Propaganda Assignment

 The Historical Importance of U.S. Propaganda  

By: Taylor Aiello 

        Propaganda has played an important role in United States history and is continuously used in today’s day in age. According to Richard Campbell and his colleagues in the textbook, “Media and Culture,” propaganda is defined as “communication strategically placed, either as advertising or as publicity, to gain public support for a special issue, program, or policy, such as a nation’s war effort” (423). The main goal of propaganda is to formulate a message through research, carry the message through different outlets, all while maintaining public support.  

The term “propaganda” originated in Europe in 1622. According to historical records, Pope Gregory XV created the Propagation of the Faith in Rome and subsequently set up a College of Propaganda to train priests for their missions (“The Story of Propaganda”). As for the United States, following World War I, researchers started studying how governments used propaganda to further war efforts. They found that during this time in the early 1900’s, governments relied on propaganda to spread information to the public, and there were both positive and negative connotations associated with this delivery method. Some believed that propaganda was imperative in progressing the war effort. However, many believed that it was “partisan appeal based on half-truths and devious manipulation of communication channels” (514). The propaganda posters in World War I were specifically designed to have a certain effect on the viewer, in the hopes that it would recruit soldiers and lead to public approval. The United States declared war on Germany in April 1917, and President Woodrow Wilson created the Committee on Public Information in order to win over a reluctant nation. The U.S. propaganda at first, praised their wartime achievements. However, as time went on, the public’s interest in the war seemed to dwindle. So, in order to strike fear and anger in the country, the government used propaganda that viciously depicted German soldiers wounding American soldiers (O’Toole). The government hoped that it would instill resentment in Americans that they would want to go fight for their country. The main goal of propaganda in America in WWI was to unify the country.  

 

The United States is notorious for its propaganda use in WWII. As with WWI, the government actively used propaganda as a way to drum up support for the war. They used print, radio, and film to gain advocates on the war, but propaganda posters had a lasting legacy on the nation. The United States produced more propaganda posters than any other country fighting in the war, and nearly 200,000 different designs were printed (“The Story of Propaganda”). Most posters were placed in post offices, railroad stations, schools, restaurants, and stores. Patriotism was a main theme of WWII propaganda. In fact, Americans were encouraged to save some of their own material so it could be used for the war effort. Additionally, women were encouraged to join the workforce, in efforts to unify the nation and work toward the same goal.  

 

Today, propaganda is more politically dangerous than it was in the past. Physical posters have been replaced by digital visuals – most in the form of a meme - that can be spread much quicker and reach a greater number of people than ever before. Furthermore, the use of social media and countless news media outlets have the potential to be destructive to American politics and society. Today, many individuals believe they are purposely being misinformed and manipulated by the government with the media. Therefore, a certain level of mistrust embodies American society. More specifically, media bias has played a role, and many believe different media outlets, like FOX and CNN, ‘spin’ the truth on political events. In the past year, propaganda has been used an exceptional amount. 2020 was a life-altering year for many as the entire world faced a pandemic lockdown, and the United States had one of the most politicized Presidential elections in American history. Through Internet visuals and posters, propaganda was used to spread information about coronavirus in attempts to encourage people to stay home and fight the pandemic, and to encourage people to vote. Additionally, the United States saw hate crimes and the nation became even more racially divided. Therefore, in recent times, propaganda has had a negative effect on society.  

 

To conclude, propaganda has played an important role in American society from the start of the early twentieth century. Its methods of strategically placing communication as advertising or publicity has worked to educate the public. Although some have believed it to be misleading, propaganda has functioned to unify the nation and encourage war efforts in both World War I and World War II. However, in recent years as technology has advanced, propaganda has taken the form of memes, and has been used as a method to attack politicians. Within the last year, propaganda has encouraged people to mask up and stay home in order to fight COVID-19. 

Works Cited 

Campbell, Richard, et al. Media & Culture: Mass Communication in a Digital Age. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2019. 

O'Toole, Patricia. “When the U.S. Used 'Fake News' to Sell Americans on World War I.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 22 May 2018, www.history.com/news/world-war-1-propaganda-woodrow-wilson-fake-news. 

“The Story of Propaganda: AHA.” The Story of Propaganda | AHA, www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/gi-roundtable-series/pamphlets/em-2-what-is-propaganda-(1944)/the-story-of-propaganda#:~:text=The%20term%20%E2%80%9Cpropaganda%E2%80%9D%20apparently%20first,the%20Propagation%20of%20the%20Faith.