Browsed by
Month: February 2016

Abraham Lincoln’s false quote used to endorse political meme

Abraham Lincoln’s false quote used to endorse political meme

A common social media propaganda technique uses quotes from well known historical figures or celebrities to strengthen one’s argument. Not surprisingly, many of the quotes are fiction, some are attributed to the wrong person, and many are taken wildly out of context. TL;DR Summary This quote suggests  Abraham Lincoln had a prescient warning about corporations in America’s future. But he never said this. This is a made up quote. The goal, as propaganda, is to rely on the “Appeal to…

Read More Read More

Sanders shows how to tell a lie using only true statements

Sanders shows how to tell a lie using only true statements

TL; DR Summary Each sentence is true. But Sanders is intentionally making a straight up, outright lie when he talks about the changing share of corporate taxes. Politifact, the NY Times, the IRS, the Congressional Research Service, the Congressional Budget Office, Factcheck.org and the Center on Budget Priorities all recognize the problem with these statements. Can you spot the problem? Due to the creations of Subchapter S corporations after 1958, much – perhaps most – corporate income now flows through…

Read More Read More

Emotional Appeal: This dog did not dig a hole to be close to a deceased owner

Emotional Appeal: This dog did not dig a hole to be close to a deceased owner

TL;DR Summary Making the rounds on FB again today: “A dog dug a hole in the tomb of his owner, who has just died so he can be close to him. Nothing in the World can Compare with the Love and Loyalty of a Dog for his Friend.” The story is false.  More here and here. As of today, this has been shared over 8,600 times on FB alone.

Humor about propaganda posters to make a point!

Humor about propaganda posters to make a point!

TL;DR Summary This propagandist is using the humorous observation that  many propaganda posters are not true – and twists that to its advantage. Since it is funny, it will be shared more widely. Politifact did rate it true, albeit, after a lengthy explanation. More from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

Accurate use of quote to achieve “transference”, “appeal to authority” and “testimonial”

Accurate use of quote to achieve “transference”, “appeal to authority” and “testimonial”

TL;DR Summary This poster uses the appeal to authority, transference and testimonial methods of propaganda on behalf of the Sanders campaign. The quote is accurate and is used in the context in which Dr. King said this. The intent is to transfer positive feelings and the authority of Dr. King to Bernie Sanders. Overall, this is an effective social media propaganda poster that achieves its goal without being dishonest or exaggerating.

Re-using historical photos to assert a false conclusion

Re-using historical photos to assert a false conclusion

TL;DR Summary Making the rounds on FB, this poster supposedly shows Europeans fleeing to North Africa to escape WW II. In reality, the photo is of Europeans (from Albania) seeking refuge elsewhere in Europe in 1991. A simple Google search confirms the story. Re-using historical photos and asserting the photo shows something other than what the photo actually shows is extremely common on social media. This propaganda method works because most people have no familiarity with the photos being used…

Read More Read More

Oregon is not giving free college tuition to everyone

Oregon is not giving free college tuition to everyone

TL;DR Summary This poster was widely distributed on social media propaganda web sites, often in conjunction with Bernie Sanders statement that he would like 4 years of college to be free for everyone. All other states should follow Oregon’s lead, they said. Based on the comments to this poster, as it circulated, most everyone who saw this believed it applied to everyone in Oregon, at any college. Alas, the poster asserts something that is not true.