Encyclopedia of Propaganda Methods

[Teacher]

Salute, in this article we will learn how we are treated by the media, politicians and advertising.

The media today is an instrument of ideology, not information. The main thing in their messages is the ideas smuggled into our minds. S. Kara-Murza The better people get to know the essence of technology affecting consciousness, the more likely they will understand their purpose, and the less the likelihood that these technologies will be used. J .. Marx
Identifying the tricks of politicians and journalists is a fascinating intellectual sport. And if you really have to watch TV and read newspapers, you should sometimes do it. At least for preventive purposes, in order to make sure once again that we are still us, and have not yet completely turned into an “electorate” or “market segment”.

Helpful advice. The simplest method of psychological defense against propaganda "brainwashing" is the deliberate interruption of contact with the source of information. For example, it is enough to stop watching TV from time to time for one or two weeks for a "recovery" of consciousness to occur. The glamor inspired by television is passing away. After that, observation sharply increases and for some time you will easily notice from which TV programs your ears are sticking out.

And one more tip: if you need objective information, go to the scientific library. If you want to get a portion of advertising and political propaganda, turn on the TV or buy a newspaper. And listen ... Just stop from time to time and filter out from your personal inferences those ready-made cliches and illusions that are trying with all their might to implant into your consciousness

Anonymous authority

A popular misleading trick, actively used by all media. It belongs to the so-called. "Gray" propaganda. It has long been proven that one of the most effective methods of influence is to appeal to authority. The authority to which they apply may be religious, it may be a significant political figure, a scientist or another profession. The name of the authority was not disclosed. At the same time, citation of documents, expert assessments, testimonial reports and other materials that are necessary for greater persuasiveness can be carried out. Examples: "Scientists have established on the basis of many years of research ...", "Doctors recommend ...", "A source from the closest presidential entourage, who wished to remain anonymous, reports ...". What scientists? What doctors? What is the source? The information provided in this way is in most cases a lie. References to non-existent authority give it solidity and weight in the eyes of ordinary people. At the same time, the source has not been identified and the journalists do not bear any responsibility for the false report. So, if a passage in popular media begins with the words “sources inform” or “scientists recommend,” rest assured that this is not information, but propaganda or hidden advertising; moreover, the authors of the message are very far from scholarship and just as far from self-righteousness. the source has not been identified and the journalists do not bear any responsibility for the false report.

"Everyday story"

"Everyday" or "everyday" story is used, for example, to adapt a person to information that is clearly negative, causing denial, content. In the literature, this method is described specialized calmly and in a businesslike manner. So, if you need to tame people to violence, blood, murder, atrocities of all kinds, then a good-looking TV presenter with a calm face and an even voice, as if casually, informs you every day about the most serious atrocities. After several weeks of such treatment, the population ceases to react to the most heinous crimes and massacres taking place in society. (The psychological effect of addiction sets in)

This technique was used, in particular, during the coup d'etat in Chile (1973), when it was necessary to induce the indifference of the population to the actions of the Pinochet special services. In the post-Soviet space, it is actively used when covering mass protests, actions of the political opposition, strikes, etc. For example, there is a demonstration of thousands of opponents of the current regime, which is dispersed by riot police using truncheons and tear gas. The women and old people participating in it are severely beaten, the leaders of the political opposition are arrested. The next day, journalists in an everyday and businesslike tone, without emotion, casually tell us that, they say, another protest rally was held the day before, law enforcement agencies were forced to use force, so many violators of public peace were arrested, against whom criminal cases were initiated "in accordance with the current legislation", etc. This technique allows the media to preserve the illusion of objective coverage of events, but, at the same time, devalues the significance of what happened, creates an image among the mass audience about this event as something insignificant, not worthy of special attention and, especially, public assessment.

Hunger strike

An effective technique of emotional influence on the electorate and psychological pressure on the authorities. A group of well-paid young people with good health is selected, who, without risking anything, organize a "medical fasting course" in any public place. An unimaginable noise is being raised around this media. There are constant accusations of the inhumanity of a regime, an organization or a specific person. It is extremely difficult to resist this technique (provided that it is carried out professionally), since the authorities in any case are forced to respond to the demands put forward by the “fighters”.

"Stop the thief"

The purpose of the admission is to mingle with your pursuers. A striking example is the experience of the CIA during the period of W. Colby (1970s). When this organization was accused of terrorism, murders, explosions, overthrow of governments, drug trafficking, and agent failures, the CIA, led by Colby, ran ahead of the whistleblowers and began to expose themselves so zealously that the whistleblowers themselves barely calmed them down ... So W. Colby kept the CIA.

The same technique is used to discredit, when the perpetrators, feeling the failure, are the first to raise a cry and direct the people's anger in the other direction. This technique is often used by "human rights defenders" and "fighters against the mafia", whose task is to disorganize the public.

Chatting

The method of "chatting" is used when it is necessary to reduce the relevance or cause a negative reaction to any phenomenon. Using it, you can successfully fight the enemy, continuously praising him to the place and inappropriately speaking about his extraordinary abilities, constantly keeping his name on the ear, obviously exaggerating his abilities. Very quickly everyone gets bored and one name of this person causes irritation. It is very difficult to convict the authors of such an event of intentionally discrediting, since formally they make every effort to praise.

During elections, this technique is actively used in the form of an “information explosion” or a massive “leakage of compromising evidence”. The goal is to cause fatigue and headaches in people, to discourage voters from being interested in what is behind the soul of this or that candidate.

Another method of chattering is often used to create the so-called. "Information noise", when it is necessary to hide some important event or main problem behind the stream of secondary messages.

Emotional resonance

The technique of emotional resonance can be defined as a way of creating a certain mood among a wide audience while simultaneously transmitting propaganda information. Emotional resonance allows you to remove the psychological defense that a person builds on the mental level, deliberately trying to protect themselves from propaganda or advertising “brainwashing”. One of the basic rules of propaganda says: first of all, you need to appeal not to the mind, but to the feelings of a person. Defending himself against propaganda messages, at a rational level, a person is always able to build a system of counterargumentation and reduce all efforts to "special treatment" to zero. If the propaganda influence on a person occurs on an emotional level, outside his conscious control, no rational counter-arguments will work in this case.

Appropriate techniques have been known since ancient times. They are based on the phenomenon of social induction (emotional infection). The fact is that the emotions and feelings we experience are largely social phenomena. They can spread like an epidemic, sometimes infecting tens and hundreds of thousands of people and forcing the masses to "resonate" in unison. We are social creatures and easily perceive the feelings that arise in others. This is clearly seen at the level of interpersonal relationships - when it comes to close people. Everyone knows what it means to "spoil the mood" of a loved one and how easy it can sometimes be. Thus, a mother who possesses negative feelings always passes them on to her little child; the bad mood of one of the spouses can instantly be transmitted to the other, etc.

The effect of emotional contamination is especially strong in a crowd - a situational set of people who are not bound by a perceived goal. The crowd is a property of a social community characterized by the similarity of the emotional state of its members. In the crowd, there is a mutual contamination of emotions and, as a result, their intensification. The nature of massive emotional contagion has hardly been studied. One of the interesting hypotheses claims that the main role in this is played by the occurrence of resonant oscillations in the structure of the electromagnetic fields generated by the human body.

The mechanism of human behavior in a crowd is described in many sources, they all coincide in that a person, becoming part of the mass, falls under the power of passions. Typical signs of human behavior in a crowd are the predominance of situational feelings (moods), loss of intelligence, responsibility, hypertrophied suggestibility, easy controllability. These conditions can be enhanced by various means. The necessary moods are evoked with the help of an appropriate external environment, a specific time of day, lighting, light stimulants, various theatrical forms, music, songs, etc. In psychology, there is a special term - fascination, which denotes the conditions for increasing the effectiveness of the perceived material through the use of concomitant background influences. Most often, fascination is used in theatrical performances, game and show programs, political and religious (cult) events, etc. - to infect people in the crowd with a special emotional state. Against this background, relevant information is transmitted, and one should strive to ensure that there is not too much of it.

In today's world, the emotions we experience are largely the result of induction from the media. Creating emotional resonance is one of the main tasks of most news reports and entertainment shows. The media always try to evoke strong emotions in a wide audience, and if necessary, they bring these emotions to convulsions (see Psychological shock). A simple example: pay attention to those intonations with which radio or TV presenters read us information about events in the country and in the world. When it comes to tragic events (catastrophe, war, terrorist act), intonations are usually filled with noble sorrow or indignation towards the perpetrators. If, for example, this is followed by a message about the next meeting of the head of state with miners (pilots, teachers, doctors), you will notice how the screen telephysionomy will instantly be transformed and “constructive optimism” and confidence in the nation's happy future will begin to appear in her voice. This technique is called "emotional adjustment to the situation." In such a simple way, you can form the emotional attitude of the mass audience to a particular event.

In addition to emotional adjustment, there are other methods for making the audience “vibrate” with the desired degree of intensity. One of them is a rhetorical method of gradation: the commentator repeats the arguments with increasing tension: “Our people endured, endured for a long time, endured for a very long time! We suffered hunger, poverty, humiliation, shame! We suffered, suffered for a long time, suffered for a very long time! Until ... "Such a technique emotionally" turns on "the audience. To enhance the emotional impact of the message, it is often saturated with specific details that are better remembered and better understood.“ Eyewitness Testimonies ”are especially effective because they support elements of a person's personal experience. Various Classifiers are also used to create emotional resonance.

Many techniques for creating the right moods in the media audience were worked out in Germany during the Second World War and shortly before its start. In particular, in radio broadcasts, the techniques of sound impact were used, artificially amplifying aggressive experiences. All of Hitler's speeches were accompanied by music from Wagner's operas, which made a depressing impression on the audience: heavy, complex, it created the feeling of an impending Nazi military machine capable of crushing a person, and was threatening. To whip up mass psychosis, parades, marches, and rallies were broadcast on the radio.

And here is a more complex example of emotional resonance: numerous television series, as well as entertainment real and talk shows, are presented in abundance on modern television. Pay attention to the high emotional intensity at which such actions take place. The heroes of the series constantly sort things out in a raised tone, violently show their emotions, the plots of these films are designed to keep the viewer in constant emotional stress: "What will happen next?" Professionally trained talk show participants, playing the role of “ordinary people from the street”, tell their “life stories” brightly and emotionally, constantly striving to settle scores with their offenders right on the air. Almost an obligatory element of such TV shows is a fight or a stormy showdown, designed to emotionally “turn on” the audience, to hook it to the living. ... All this is done for a reason. The goal is to create emotional dependence in viewers. Having got used to receiving a dose of acute emotional experiences from this source, a person will give preference to it in the future. Thus, television bosses amass a permanent audience of TV addicts, show addicts, and so on. people, zombie them in order to bind it to this method of obtaining acute emotional experiences. And a permanent audience is already a product that can be very profitably sold to advertisers. Mass-media zombies, like any drug addicts, will try to maintain their "high" endlessly - which means they will unrestrainedly absorb all new and new television products, generously diluted with commercial and political advertising ... Having got used to receiving a dose of acute emotional experiences from this source, a person will give him preference in the future. Thus, television bosses amass a permanent audience of TV addicts, show addicts, and so on. people, zombie them in order to bind it to this method of obtaining acute emotional experiences. And a permanent audience is already a product that can be very profitably sold to advertisers. Mass-media zombies, like any drug addicts, will try to maintain their "high" endlessly - which means they will unrestrainedly absorb all new and new television products, generously diluted with commercial and political advertising ... Having got used to receiving a dose of acute emotional experiences from this source, a person will give preference to it in the future. Thus, television bosses amass a permanent audience of TV addicts, show addicts, and so on. people, zombie them in order to bind it to this method of obtaining acute emotional experiences. And a permanent audience is already a product that can be very profitably sold to advertisers. Mass-media zombies, like any drug addicts, will try to maintain their "high" endlessly - which means they will unrestrainedly absorb all new and new television products, generously diluted with commercial and political advertising ... Thus, television bosses amass a permanent audience of TV addicts, show addicts, and so on. people, zombie them in order to bind it to this method of obtaining acute emotional experiences. And a permanent audience is already a product that can be very profitably sold to advertisers. Mass-media zombies, like any drug addicts, will try to maintain their "high" endlessly - which means they will unrestrainedly absorb all new and new television products, generously diluted with commercial and political advertising ...

Boomerang effect

When the official media unanimously attacked B. Yeltsin (late 1980s), he, contrary to logic, became a national hero and brilliantly won the presidential elections in June 1991. Then V. Zhirinovsky became the object of intense ridicule and debunking, and this contributed to his resounding success in the elections to the Duma (December 1993). In December 1995, the Communist Party won the majority of seats in the Duma - yet another target of television harassment. In the fall of 1999, the persecution of Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, unleashed by ORT, only strengthened his position among the Moscow electorate. A year earlier, the same thing happened in Ukraine with the mayor of Kiev A. Omelchenko. A similar problem was discussed by American publicists half a century ago, after F. Roosevelt's unexpected victory in the presidential election. Conclusion:

The boomerang effect is a rake that power factions regularly step on. By organizing a total persecution of their opponent, they "beat" him to such an extent that, as a result, he begins to arouse pity and sympathy among a wide audience. The same happens when the authorities suddenly decide to fight negative rumors circulating in society - the trust in rumors only increases.

The boomerang effect can also have the opposite effect. For example, the oversaturation of the airwaves with advertisements for a particular candidate begins to irritate the audience with false analogies. Consists of two common misconceptions.

1. "Nearby means together." As a result of this phenomenon, being close to a famous or high-ranking person somewhat increases the status in the eyes of others. It is no coincidence that those who are photographed next to “big” people are happy to show these photos to all their friends and acquaintances. Like, I'm on a short leg with them ... Similarly, politicians love to be in the company of popular artists or athletes. In this case, a piece of love and adoration that the people give to their idols is automatically projected onto the unremarkable "servants of the people."

2. The second stereotype is as follows. A person who has achieved significant success in a particular area is considered by others to be capable of more in other matters. Numerous facts prove that this is just a common misconception. There are many examples when people who do one thing brilliantly are completely helpless in everything else.

Nevertheless, this stereotype is exploited with might and main by politicians and business advertising. Suffice it to recall how many popular artists, athletes, journalists, satirical writers, are hired by political parties to join their ranks on the eve of the elections. Not so long ago, businessmen seeking to make a political career began to actively use this technique. At the same time, the following message is used: “We are successful and accomplished people who made ourselves, realized ourselves in this life, managed to survive and achieve success in today's difficult conditions! Having experience of positive decisions in various spheres of social life, we are ready to broadcast our success throughout the society! We were effective in our professional activities, so we will be effective in politics as well! We know what and how to do. We are a new and successful generation. The future belongs to us! "- etc.

In fact, under the guise of a "new generation of successful people", the Bolshevik slogan that any cook can run the state is being pushed onto the electorate, smelling of mothballs. The only difference is that instead of a cook, today, for example, a successful business woman is presented, who managed to establish a network of laundries and dry cleaners in her city.

A former Olympic champion, a dashing military general, a successful bakery owner, or even a bank manager who succeeds in his professional career may not necessarily be able to pass good laws while sitting in parliament. This simple idea is in every possible way hushed up by those media that arrange propaganda hysteria in honor of the next "savior of the fatherland."

 

[Teacher]

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Primacy effect
Dr. Goebbels introduced one of the key principles into modern propaganda: the person who spoke the first word to the world is always right. Later, psychologists discovered that the candidate who, during the election campaign, was the first to convincingly present himself as a winner, was recognized by the mass consciousness. Similar conclusions were reached by K. Howland and scientists at Yale University in England, as well as N. Janis and L. Dobe, who believed that the success of a propagandist is largely ensured if the information reached the audience earlier than the information of his opponents. Here one of the effects of perception is triggered: when conflicting information arrives (which cannot be verified), we tend to give preference to the one that came first. It is very difficult to change an already formed opinion.

This effect is taken into account in the case of a massive "drain of compromising evidence". In the end, it is always the one who has been poured with mud to blame - after all, he will have to wash himself. In addition, the status of the accuser in the public consciousness is perceived as higher than that of the accused. At the everyday level, it looks like this: "If you justify yourself, it means you are guilty." Hitler argued: "The public always prefers to believe at least 90% of an unproven accusation than a refutation, even if it was 100% substantiated."

It should be noted that back in 1925, the American psychologist M. Lundt formulated the “law of precedence”, according to which any first message about a particular fact or event has a stronger effect on the audience than the subsequent ones. One of the reasons for this phenomenon is that the one who first reported the information has priority in meeting the existing need and, as a result, the formation of a primary psychological attitude to a fact or event. A source of information being the first to report on significant events becomes more attractive to the audience than others. This contributes to the formation and consolidation of preferences for this source of information for the future, in comparison with those who act less quickly.

By virtue of this principle, today each media outlet strives to be the first to convey its interpretation of events to a wide audience. The problems that arise from this are now well known. For example, the desire of journalists to immediately issue “hot messages” when covering terrorist acts always plays into the hands of terrorists who coordinate their actions in accordance with information received through the media about what is happening.

Presence effect
The technique was also introduced into practice by Nazi propaganda. Today it is featured in all journalism textbooks. Includes a number of tricks that should mimic reality. They are constantly used in "reporting from the battlefield" and in criminal chronicles, fabricating retroactively filming of the "real" capture of bandits or a car accident. The illusion of a "combat situation" is created, for example, by a sharp jerking of the camera and knocking it out of focus. At this time, some people are running in front of the camera, shots and shouts are heard. Everything looks as if the operator is in terrible excitement, filming reality under fire.

From journalistic memoirs: “Before the start of the US bombing of Afghanistan, the Taliban and the Northern Alliance rarely fired at each other, mostly in the air. The tanks fired at the targeted points so that, God forbid, they would not hurt anyone, otherwise you would suddenly find yourself in a neighbor in the village. That is why America and Russia, making colossal efforts to push them against each other, found it very difficult to convince them to fight for real. It happened that a journalist came to the front line with an assignment: to film hostilities, but there is no trace of them. And then he ordered an imitation. He paid money, and the mujahideen loaded their machine guns and fired at the Taliban, and the Taliban responded in kind. Everything was filmed with a video camera. After that, world news agencies reported that a group of journalists had been fired upon by the Taliban. The TV news was playing "real" video frames with might and main ... ".

The illusion of certainty has a strong emotional impact and creates a feeling of great authenticity of events. A powerful effect of presence is created, as if we are thrown into a terrible reality, not suspecting that this is just a cheap trick.

This technique is widely used in commercial advertising - all sorts of "overlays" are specially staged to create an image of ingenuous "ordinary" people. Especially touching are the videos in which another "Aunt Asya" in a well-delivered voice of a professional actress tries to emulate the speech of "people from the people" - supposedly random pauses, stutters, slight pronunciation defects, ostentatious uncertainty ... This is a primitive but effective method of "capturing audience ".

Information blockade
The epigraph here can be a quote from the analytical note of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia: "Where the price of information is expressed in human lives, there can be no place for democracy, publicity and the so-called objective coverage of events ...". If you are used to observing the development of the current "anti-terrorist operations" through the eyes of American CNN or Russian ORT and RTR, you come across the information blockade method every day. For example, after the terrorist attacks in New York on September 11, 2001, the US government put forward a list of "recommendations" to the American media. They, among other things, were persistently asked to refrain from detailed coverage of the activities of al-Qaeda, from citing U. bin Laden and from publishing interviews with him. Depriving the enemy of the opportunity to publicly express his position is one of the main tasks of the propaganda war.

Information blockade is always closely related to information dominance. These are two sides of the same coin. They are used both in the event of hostilities and in peacetime (for example, during elections). There is a creation of an information vacuum on some issue with the subsequent dissemination of biased information about it. Very often, power structures block information on a problem, and then give it out in an uncontested mode. Since the interest in this issue in society is very strong, information beneficial to the authorities is maximally disseminated. This allows us to provide a unified interpretation of the events that are taking place and represents, in fact, a massive zombie of people. In this case, the fixed position of the media cannot be changed, so another point of view is practically inaccessible to a wide audience.

Information blockade today accompanies almost all military and political conflicts. Thus, the war with Iraq in 1991 was portrayed as "clean" and just. The Western media extolled the virtues of "surgically accurate strikes" in every possible way. At the same time, any evidence of the opposite nature was diligently hushed up (the same cases that could not be hidden were called annoying "mistakes" in order to smooth out the negative reaction of the public - see Substitution). Even the former US Secretary of Justice R. Clark and a well-known cameraman in America, who brought from Baghdad filmed evidence of the death and suffering of civilians, were even censored. All American broadcasters canceled their previously scheduled appointments, and none of them aired unwanted footage.

During the NATO air attacks against Yugoslavia, elections to the European Parliament were held in the UK. The small Socialist Labor Party featured documentary footage of the devastation caused by the NATO bombing of Serbia in its electoral video. On television, the episode ... was simply cut by the BBC, "the world's most respected and objective media outlet."

How can this censorship be explained? The answer to this question was given during the First World War of 1914-1918. the then British Secretary of War Lloyd George: “If people knew the truth about the war, it would be stopped tomorrow. But they do not know her and will never know. "

G. Pocheptsov, using the example of the war in Chechnya, classifies the blocking control of the information space as follows:

1. Control of verbal designations (see Substitution). An example is such streamlined phrases as "Carpet / point bombing", "Clearing the territory", etc., which remove the deadly nature from consciousness.
2. Control of the visual picture, according to which there are no images of the wounded and killed on the TV screen, the loss of equipment by the federal troops.
3. Control of the unity of interpretation of events. A vivid example is the special instruction of Minister Lesin, who banned the showing of interviews on television by Chechen fighters.

In the Russian media, an example of an information blockade is not only coverage of events in Chechnya, but also in neighboring countries: Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova. Special studies in 2000-2001 showed that 90-95% of materials about these countries are subjective comments of Russian correspondents or editorial offices. In other words, the Russian press practically does not allow the representatives of these countries to independently express their position. (At best, everything is limited to their individual phrases taken out of context.) In fact, this is one of the options for censorship. The result: these countries, as they appear from TV screens or the pages of Russian newspapers, often have as little to do with reality as the classic stereotype of bears wandering around Moscow with a balalaika under their arms and drinking vodka from their throats.

Information blockade is often used during election campaigns. Affiliated media create information hype only around the preferred candidate. At the same time, his opponent is completely deprived of the opportunity to express his position in the media, to respond to attacks against him. At best, the TV channels show it to us "without sound", accompanying the video sequence with tendentious journalistic comments. There is an important nuance here: instead of giving the floor directly to Mr. N, journalists begin to tell us about him. They tell what, where, when and how he spoke, comment on his actions, etc. Therefore, the information blockade is closely related to another propaganda device - commenting.

Information blockade is widely used not only for political but also for economic purposes. Thus, in the early 1990s, during the preparation and implementation of market reforms by E. Gaidar and A. Chubais, a real information blockade was established - specialists who warned about the disastrous consequences of "Chubais privatization" and asked "inconvenient" questions: for example, what is the point of giving into private hands effective, competitive state-owned enterprises of the world level, which enriched the treasury and fed the country? In the mid-1990s, the methods of information blockade served as a cover for numerous scams of unscrupulous banks to create financial pyramids. Electronic media, broadcasting massive aggressive advertising, not only did not compensate for it with warning comments, but they also did not give access to the air to those Russian and foreign specialists who could warn depositors and explain the mechanism of financial pyramids. In the same way, already in 1997-1998, the information blockade served as a cover for the GKO scam of Russian business and government circles, which took on an international scale and led Russia to a severe crisis in August 1998. The media did not give any intelligible reports even about the debates in the Duma and the Federation Council on this issue in April-May 1998. The receipt of this information by the society would make it possible, if not to prevent the collapse, then at least to mitigate its consequences, and the citizens would save a significant part of their deposits. The information blockade served as a cover for the GKO scam of Russian business and government circles, which took on an international scale and led Russia to a severe crisis in August 1998. The media did not give any intelligible reports even about the debates in the Duma and the Federation Council on this issue in April-May 1998. The receipt of this information by the society would make it possible, if not to prevent the collapse, then at least to mitigate its consequences, and the citizens would save a significant part of their deposits. The information blockade served as a cover for the GKO scam of Russian business and government circles, which took on an international scale and led Russia to a severe crisis in August 1998. The media did not give any intelligible reports even about the debates in the Duma and the Federation Council on this issue in April-May 1998. The receipt of this information by the society would make it possible, if not to prevent the collapse, then at least to mitigate its consequences, and the citizens would save a significant part of their deposits.

Using mediators
This technique is based on two postulates. First, special studies have established that it is not massive propaganda campaigns in the media that influence the formation of an "average" person's opinion on any issue the most. Oddly enough, myths, rumors and gossip circulating in society have the greatest effect. The second postulate follows from the first: effective informational influence on a person is carried out not directly from the mass media, but through authoritative people who are significant for him, familiar to him ("opinion leaders") - translators of opinions and rumors. Informal personal communications are more important for people than “official” media reports.

In most cases, people's opinions about something are formed in the process of communication in a family, in a team, etc. In conversations with each other, relatives, friends, colleagues comprehend events and facts, develop a common approach in accordance with their usual values and norms. Opinions on each issue (from a simple one - which washing powder to buy, to a complex one - who to vote for) are formed and approved under the influence of certain authorities. These are people who either formally occupy (parents, spouses, older brothers / sisters, boss, leader among like-minded people) a central position in the group (group leaders), or are recognized as experts in this area (opinion leaders). In other words, the propaganda influence of the media is always indirect.

G. Pavlovsky, one of the creators of the Kremlin's modern information policy, puts it this way: “You cannot fetishize electronic media as such. The growing chorus of praises (addressed to V. Putin - editor's note) today, broadcast through the media channels throughout the country, leads to the opposite result. People never tell each other official formulas and lackeys' hymns to the authorities - in their circle people tell each other what they consider important and interesting. The media are significant only to the extent that they provide content, ideologemes and texture (reasons) for mass "chatter" - that is, a real political discussion at the bottom that does not stop in Russia for a minute.

Today, entire newspapers, magazines and television programs under the guise of spreading news are entirely devoted to composing and spreading believable rumors that can be transmitted to the level of interpersonal communication. In recent years, specialized Internet projects have appeared, almost entirely devoted to this problem. (For example, as of 2002, they include such Russian-language media portals as SMI.Ru, VERSI.Ru, GAZETA.Ru, RusGlobus, etc.)

Let's consider in more detail the mechanism of perception of such information. After receiving an information message, the recipient does not immediately decide to accept or reject it. Consciously or subconsciously, he seeks advice from the people around him, and above all from the so-called. The "opinion leaders" of his group. Opinion leaders are highly respected group members whose opinions and advice on certain issues are of particular value to others. It is they who play a decisive role in shaping the attitude of the bulk to the problem reflected in the propaganda message.

This phenomenon is reflected in the two-stage communication flow model developed in the USA by Paul Lazarsfeld in the mid-1950s. In his proposed model, the two-stage propaganda process is taken into account, firstly, as the interaction between the source and the authorities of the microsocial level, who are designated as opinion leaders or "mediators" (mediators), and secondly, as the interaction of opinion leaders or mediators with individual members of microsocial groups ...

In the practice of information-psychological influence of the media, this, in particular, led, on the one hand, to the fact that propaganda and advertising messages became more focused on the leaders of microsocial groups, and on the other hand, they began to use persons whose opinions are significant for others. American experts believe that in order to form the opinion of a wide audience on any issue, it is enough to process only 10% of its members - opinion leaders (mediators), who will broadcast the message to the mass level. Informal leaders, politicians, representatives of religious confessions, cultural workers, scientists, art workers, athletes, military men, sex bombs, etc. can act as mediators in various situations and for different social groups and strata. - Each category of the population has its own authority.

Most people are prone to imitative behavior, guided in their actions by the actions of opinion leaders who are authoritative for them. They tend to take an example from those whom they respect and who is the leader for them. Therefore, the choice of pop and sports "stars", other popular persons for advertising and propaganda programs and participation in election campaigns is primarily due to the fact that they have a fairly wide audience of admirers, many of whom are not inclined to bother assessing the competence of their idols, not only in political, but also other issues on which they give their assessments or carry out advertising promotion (for example, goods that they themselves may not personally use, etc.). On the other hand, “common people”, “like us”, are widely used in commercials and propaganda stories. It all depends on the specifics of the promoted product or idea. For example, a professional doctor will be able to convince us that the advertised drug is really necessary (or rather, the set of signs that we perceive as “authoritative” indicators of professionalism: white coat, doctor's office, use of medical terms in conversation ). As a last resort, a popular artist can handle this task. But we buy consumer goods based, first of all, on the opinion of "people like us", our closest circle - friends, relatives, neighbors. which we perceive as "authoritative" indicators of professionalism: white coat, doctor's office, the use of medical terms in conversation). As a last resort, a popular artist can handle this task. But we buy consumer goods based, first of all, on the opinion of "people like us", our closest circle - friends, relatives, neighbors. which we perceive as "authoritative" indicators of professionalism: white coat, doctor's office, the use of medical terms in conversation). As a last resort, a popular artist can handle this task. But we buy consumer goods based, first of all, on the opinion of "people like us", our closest circle - friends, relatives, neighbors.

The main task of all advertising and PR-actions is to force the target audience to purchase the desired product or service by means of "fixing on authority". For example, for this you can find an authoritative leader of the group and give him this product, thus making this product fashionable and prestigious. The use of such a commit mechanism is well illustrated by a simple example from the practice of advertising. A watch of a certain brand XXX had to be “promoted” among the youth. In order for teenagers to buy them, it was necessary to instill a sense of fashion, exclusivity and accessibility of these watches at the same time. For this, a cycle of parties was held in fashionable clubs, during which everyone who had a certain authority among the youth environment was awarded with XXX hours - the best DJs of the city, members of popular pop groups, presenters of popular youth TV programs, etc. The winners of various competitions also received watches. Thus, with all his might, the illusion was created that all the "best" necessarily get the "best" XXX watches. Since among teenagers imitative behavior is very developed, many young people tried to buy XXX watches for themselves, and they were very interested in what models of these watches were presented to certain celebrities ...

 

[Teacher]

Salute, lovers to break someone else's account, and here is the third part.

Classifiers

Psychologist Gordon Allport wrote that the essence of any language is the classification and categorization of the "continuous hum of information" that we encounter every second. It is this main function of language that gives it the power to persuade. When we name an object, we thereby emphasize some of its specific features, without paying attention to other characteristics. The way the object is described (classified) and the manner in which the course of action is presented directs our thoughts and emotional reactions in a certain direction. With the help of classifiers describing objects or events, the information is formatted so that the recipient of the propaganda message accepts the imposed definition of the situation. Classifiers, in fact, are seasoning words for any information message. At first, these are words and phrases useful for describing one's own "positive and constructive attitude." Secondly, these are "contrasting words" in order to characterize the enemy in a negative way (see Principle of Contrast).

The classifiers prevailing in the Russian media usually reflect the general direction of the current policy of power structures, primarily information. Suffice it to recall how various political actions are covered in the state (and in recent years also in non-state) mass media. A typical version of the message in the news: "protesters" ... (options: "elderly people, persons without specific occupations, among whom there are criminal elements, alcoholics and drug addicts; radical young people professing extremist views ..." ; "the action is carried out for money" ... (options: B. Berezovsky; criminal structures; foreign special services; international terrorist centers ...); "the purpose of the action is" ... (options: destabilizing the situation in the country; creating a negative image of our state in the world; obstruction of the work of authorities ...); "State bodies" ... (options: offer to resolve the issue in a civilized way; demonstrate a readiness for a constructive dialogue; take a positive and pragmatic position; do not accept ultimatums ...); "Law enforcement structures" ... (options: strictly comply with the requirements of the law; act adequately to the situation; use appropriate forces and means; courageously resist destructive forces and anti-state elements ...); “Ordinary citizens” ... (options: do not support the action; condemn the instigators of the riots; show understanding of the actions of law enforcement agencies; approve of the actions of the head of state during a crisis situation ...) ... As a rule, to enhance the semantic and emotional effect, the classifiers are accompanied by a corresponding video sequence. "State bodies" ... (options: offer to resolve the issue in a civilized way; demonstrate a readiness for a constructive dialogue; take a positive and pragmatic position; do not accept ultimatums ...); "Law enforcement structures" ... (options: strictly comply with the requirements of the law; act adequately to the situation; use appropriate forces and means; courageously resist destructive forces and anti-state elements ...); “Ordinary citizens” ... (options: do not support the action; condemn the instigators of the riots; show understanding of the actions of law enforcement agencies; approve of the actions of the head of state during a crisis situation ...)

We will not consider the use of classifiers in commercial advertising, since it is obvious (remember on your own any advertising slogan that has stuck on your teeth).

Comments (1)

The goal is to create a context in which a person's thoughts go in the right direction. The statement of fact is accompanied by an interpretation by the commentator, who offers the reader or viewer several reasonable explanations. It depends on the skill of the commentator to make the required option the most believable. American specialist O'Hara writes about the announcer in his book “Media for Millions”: “His message may look objective in the sense that it does not contain approval or disapproval, but his vocal complement, intonation and significant pauses, as well as facial expressions are often have the same effect as editorial opinion. "

For this, several additional techniques are usually used. They are actively used by all experienced commentators. First, the inclusion in propaganda materials of the so-called "two-way messages", which contain arguments for and against a particular position. "Two-way messages", as it were, anticipate the arguments of the opponent and, with skillful criticism, contribute to the creation of a certain immunity against them.

Secondly, positive and negative elements are dosed. In order for a positive assessment to look more believable, a little criticism needs to be added to the description of the described point of view, and the effectiveness of the judgmental position is increased in the case of the presence of elements of praise. All used critical remarks, factual data, comparative materials are selected in such a way that the necessary conclusion is sufficiently obvious.

Thirdly, the selection of facts of strengthening or weakening of statements is carried out. Conclusions are not included in the text of the above messages. They should be made by those for whom the information is intended.

Fourthly, comparative materials are used to enhance the importance, demonstrate trends and scale of events and phenomena.

The desired effect can also be obtained by structuring the delivery of messages (see "Poisonous Sandwich").

Statement of fact

The desired state of affairs is presented by the media as a fait accompli. This is essentially based on audience hypnosis - nails being driven into a non-existent coffin. Examples:
- "In the opposition camp - confusion and vacillation!"
- "The influence of the head of the presidential administration is rapidly falling ...",
- "More and more deputies are leaving the faction of agrarians in parliament ...",
- “The movement“ Our Home - Fatherland ”is rapidly losing its supporters. Over the past month, his electorate has decreased from 10% to 8% ... ",
- “The“ New Generation Team ”electoral bloc is rapidly gaining momentum. Within a few months, he turned into a significant political force. It will certainly be held in future parliamentary elections ... "and so on.

The technique is used to create the appropriate mood in society. The calculation here is simple. The fact is that most people think in stereotypes: "There is no smoke without fire", "Since everyone is talking about this, then it is so." A person artificially creates a feeling of being in the minority. As a result, he becomes lack of initiative, giving priority to the one whom he considers to be the representative of the “majority”.

This kind of propaganda is usually presented under the guise of news or sociological research. This reduces the criticality of perception - it is difficult for people to understand that, under the guise of reports about events in the country and the world, they are being fed the usual "misinformation".

To give credibility to such reports, "opinion leaders" are widely used: popular journalists, well-known political scientists, sociologists, etc. Losing the burden of authority is a psychologically difficult process. It requires courage and free will. After all, those in power and moneybags always have the opportunity to hire a pleasant presenter, a beloved artist, a respected academician, an incorruptible human rights activist or a sex bomb - for each category of the population there will be its own authority.

The technique is also used in business advertising. Business magazine headline: "Demand for prestigious offices in the center begins to exceed supply!" (A feeling of deficit is artificially created) Associative connections.

Feedback

People who act as participants in an action change their views to a greater extent in favor of the opinion recommended by its script than passive observers of the events taking place. This has been established by numerous psychological experiments. The illusion of participation in a discussion on any topical problem leads to a greater change in opinions and attitudes than a simple passive perception of information. So that the audience does not have a feeling of one-sided influence and a complex of “addressee's indifference”, modern media widely practice methods of so-called “feedback” in various forms: calls to the studio during a live broadcast, the choice of the answer to the set question, etc. Such a "make-up" is intended to create the illusion of participation in the information process among the mass audience.

If you have ever tried to call a studio during a TV show to ask a question to its participants, you know that before “putting” you on the air, the supervising editor will definitely ask about the essence of the question being asked. You will only be admitted if the question you are asking is in accordance with the general editorial policy of this TV channel. If you suddenly start saying something completely different, you will be instantly “knocked out” of the air in mid-sentence - it has been tested in practice.

Pseudo-sociological polls (when viewers vote on the phone for this or that answer during the broadcast) are most often just a way of forming public opinion, and not its real reflection, that is, a kind of ordinary propaganda manipulation. The questions are formulated in such a way as to create the “correct” view of the problem in the audience. They direct our thinking in a specific direction. “Never ask a question for which you cannot get the answer you need,” is the main principle of such surveys. In these cases, the formulation of the problem in terms of “gain, gain of something” will be more convincing against the background of contrasting statements about the same in terms of “loss, loss of something”. Here's a simple example in a slightly exaggerated way:

Question: "How do you want to see the place of your country in the modern world?"

Answer options:
A) I want my country to become a donor of raw materials for highly developed countries and a source of cheap labor for transnational corporations.
B) I want my country to become a landfill for chemical and nuclear waste from all over the world.
C) I want my country to become a powerful state with a developed economy and a high standard of living for the population.

Guess in three tries which answer will most people who call the studio take? Almost all "interactive telephone polls" are built in a similar vein.

Opinion pollers have long known that subtle changes in wording lead to vastly different responses. Practical Yankees at one time even conducted a special study on this topic. Psychologists B. Lockerbie and S. Borelli found, for example, that the percentage of Americans who supported the assistance of the Contras (anti-government forces) in Nicaragua from 1983 to 1986 ranged from 13% to 42%, depending on how the question was formulated. If the question openly referred to Ronald Reagan or the Contras, or used ideological labels to identify opposing forces in Nicaragua, more Americans supported aid. If the question referred to a dollar-denominated amount of assistance or presented both sides of the problem,

A brilliant example of this kind of manipulation was carried out by a Moscow radio station in the late 1990s, which, after repeating the message about the difficulties with gasoline in St. Petersburg, asked its listeners the question: "Is it necessary to supply fuel to Yugoslavia?" At the same time, there was no mention of the opinions of professional experts about the reasons for the difficulties with fuel and information about the loss of Russia's export revenues in the event of a disruption in supplies to Yugoslavia. As a result, 75% of the people who called the station gave a negative answer.

In those cases when the opinion unfavorable to the communicator dominates, the task of "feedback" is reduced to correction, a change in the mentality of the masses. Demonstration of rigged results of telephone polls, "filtering" of calls to the studio, organizing "public opinion" through dummy people "from the street", etc. are aimed at the fact that a person who has a different opinion, to form the psychological attitude of the "white crow" - it turns out others, and most of them, think differently. Sometimes disagreement and dissent is deliberately or accidentally allowed, for example, an outraged phone call is sounded or a protest is published. This moment is played out in every possible way, the merits of this source of information are emphasized, which "objectively"

A kind of feedback is the so-called. technique of staged events. First of all, it includes a variety of options for communication between high-ranking persons and the “common people”. "Communication" can be direct (answers to questions asked by citizens on the phone, intimate conversations with "random passers-by" on the street, etc.) and indirect (press conferences, briefings for the media, answers to questions from journalists, etc.) Most often, the so-called. communication with the people is just a well-rehearsed performance. It is known, for example, that French President de Gaulle did not receive in his entire life a single question at press conferences for which he was not ready in advance. During his press conferences, the President of the United States also answers questions that are submitted in advance by journalists to the press service of the White House. Generally, consultants to any political leader always prepare their boss for the expected questions, playing out possible answers. During the scandal with M. Lewinsky, US President B. Clinton was specially forced to let off steam at rehearsals of press conferences so that in a real context he looked calm and confident. As for B. Yeltsin, a former employee of his press service D. Shevchenko emphasizes the following: “All questions at the press conferences were previously agreed with Yeltsin. He even knew the exact seating of the correspondents in the first row - each time Kostikov drew a calligraphic plan for the president. "so that in a real context he looks calm and confident.

Corresponding TV programs are organized in such a way as if the head of state (or other high-ranking person) spontaneously answers questions asked by citizens over the phone or via the Internet. The best impromptu is an impromptu prepared in advance. This old proverb comes to mind by itself when you observe how the next Guarantor of the Constitution, with an unattainable boldness and coherence of speech for ordinary mortals, very successfully answers several dozen very difficult questions that come in a short time. In fact, he gives carefully rehearsed answers specially prepared by his team. Questions are usually selected based on the results of sociological research. They should reflect current social problems of concern to the broad masses of people, or form a favorable image of this official.

 

[Charlemagne]

A very nice, comprehensive article. If anyone wants to know how come media in "free" societies (western democracies with a hardly regulated private sector) the media goes against the will of the people (most people dislike the media, and think they are a bunch of crooks) I recommend "Manufacturing Consent," by Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky. Can't say more, as I have no time

 

[Teacher]

Salute, today we have the last part about how we are treated by the media, politicians and advertising.

Flanking

Let's return to the research of Western propaganda theorists. It has been established: in the United States, Democrats cannot be met at election rallies of Republicans, and vice versa. Most of the people interviewed showed that they turn off the radio or television program when they hear the program in defense of a point of view that contradicts their own. In these cases, a psychological defense mechanism is triggered, which maintains a state of internal balance in a person, self-righteousness, protects him from cognitive dissonance (traumatic experience of a conflict situation). Therefore, in particular, propaganda during election campaigns rarely recruits a noticeable number of new adherents of one or another candidate - it basically reinforces already existing views. Hence the conclusion: in order to be successful, the propagandist must be able to force listen to himself.

During the Second World War, the BBC included a weather report in its broadcasts to Nazi Germany. Indifferent to the military, political, ideological positions of the belligerents, the figures, which had no sense to falsify, were supposed to extend the effect of truthfulness they caused to all BBC broadcasts. Tricks of this kind, designed to create the impression of an impartial and objective source of propaganda, gradually multiplied and became more complex. They have now grown into an ingenious flanking system.

The main place in the tactics of "flanking" is occupied by information propaganda (the so-called factual propaganda). It consists in the dosed transmission of reliable information, the accuracy of which is known in advance to the listeners or readers and can be easily verified by them. The category of such “persuasive information” includes, in particular, factual data. For example, names, street names, house numbers, a huge amount of details that are reliable and in which propaganda messages are "packed", as it were.

For example, during the Second World War, British intelligence managed to get the surname lists of all the commanders of German submarines, the composition of their families, the names of their mistresses, information about their relationships with each other, relationships between families, their weaknesses, hobbies, and so on. This has been actively used. In particular, the daily propaganda radio broadcasts in German are known, which were conducted by the Anglo-American intelligence for the German submariners on military campaigns, revealing their amazing awareness. Each transmission began with a direct appeal to the crew of a specific submarine and to specific submariners. They were informed, for example, that someone's family had died under bombs in Hamburg or had been evacuated somewhere, that a friend or relative had died of their wounds in the hospital. The appeals sounded approximately like this (quoted from the book by I. Bunich "Operation Thunderstorm"): "We appeal to you, the commander of the submarine" U-507 "Lieutenant-Commander Blum. It was very rash of you to leave your wife in Bremen, where your friend Lieutenant Commander Grossberg is currently on vacation. They have already been seen at least three times together in a restaurant, and your neighbor Frau Mogler says: your children have been sent to their mother in Mecklenburg ... ". After that, propaganda messages were transmitted about the uselessness of war, the desperate situation of Germany, etc. Later, during the Cold War, American and British radio stations broadcasting to the USSR and engaged in "gray" (dissemination of false information) and "black" (dissemination of disinformation) propaganda often used city phone books to

The most influential media concerns of the Western world, CNN, BBC, DW, have been accumulating the prestige of imaginary objectivity for decades using the technique of factual plausibility. They devote most of their programming to various kinds of news programs, where a politically oriented point of view is presented under the guise of dispassionate news. The impression of "objectivity" and "impartiality" is created by injecting into the texts of propaganda materials "opinions of the opposing side" or facts that at first glance are unfavorable for the official point of view of the countries from which they broadcast.

Diverse playing with genuine factual material is not the only flanking method. There are others. One of them is a fake for the views, tastes and inclinations of the target audience. Another is the presentation of the material from such an angle, as if the preached thought is only the development of the ideas accepted in the given audience. Here the stake is placed on a gradual, unhurried, "evolutionary" involvement in the orbit of ideological and political views. Western researchers have found that slow, latent involvement in the sphere of propaganda influences often turns out to be very effective for people with unsteady views, who have not determined for themselves attachment to a certain circle of people, a way of thinking and a way of life, etc.

American psychologists have traced and described, for example, how the process of assimilation by a person of views, points of view, opinions, unusual for his worldview, social status, and social environment, proceeds. A person accidentally stumbled upon previously unfamiliar information. I got acquainted with it, saw an interesting formulation of a question for myself, interesting information, an answer to some problem that worries him. And only later I found out that it was written "by a stranger." If he had known this earlier, he probably would not have read or listened. And now it's a different matter. The predisposition was broken. Along with the continued vigilance, loyalty to strong ideas, an element of tolerance appears. Now a person will encounter information from the same source or similar content, he will no longer push it away. With repeated contact, even more interest may be awakened. The person begins to purposefully look for them. If he finds in the new information an echo of his needs and interests (as he understands them) and at the same time does not see a corresponding convincing interpretation for them in “his” traditional sources of information, then imperceptibly for himself he can completely reorient himself. However, it is not excluded. that he will be convinced that he has not changed his views. But he had already begun to explain the world from different positions.

It is also possible that a person knows that he is dealing with hostile propaganda and looks at it with prejudice. But curiosity takes over, he begins to study it - and then everything goes according to the given scheme. Prejudice, even prejudice, can squeeze out, and then completely disappear, turn into its opposite. Thinking that he has developed his own position, a person begins to fall under the influence of a completely different ideological system.

Another recommendation from the creators of the flanking tactics is to hide their true goals in every possible way, to avoid conflicts with generally recognized in a given audience (in a given society) views, values, norms, and the prevailing worldview. If you do not do this, you will not break through the negative predisposition. "Propaganda is only doomed to failure when it looks like propaganda," experts say.

Great importance is attached to flirting with the audience, for example, praising its national qualities and the achievements of a national genius, emphasizing one's "compassion" for the situation of certain social groups, individual individuals, etc. All this must be done without a single word of explicit blasphemy against opponents and without a single word of frank praise addressed to "their own"

In this regard, it is useful to quote the document "Psychological War against the USSR", developed by CIA analysts in the 1950s. It contains a list of recommendations and “suggested topics” of advocacy messages. This document is highly instructive. So,

“Problem number 1. To reveal and develop spiritual values, moral and ethical concepts of the Soviet people, especially Russians, and to establish the identity of these values with the values of the free world. Suggested topics:

a) Truthfulness, compassion, generosity, love for the family, hospitality - these are some of the values dear to the Soviet people, all derived from their spiritual life. This is a common property with the peoples of the free world, but it is despised by the rulers of the USSR.

b) The historical contribution of Russians in various creative spheres of the free world: philosophy, art and science - has always been recognized and respected.

c) The study of classical Russian literature, political philosophy and ethics shows: Russia divided and was influenced by the creative social and cultural forces that the West developed. The political and ethical ideals of the Russian people are basically the same as in the West, for they stem from the same spiritual sources, they are perverted in the communist state, but they have not died. Warning. We shouldn't go overboard with Western influences or give the impression of being patronizing.

d) The Russian family is based on love, trust, mutual assistance and respect for the rights of others. These are values in common with the free world.

e) What the Soviet people fought for during the years of the revolution - peace, freedom and a good life for all, are the basic concepts in common with the free world. These concepts are daily implemented in the political life of the free world.

f) Assure the Russian people that the free world does not harbor any plans either against them or against their country, but only strives for freedom and prosperity for them in a friendly and cooperating world."

It is equally instructive to refer to the “recommended topics” of propaganda stories about the United States:

“A) the United States is peaceful, respecting the sovereignty and independence of the peoples of other states;

b) Americans distinguish between the Soviet people and their government;

c) the United States has never fought with Russia;

d) the United States helped the Soviet people in the Second World War even before the United States entered the war with Germany;

e) the USA continued to help the people of the USSR even after the end of hostilities in the Second World War;

f) the Americans provided their knowledge and experience in the construction of industry in the USSR;

g) love for technology and science in everyday life is common for the peoples of the USSR and the USA;

h) our countries are large, and we make bold plans;

i) we have a common spirit of pioneers;

j) many thousands of people of Russian and Ukrainian origin live in the United States, who have a significant impact on American life;

k) Russian and Ukrainian folk music and the music of their composers (including Soviet ones) are very often performed in the USA; many of our outstanding musicians of Russian origin;

l) Novels and short stories by Russian writers are very popular in the USA and in the free world. All major universities study Russian literature. Note. New biographies of Russian writers and studies on Russian literature need to be reviewed, even if they have no political content;

m) the peoples of the United States and the free world are aware of the courage, energy and aspirations of the Soviet people, many Americans have publicly expressed admiration for these qualities;

o) the United States helps all peoples wherever they can, regardless of whether they agree or not with US policy;

o) the American theater is still studying the Stanislavsky system, and no attempt is made to hide its Russian origin;

p) the US government, many private organizations and individuals tried to establish cultural, scientific and technical exchanges with the USSR;

c) the essence of America and the free world, about the basic ideals that we share with the Soviet people, is given by American and other Western literature available in the USSR: Steinbeck, Upton Sinclair, Mark Twain, Jack London, Dickens, etc. Although some of these books belong to the direction of "social protest", they show democratic faith in social progress in action "

It should be noted that American propaganda operates in approximately the same vein today. Of course, taking into account the current political situation and national and cultural characteristics of the next "enemies of the entire civilized world."

Distraction

For propaganda, like any other type of manipulation, an important task is to suppress a person's psychological resistance to suggestion. Therefore, according to most experts, any propaganda should be a combination of entertainment, information and persuasive components. Entertainment is understood as any means that arouses interest in a message and at the same time masks its true meaning, blocks the criticality of perception.

In the 1960s, it was discovered that messages directed against an opinion or attitude are more effective if, at the time of transmission, the recipient's attention is distracted from the content of the message (for example, by playing a popular musical melody). In this case, it becomes difficult for the recipient to comprehend the information and develop counter-arguments by him - the basis of resistance to suggestion. Research in the 1960s increased the effectiveness of manipulation in the press and on television. Newspapers began to use a "kaleidoscopic" arrangement of material, diluting important messages with gossip, conflicting rumors, sensations, colorful photographs and advertisements. Television began to compose the video sequence in a new way, accurately picking up distracting images. Today, virtually all television news broadcasts are a kaleidoscopic collection of eye-catching visuals and informational messages about unrelated events. This has its own logic. Thus, I. Kalinauskas believes that when there is too much information, a person is unable to process it intelligently. Therefore, you have to inscribe it into your consciousness as a single whole, i.e. take it uncritically.

“... Sometimes, on the contrary, hard-coded (traditional) events can be used to divert attention from political action, which at another time would have caused increased public activity. So, Yeltsin was very skillfully dismissed on December 31, 1999, when all people were preparing to celebrate the New Year, and then stayed in a hangover until January 4. " (Based on the book by S. Kara-Murza "Manipulation of Consciousness")

Unprecedented and unusual events (murders, catastrophes, terrorist attacks, loud scandals) have an extremely strong distracting effect. Under their cover, politicians are usually in a hurry to pull off all the dark deeds.

Distraction techniques also include election concerts and all kinds of festivities, during which pop stars shout to us from the stage: “Vote or lose!”, “Motherland is in danger!”, “Let's protect Russian culture!” ...