Jowett and O'Donnell - Propaganda and Persuasion

Jowett and O'Donnell Definition:

- Understand and analyse Propaganda and find the distinction between propaganda and persuasion, propaganda as a sub category of persuasion.
- “Propaganda is the deliberate and systematic attempt to shape persceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behaviour to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist”
- The last words are key to the definition, the one who benefits from the audience response, if the response is the desired on, is the propagandist and not necessarily the members of the audience

Propaganda and Persuasion
- Studied as a purveyor of ideology – how dominant ideological meanings are constructed within the mass media
- Study of propaganda as a type of communication
- Propaganda employs persuasive tactics but is different from persuasion in purpose
Looking at the role of propaganda as a part of communication, and social religious and political systems historically and contemporarily



Meanings of Propaganda:
- Viewed by some scholars as inherent thought and practise in mass culture
- To disseminate or promote particular ideas
- To propagate or to sow
- Often viewed negatively, as organised mass persuasion by a large organisation or group
- Ellul – identified potency and pervasiveness of Propaganda, said it was instantaneous and destroyed a persons sense of history and disallowed critical reflection
- Pratkanis and Aronson – propaganda as the abuse of persuasion and recognised that propaganda is more clever than deception. Mass suggestion or influence through the manipulation of symbols and the psychology of the individual.
- Pratkanis and Turner – separated persuasion and propaganda – Persuasion is debate and discussion and consideration of options for better solutions but Propaganda is manipulation of the mob by the elite