This is a bit dated, but its makes the point that the use of propaganda is common in order to influence public opinion one way or another.
- Click here for it.
The purpose of this factsheet is to demonstrate that, regardless of the emotion aroused by the term, “propaganda” has been and will remain a prevalent aspect of U.S. foreign policy. Tis fact sheet does not purport to place a moral judgment on its use, but rather explore its institutional and legislative basis as a tool for influencing foreign audiences. Below is a brief look at the fundamentals of propaganda and the relationship it holds with public diplomacy and the U.S. Government.
Origin of the Term
Propaganda finds its root in the Latin word “propagare,” used to describe the process of aiding plant reproduction by using cuttings from the plant.
• The Roman Catholic Church assisted in the evolution of the term in the 17th
century with the establishment of the Congregatio de Propaganda Fide (the Congregation for Propagating the Faith).
• During the French Revolution, the term began to gain a more political rather than religious connotation.
• Continuing to evolve, by the mid-19th century, propaganda bore the political connotation it carries today.
Definition
Propaganda has many “official” definitions, however many of these carry subtle nuances. In its basic sense, propaganda can be defined as:
• Ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one’s cause or to damage an opposing cause.
Propaganda can be and often is completely truthful information. Tis information, while truthful, is often presented selectively to highlight some facts while omitting others that may present a differing view of an issue. As the term propaganda received an increasingly negative association, policy makers sought to distance themselves from outright promotion of its use. Illustrating this, Edmund Gullion, Dean of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in1965, established the modern use of the term “public diplomacy” which he said, “deals with the influence ofp ublic attitudes on the formation and execution of foreign policies.”
Furthermore, in describing his effort to create a name for to the activities we now understand as public diplomacy, Gullion stated: “To connote this activity, we at the Fletcher School tried to find a name. I would have liked to call it ‘propaganda.’ It seemed like the nearest thing in the pure interpretation of the word to what we were doing. But ‘propaganda’ has always a pejorative connotation in this country. To describe the whole range of communications, information, and propaganda, we hit upon ‘public diplomacy’.”
Types
Propaganda comes in three different forms, white, grey and black:
• White: propaganda is correctly attributed to its true source and generally uses facts and truthful messages in a persuasive manner. Although it relies on truth, it is often presented in a biased manner.
• Grey: propaganda does not have a specifically identified source, and conceals its originator.
• Black: propaganda is falsely attributed to a source other than the true originator.
It can also describe the use of disinformation which spreads false information as truth to an audience with the intent that the audience does not realize it is being propagandized.
Propaganda vs. Public Diplomacy
Propaganda is better categorized as a sub-set of public diplomacy, rather than being equivalent to public diplomacy. Dr. Nicholas J. Cull, a leading scholar on the subjects of public diplomacy and propaganda, lays out some of the key differences between public diplomacy and propaganda:
U.S. Government Institutional and Legislative History
The use of propaganda in or by America is steeped in history dating back to the Revolution, with pieces like Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense,” a pamphlet which made the argument for American independence. Listed below is a chronological outline of some of the legislation and U.S. government institutions that have been tasked with conducting U.S. propaganda or related activities since the First World War:
• Woodrow Wilson created the Committee on Public Information with Executive Order 2594 on April13, 1917, which was designed to generate and maintain public support for U.S. participation in World War I. It conducts activities domestically and overseas.
• The Office of War Information (OWI) was established on June 13, 1942 and operated until September15, 1945. Its audience was both foreign and domestic. In 1943, Congress greatly cut OWI’s domestic budget for FY1944, primarily over its publication “Negroes and the War.”
