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Category: In Practice

The Center for Immigration Rights Communication

The Center for Immigration Rights Communication

If you read this blog, you know the terms public relations, communication and propaganda are synonymous. All forms of public persuasion were once called “propaganda”. The negative connotations of government and military propaganda programs early in the 20th century resulted in the late Edward Bernays proposing the use of “public relations” as an alternative. Today, public relations has evolved into “communication” specialists. These terms are synonymous and describe the methods and programs used to persuade the public to adopt someone’s…

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Once again: "Why is the media ignoring 'this'?"

Once again: "Why is the media ignoring 'this'?"

This is a fun “meme” to getting targets emotionally riled up so they will share this false claim others. I wrote about this propaganda method not long ago. Some one did a similar “the media are ignoring this!” about an alleged protest in Poland. “They” are keeping this secret! Why are people ignoring “this”? It “must be a conspiracy!” Share if you agree! It’s the same as the news web sites that create click bait titles like “Girl opens door and…

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Public relations people are liars

Public relations people are liars

Read the story of the smug, arrogant and elitist Ben Rhodes, the deputy national security advisor for strategic communications in the White House, a man that Foreign Policy Magazine calls an “asshole” for his disdain of the public and his insulting treatment of reporters. In a follow up, the author of that article adds additional background showing how the “strategic communication” specialist uses social media propaganda to manipulate the public, even acknowledging that this leads to a “dangerous distortion of…

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Panama Free Trade Agreement propaganda video is accurate and effective

Panama Free Trade Agreement propaganda video is accurate and effective

TL;DR Summary In 2011, Bernie Sanders spoke forcefully against a free trade agreement with Panama because Panama operates as a tax haven with secret bank accounts. True-Sanders did speak forcefully against the PFTA. True-Panama does have low corporate tax rates, tax havens and banking secrecy. This is an effective propaganda poster (video) because it is topical, makes good use of facts (not false assertions or logical fallacies), and is conveyed simply and directly. It is also unusual for a propaganda…

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Same country, different data – the ease of creating propaganda posters

Same country, different data – the ease of creating propaganda posters

TL; DR Summary All true. Illustrates the ease of creating propaganda posters. Share if you agree! As I continue to cross-check the very popular (on social media) Denmark propaganda posters, I created one of my own!     Points that did not fit on this poster: Denmark has the highest taxes in the world Denmark has the highest personal debts in the world with household debt equal to 321% of disposable income. Banks pay negative interest rates – meaning that…

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Fake news is a profitable industry

Fake news is a profitable industry

TL;DR Summary Fake news is a profitable industry. More on that in a previous post. Fakes news that goes viral, generates lots of ad views; and it is not just The Onion. Social media sharing makes this possible. And makes propaganda sharing even easier. Fake news is, incidentally, a relatively new addition to the media landscape. The Internet’s always teemed with rumors and scams, of course. But the fake news industry — a crop of Web sites dedicated solely to…

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Enlist your employees in "social media advocacy"

Enlist your employees in "social media advocacy"

TL;DR Summary: Employers encourage employees to share company propaganda on their personal social media pages. Interesting. Because social media is a largely frictionless conduit for propaganda messaging, some companies are encouraging their staff to “share” the company messaging on their own: