What is Propaganda?

Propaganda is a persuasive technique used to manipulate or influence individuals to adopt a particular view or belief. It has been used by governments, corporations, religious groups, media and individuals around the world for centuries. Propaganda is not limited to a single medium. It can be found in artwork, movies, speeches, music and more.

Biased information and quasi-facts are presented in a way that advances a particular agenda in a political, religious, financial or otherwise. Propaganda tries to make people believe that this abused information is real. The best forms of propaganda can go further to convince people that these ideas and facts are not the result of propaganda tactics but their own beliefs.

Propaganda is so common that most people experience it regularly and often do not even realize it. It uses propaganda to control public perception, effectively influence political campaigns, spending allocations, corporate earnings, and everything in between. Propaganda tactics can be found almost anywhere, including:

• Advertising and Public Relations
• Marketing
• Politics

This article contains information on the effects of propaganda on news, public relations and reputation, starting with how to define it.

How Is Propaganda Determined?

The determination of propaga can vary depending on the area and how it was made. As the lines between artistic expression, marketing, advertising, public relations, propaganda, and current news are increasingly blurred, it can be difficult to distinguish between what propaganda is. As long as written records exist, people in power influence public opinion using half-truths, outright lies, and other questionable tactics. Since Darius I’s ascension to the Persian throne in 515 BC, propaganda has been used to provoke genocide, influence political elections, change the course of religious beliefs, and more.

Despite its long history and proven effectiveness, there are some explanatory signs that most propaganda exhibits. It is important to always consume the media with a critical lens. Some common propaganda techniques to watch out for are:

• Semi-facts and data distortion: Hyper-focusing on parts of a story that move a particular agenda further can provide audience support.

• Inflammatory expressions: Bold statements based on emotion rather than facts can ignite passionate people.

• Using emotions: Shame, humor, comparison and fear are examples of emotions that can be used to unite a viewer.

• Creating an enemy or scapegoat: Targeting a specific person or idea can also be used to unite people against a so-called enemy.

Public relations and propaganda are used to inform and persuade the public to push a certain agenda. Both engage certain segments of a community in ways that influence their own opinions and encourage action. The main difference between the two is that public relations campaigns promote truth, but this is not always the case when dealing with bad propaganda or other negative campaigns. Still, to explain generally, according to the Public Relations Association of America, it is defined as a strategic communication process that establishes mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and the public. Some of the most common public relations activities include:

• Activities in the form of donating time, product and money to local charities and community organizations, used as an opportunity to show interest in relevant activities

• Activities to secure interviews and promotional spots in relevant TV shows, influential blogs and other media outlets

• Sending branded press releases highlighting achievements

Difference Between Fake News and Propaganda

Like propaganda, fake news has been around for a very long time. The difference between fake news and propaganda is that fake news is clearly false. It is often used to undermine the reputation of a person, group, or idea, and can encourage propaganda to gain attention. Fake news aims to discredit its target by using ugly headlines and altered images to persuade people to click a link or buy a tabloid. For example, fake news gained a brand new meaning in the 2016 presidential election and continues to cause problems in social media sites such as Facebook.

In 2019, the top 100 fake news on Facebook had more than 150 million views. According to Avaaz, the nonprofit who conducted the research, this is enough opinion to reach every registered voter at least once. Here are some of the most viewed fake news of 2019:

How Does Propaganda Affect Reputation?

Propaganda, fake news, and dark PR can damage a good reputation, regardless of what’s true or not. Fake news spreads quickly, and its negative impact can be difficult to reverse. Propaganda directed at a person or company can lead to the following negative commercial effects:

• Difficulty finding qualified personnel

• Employees may be fired or even part of the business may need to be closed.

• The target audience’s trust in the job is lost

• Lower income is obtained

• Higher marketing costs

• You are at greater risk

Often times, a propaganda attack strains a company, and its leadership scrambles to pull the pieces and bring the shattered reputation together. If an attack happens and there is no reputation plan in place, a lot of time must be spent mitigating the consequences.

Reasons Why Businesses Have Bad Propaganda Attacks

Here are a few reasons why someone might launch a propaganda attack against a business:

• The company has recently experienced financial growth or on the way to becoming an important company

• One or more of the employees has done or said something controversial (for example, making an impulsive comment on social media, being arrested, making the news suspicious).

• If a data breach has occurred

• Dissatisfied customers stand out (by leaving bad reviews or otherwise).

• If the business or employees openly share their opinions on important matters such as politics or religion

• If a move was made to provoke or annoy opponents

What Should Be Done About Propaganda or Fake News?

If any of the above reasons apply to the company, or there is any other reason to suspect it could be the target of negative propaganda, it’s important to have both a crisis management plan and a reputation repair plan. In the plan, a specific action plan should be created for the company and the issues of interest. However, here are a few general steps to consider to proactively protect the company’s reputation. This step is as follows:

• Mistakes should be discussed clearly and be objective.

• A robust, rapid response plan should be established for each negative content risk.

• A positive and attractive social media presence should be developed.

• Employee behavior policies should be strengthened.

• Reputation management should be done over managers.

Propaganda has taken many forms over the years. The target of the propaganda made can be effective both in wide and narrow areas. While most prominent propaganda examples include large-scale political scandals or corporate giants, propaganda can affect almost any business. Money and power are often the motivation for targeted propaganda attacks, so it is always best practice to proactively maintain reputation so that attempts to harm it can be avoided.