CABAR.asia together with expert, Dr. Rashid Gabdulkhakov, Assistant Professor of the Centre for Media and Journalism Studies of the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, have prepared cards on which main methods are used by agitators and how to understand if you read or watch propaganda message.
Propaganda is a media, communication strategy designed to make people convinced of something. In present time, when information has become a weapon and wars are waged not only on the battlefield, but also in the media space, propaganda must be understood as the information strategy meant not only to convince people, but also to manipulate their outlook, perception and understanding of some processes and life realities of other people.
CABAR.asia notes that the most relevant example today is the propaganda war waged by the Russian Federation to convince people that military operations in Ukraine are justified, necessary and inevitable. This is a complicated example because the word ‘war’ in Russia is banned for use, but at the same time the phenomenon of war is being praised and presented as the solemn duty.
Propaganda, by definition, is not necessarily something bad. It also has a positive meaning, when it concerns the propaganda of healthy lifestyle or propaganda against cruel treatment of animals.
However, very often, this is the tool of political parties, people, who have come to power and want to hold on to it, or who want to achieve power. Propaganda is also used by religious leaders. Of course, religion and politics often merge.
In a sense, propaganda reportedly is needed to those who deliver it to the masses. These are the servants of regimes: informal leaders, artists, singers. In other words, persons known to the people via TV programs, films, music. Those who are trusted.
Propaganda is available in the countries with democratic, authoritarian, totalitarian regimes, as well as in monarchies.
The only difference is that totalitarian and authoritarian states have propaganda with no other options. No other sources of information are available there but propaganda ones.
Propaganda is possible in the age of digital media, messengers and social media as a digital iron curtain can be built. To do it, it is enough to frighten people, to make so that it is frightening even to think about an alternative, to ‘like’ some piece of news, because it can be deemed as extremism and one can be imprisoned for that. That’s why they write laws to prosecute people literally for any action on the internet.
CABAR.asia notes that it is very difficult to discern a propaganda message since good propaganda is usually invisible.
In order not to be a victim of propaganda, you should have several sources of information, discuss events, news with someone, CABAR.asia says, noting that in fact, it is very difficult to fight propaganda because it resembles religion in many ways – “it gives simple answers to complex questions.”
