applied to United States of
America that suppressing propaganda through
federal legislation would go against their
constitution for it gives room to freedom of
expression.
Democracy embraces four areas which are
implied in all democratic countries;
Political area; voting freedom on public
issues; freedom of press and speech to discuss
things in gatherings, in press, radio etc.

16
 Economic area; freedom to work and
participating in organizations’ discussions to
promote higher life standards.
Social area; Free from oppression based
on superiority and inferiority theories.
Religious area; worship freedom.
Propaganda conforms to democracy when
it tends to safeguard and extend democracy. It
becomes antagonistic when it tends to destroy
democracy.
THE DANGER OF PROPAGANDA
Propaganda is the tool against rational
thinking for it appeals to emotions. Any issue
dealt emotionally is very dangerous. Decisions
made under pressure of emotions frequently
lead to disaster.
Propagandists don’t give you a room to
reason, they always create something that will
arouse only emotion that will cause you to act
without reasoning for their own target.

17
 In a society where there is a high level of
reasoning, propagandists get hard time to plot
their schemes. In such societies the skilled
professional propagandists are the ones who
prevail. Highly refined propaganda techniques
are invented to fit the society.
However, people should learn how deal
with propaganda unemotionally. In African
countries high percentage of people especially
the youths are the victims of disasters triggered
off by propaganda. Mass killings, riots, burning
down of buildings, incessant wars, etc. are the
results of propaganda.
Many people have been misled by
propaganda because they don’t know how to
detect and analyze it. Many African young
people are taken to terrorists’ groups in a
disguise of religious apologetics. Some decrees
from top political leaders have caused havoc in
societies, the reason behind is ignorance on how

18
to deal with propaganda unemotionally. Bad
enough most books on propaganda have been
designed to suit the wish of the propagandists
rather than for the public benefit.
There is a great need for African schools
from lower level to upper level to design syllabus
which can teach students how to detect and
analyze propaganda, so that they may know
how deal with it unemotionally.
Below is the an outlined summary he way
in which propaganda devices influence humans;
Human Desires And Aspirations --> Desire For
Joy, Fear Of Pain --> Desire For Security, Fear
Due To Insecurity --> Propaganda That Promises
Joy And Security --> Promise Of Alleviation Of
Pain And Insecurity --> Falling Into The Trap Of
The Propagandist.

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 Chapter 2
DETECTION OF PROPAGANDA
In the previous chapter, we saw the danger
of propaganda in the societies. For that case,
learning how to detect it is very crucial. The
only way to detect propaganda is by knowing
the techniques (devices) used by propagandists.
Basically countless number of techniques
are used to propagate ideas and control peoples’
minds, but eventually we can roughly classify
all of them into a few overlapping categories.
We classify them roughly because it is difficult
in humanities to classify subjects in a closely
sealed (water-tight) manner. And we classify
them into overlapping categories because in
reality there is a tendency of more than one
category to extend over so as to cover partly.

PROPAGANDA TECHNIQUES (DEVICES)

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 The common propaganda techniques are
as follows;
1. Fear of Bad Name Technique (The name
Calling Technique).
There is an oriental saying which states
that "Even the worst evil is better than a
bad name." Every mankind fears a bad
name. Propagandists manipulate this fear by
using displeasing words to stir fear, hate or
public disapproval. It is always done without
producing authentic evidence to support the
allegation.
Since all humans run away from bad
names, people try to abandon the
thing connected to the propaganda. The
following are frequently used words to trick
people; heathen, kaffir, outdated, primitive,
reactionary, uneducated, narrow-minded etc.
No one would like such labels. This technique

21
has been strongly used to attack moral
standards.
The research I conducted in three
Tanzanian universities (St. Augustine
University of Tanzania, University of Dar-es-
salaam and University of Dodoma) and two
Teachers colleges (Morogoro Teachers College
and Butimba Teachers college), almost the
percentage of students involving in alcohol
drinking, wearing indecent clothes,
extramarital sex etc. They said they engage in
those things because of their fear that
otherwise they will be considered outdated
(Washamba in Swahili) abnormal,
incompetent, or narrow minded. Since they
needed social approval, they tried to avoid
getting bad names by violating their
conscience.
The same technique has been used to
induce Tanzanian bongo fleva musicians and

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 other youngsters in drug abuse. The fear of
bad name is a very powerful device, and the
society has been applying it successfully to
attack every good thing including the Godly
faith.
The work of this technique is to make us
reject and condemn without examining the
evidence.

2. Appeal of Good Name Technique (The

Glittering Generalities Technique).
This is just the opposite of the fear of bad
name. Everyone is after a good name, honor,
respect, fame and status. Propagandists
exploit these emotions by using highly
subjective and well-designed words like
freedom, liberty, progress, loyalty, European
way, American way, constitution defender,
the abased defender. It is obvious that no one
can reject such shining ideals.

23
 Also under auspices of pleasant sounding
words, a crown of desirable associations is
built around a person, product, program or
movement to such an extent that the reader
is trapped into desiring an association. This
desire sometimes turns into such a yearning
that people even lose their stability and
balance when the desire is not fulfilled.
The person under the influence of the good-
name propaganda is convinced that by
identifying himself with that person, product,
program or movement, he will get the benefit
of the good name.
The work of this technique is to make us
accept and approve without examining the
evidence.

3. Appeal to Human Authority Technique

(The Transfer Device)

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 There is a Latin maxim in legal studies
which states ‘No Authority No Speaking.’ In
this technique, the propagandist induces
people to transfer their respect, admiration,
reverence, or faith from a person to
something (claimed to be) related to that
person. It is common to see music, sports
and cinema stars approving a particular
commercial product. Masses who hold these
persons in respect transfer the same respect
and awe to the product endorsed by them.

4. Appeal to Persuasion by Individual

Technique (The Testimonial Device).
In this technique, appeal is made to
testimonials of people from all
treads of life. In their
testimonials different persons tell
persuasively how they discovered a solution
to a presumed problem. The awed listener

25
 immediately identifies himself with that
person and accepts his testimony as true for
him also. This is the techniques used by
advertisers who sell common product like
soaps, shampoos, and other household items
by appealing to the testimony of housewives.
The same technique is used by emotion-
dominant groups. The exaggerated teachings
about healings spread in this way - not by
appeal to the Holy Scriptures, but by
appeal to human experience. False cults also
use this technique successfully.

5. The Plain Folks Technique

This is the propaganda device which seeks
to make a leader appear an average or
ordinary for more trustworthy. It is used by
political leaders, religious ministers,
businessmen, labour leaders for the sake of
winning confidence. Before election political

26
 leaders tend to show their devotion to various
homey things of life.

6. The Bandwagon/Mob-mentality Technique

(Everybody’s Doing It)
It is a propaganda technique to make us
follow the crowd. The pressure is exerted on
people by appealing to everyone who has
enthusiasm about it.
People have a tendency to follow what
everyone else is doing. This tendency is
reinforced due to the inherent insecurity that
almost everyone has. This insecurity
makes them afraid to be different from
others.
We all know how pioneers in many fields
suffered terribly at the hands of people. Many
of them were mocked, humiliated and even
tortured to death. For example; the European
medical doctor who introduced the practice of

27
 washing of hands before examining patients
became mad and committed suicide due to
the same reason. Nobody else practiced it
before him and therefore people harassed him
even though he was able to show
outstanding results due to such washing.
The band-wagon technique is used to
induce people into buying things they do not
need, talking about things that are not
appropriate, and doing things that are
questionable.

7. The Card-Stacking Technique (Outright

Deception)
This is well-known artistic work for
deceiving the ignorant or one’s gullible
opponents. It is the technique employed by
propagandist to win people’s support for
himself. In this technique a propagandist

28
offers false testimonies. He allows half-truth
to masquerade as truth.
Card-stacking is such a powerful method
for propagating error that even a person
familiar with the methods of propaganda can
be tricked a good number of times.
Almost all statistics that tell you that
people in this country now condone
immorality, crime, and other vices, are false.
Most people do not favour such things, but
then people who want to stack the cards do
not go to the masses. Rather they invite
people of their own inclination to respond to
the survey. The few thousand perverts who
respond are then considered to represent the
whole country, and the statistics is imposed
upon the whole nation.

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8. Titillation and Teasing (Fantasy
Manipulation)
This device has been effectively used for
decades in developed countries. Every
mankind has a fantasy-creating mind.
Some of these fantasies relate to the
man-woman relationship because mankind
are sexual beings. It should be noted that Sex
within God-ordained restrictions is not only
proper, but also quite satisfying and even
necessary for stability, even allowing the
exceptional people with the spiritual gift of
celibacy.
However, just as any human emotion or
feelings or emotions can be manipulated, the
sexual desires can also be played with. All the
emotions that people have, sexual feelings
produce the greatest impact upon the body
and the spirit. This is the heart of
propaganda by titillation and teasing.

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 Just find any magazine or TV
advertisement you will notice that they have
more women models than men, even if the
product advertised belongs to the male
domain. Additionally, you will notice that
most of the times the models chosen are very
sweet and homely or very cute and sexy. They
pose either in a homely or in a sex-arousing
and inviting manner. The purpose is obvious
just to titillate your heart and trigger your
fantasies.
Contemporary Psychological Researches
have shown that fantasy might be powerful
beyond imagination due to an activated
fantasy within people’s minds. It has been
found that an average person speaks at the
rate of 100 words per minute. The same
person thinks at the rate of about 250 words
per minute. But when he indulges in
fantasizing, it becomes equivalent to about

31
 1800 words per minute. Obviously, our
minds will surrender and yield under such an
onslaught of ideas flashing in such quick
succession. When the power of animated TV
pictures is added to it, the power to
manipulate becomes incredible.
Fantasy is the most powerful propaganda
device. It not only captures the attention, but
also motivates people to lust and dirty their
minds.
Generally; the above explained devices
appear very simple. However, the fact is that,
these are the nuclear missiles which are used to
destroy the world for the benefit of minority.
Just imagine, why advertisement companies
spend thousands of millions every year on
them? Why monopolistic nations also spend
thousands of millions every year to integrate the
same into their overseas propaganda? This
depicts that their simplicity is only deceptive

32
and an outward cover-up for the poisonous
power they hide in themselves.

REFINEMENT OF PROPAGANDA DEVICES

One of my friend, a Politian from South
Africa once asked me about newly invented
propaganda devices. Propaganda techniques
have been researched for centuries, but the
report shows that the devices never change
rather they are only advanced.
In developed countries, there are high
skilled professional propagandists whose
assignment is to polish the devices.

The Pentagon Propaganda Campaign

The Pentagon propaganda is one of the
results of highly refined propaganda technique.
David Barstow reported that, In early 2002
Victoria Clarke who was the U.S.A Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Public Affair launched

33
‘The Pentagon Military Analyst Program’ It
aimed at recruiting people with influence to help
sell a wary public so as to invade Iraq. More
than 75 retired military officers signed the
movement. It was operated by using televisions,
radio stations and newspapers to shift American
public perceptions and attitudes towards Iraq; a
former NBC military analyst Kenneth Allard
called it “psyops on steroids.’ The target
audience for this propaganda campaign were
American citizens. This is because the 2002
polls depicted that the American public was not
ready for their country to invade Iraq for there
was no clear connection between Iraq and the
September 11 attack of World Trade Center.
According to David Barstow, the aim of this
propaganda campaign is to arouse emotional
approval to Americans so as to invade Iraq.

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 Another way of refining propaganda
devices is by combining them. When these
devices are combined with each other and also
with some other methods they normally give
birth to things which are highly harmful to the
recipients.
 Propaganda Combined with Mind
Manipulation Devices
"Mind" is the center of human thinking
that is why it is becomes the ultimate source
of all our behavior. The mind is a complex
entity that is inseparably linked with human
soul and spirit. The sin nature constantly
interacts with it. Also, memory, intelligence,
curiosity, and many other factors are so
intimately interwoven with it that what affect
one factor affects them all. This means that if
anyone can break into the human mind, he
can successfully manipulate the whole
person.

35
 The secular world has very clearly
recognized that they need to control minds in
order to control people. Many techniques
have been invented and refined to trap the
minds and people don’t recognize them as
mind-altering forces, and they have never fail.
The following are the common mind-
alterations;
A. By repeated exposure: The human
mind has a tendency of repelling
thing when they come for the first
time. But when these things are
repeated they break the mind and
enter. Ultimately, the particular
person accept it. See the formula
below;
First exposure ---> Shock and
recoil (then) Repeated exposure --->
Reduction of shock --> Permitting
further exposure ---->

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 Desensitization --> Complete
elimination of shock ---->
Tolerance (because shock is gone) -
--> Condoning ---> Endorsing --->
Desiring ---> Longing --> Doing it !!

Repeated exposure is one way in

which advertisements invade minds,
new and sinful behavior patterns
popularized, sins made desirable, and
the abnormal accepted as normal.
B. Mind Manipulation by Bypassing
Reason
The way things should be is that,
whenever a person is given a piece of
information, he/she should analyze it
before taking any action. See the
formula below;
Information ---> Reason (logic) --->
Analysis ---> Action

37
 Using the devices of propaganda
mentioned in another place it is
possible to bypass reason and touch
emotions. In fact emotion
manipulation and propaganda
techniques are so inseparably inter
linked with each other that one
cannot be understood without the
other. See the formula below;

Contrived Information --> Emotion-

dominated Reasoning --> Emotion-
dominated Analysis --> Emotion-
controlled Action

Objective and emotion-free reason

is bypassed and eventually insulated,
but emotion is manipulated. This is
achieved by using tricky and loaded
words that bypass reason and

38
directly manipulate emotions. Most
propaganda related to population-
control comes under this category.
Using the fear of the unknown, they
paint a horrifying picture of humans
shaking all over the globe like worms
in future.

39
 Chapter 3
ANALYZING PROPAGANDA
All arranged propaganda is war in nature,
it is a battle to control and manipulate minds.
No one is free from propaganda attack.
Everyday propaganda schemes circulate in our
societies. The only solution to propaganda
effects is to learn how to counter it.
An ordinary alertness about the presence
or circulation of propaganda is not enough
preparation to come out as a winner in this war
of wits. Rather, one should know how to analyze
propaganda. Once a person analyzes it, he
knows which is which and can escape from
falling into the emotional trap.
Don’t make mistake of judging any
propaganda before you obtain essential facts
and implication intended in the propaganda.

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 STEPS IN PROPAGANDA ANALYSIS
The following ten steps will give you a
guideline on how to examine propaganda;
1) The Ideology and purpose of the propaganda
campaign.
2) The context in which propaganda occurs.
3) Identification of the propagandist.
4) The structure of the propaganda organization
5) The target audience.
6) Media utilization devices
7) Special device to maximize the effect.
8) Audience reaction to various devices
9) If there is a presence of Counterpropaganda
10) Effects and Evaluation

Therefore; the above steps produce the

following questions;
1. Who is the propagandist?

41
2. Whom is he serving? Or, in other words, to
whom is his loyalty? To you, to himself, or to
his bread-givers?
3. What's his aim for indulging in this
propaganda? Is it to benefit you or someone
else?
4. To what human interests, desires emotions, or
fears is he appealing?
5. What techniques of propaganda does he use?
6. Are these techniques ethical or unethical? If
unethical, is he a person of integrity?
7. Is the propagandist objective, and does he
present the whole truth? If not, why is he
subjective and what motivates him to hide or
suppress part of the truth?
8. Are you, or are you not, going to permit
yourself to be influenced, manipulated, and
exploited by the tactics of the propagandist.

42
 Any educated person with wisdom is not
enticed by the crowd influence rather he/she
does analysis then he/she chooses the right
platform.

THE ANTIDOTE TO PROPAGANDA

Logic is the only antidote to propaganda.
Logic is simply reasoning. As stated above that
propaganda is the tool against rational
thinking/reasoning (logic) for it plays only with
emotions.
Logic comes from the Greek term "logos",
which has a diversity of meanings including
reason, word, argument, account. Logic is the
art of reasoning

The main purpose of logic is not only to

form the mind but also to form the mind,
because through logic our thinking pattern is

43
shaped/molded. Consequently; a formed mind
should be able;
 To reason logically correct to avoid
mistakes.
 To distinguish the good from the bad.
 To acquire skills for handling abstract
ideas.

THE ANTIDOTES TO MIND MANIPULATION

THROUGH REPEATED EXPOSURE
Regrettably, most people have no
knowledge on awesome power of repeated
exposure. This is why many parents are not
mindful of prayers and related home-based
instruction in scriptural truth.
The most important parented activity in
this area is to give repeated exposure to
spiritual truths from the earliest possible age.
This will definitely serve to build a wall of
resistance in their souls that will not smash
easily or quickly under exposure to evil.
44
 Propagandists use mind manipulation
through repeated exposure to destroy your
family. In opposite, you have to use this
technique to build your family.
The following are a few questions designed
by my professor Dr. Johnson C. Phillip to help
you to use before exposing your family to the
media, but don’t confine yourselves to these
alone.
1. Do the TV or video programs you watch, the
music you hear, and the books/magazines
that you read contain passages that cannot
be narrated when you sit with your family?
2. What kind of a passage is that? Description
of sex, sexual passions, or any kind of
perverted activity?
3. Books on medicine contain some intimate
details of human body, while books dealing
with law and crime contain description of
crime. Neither of these can be read in front of

45
 a family, but still they are not wrong because
their purpose is education. Do the
passages under scrutiny in question to have
a similar justification, or are they there just
to arouse passions?
4. What kind of passions come up in your hear
when you are exposed to these
audio/video/printed stories and descriptions.
5. Do they help you to become a better, cleaner,
and more mature person.

46
 Chapter 4
HOW PROPAGANDA OPERATES IN

MODERN WORLD

Propaganda is a form of communication,

so it uses various channels to reach to the
target audience. The circulation of propaganda
to and from a society relies on the conditions of
the times and the availability of media.
Propaganda as a process operates as follows;
 The Institution
Propaganda is initiated and taken care of by
institutions because of organizational and
financial ability. This is done to maintain the
position, activities and legitimacy of a
institutions.
 Agents of Propaganda
These are the ones who propagate the messages
either directly or indirectly through the media.
They work for institutions. They send out
ideologies with a specific object to a directed
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 audience for the betterment of the institution, it
doesn’t matter if it is good or bad to a recipient.
 Media Devices
The work of propaganda nowadays has been so
effective due to various media. It is easy for the
agents to choose the media which is convenient
to them for their success. Any event can now be
watched by all people in the world due to the
presence of TV stations, radio stations,
newspapers, magazines, films etc.
 The Social Networks
Social networks like Facebook, Whattsapp,
twitter, YouTube etc. have facilitated much to the
spread of propaganda campaign. You can be a
witness of how messages move very fast in social
media.
 The Public
This is the general target of propagandists. The
target audience of propaganda is public, though
it may fail to receive a message or it may choose
to receive it or it may be skeptical.

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 REFERENCES

1. Phillip Jonhson C. Propaganda Analysis.

Trinity Graduate School of Apologetics and
Theology. Unpublished Module. India.
2. Institute for Propaganda Analysis, Inc.
Propaganda Analysis (U.S.A, 1938).
3. Garth S. Jowett & Victoria O’Donnell.
Propaganda and Persuasion. SAGE
Publications, Inc. U.S.A, 2012.
4. Barstow, D. (2008, April 20). Behind TV
Analysts, the Pentagon hidden hand. New
York Times, p. 1

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