Propaganda is agitation or deception?

We continually read in the media or hear on TV that certain political forces are engaged in propaganda. It is intuitively clear that we are talking about the dissemination of information. And what does the word "propagandize" mean? Is this a positive or negative term? Let's look through the directories and figure it out together, so as not to fall for the bait of manipulators using general low literacy.

What does it mean to promote

In explanatory dictionaries it is written that our term says about the dissemination of any information. To propagandize is to carry out deliberate actions in order to convey to the broad masses an idea. Synonyms of the term: "distribute", "agitate", "popularize", "inflate brains". Perhaps, only the last phrase is clearly negative and is associated with deception.

Let's try to get to the bottom of the example. After all, propaganda is not advertising in the literal sense. These are just adjacent areas, although both actions have the features of aggression. Popularization is slightly different in that it is carried out on a voluntary basis. And the spread can be both aggressive and not. But all these concepts are considered similar to each other, describing similar behavior. Let's try to approach from the other side and make out an example.

Political propaganda

In a democratic society, there are parties and other organizations that try to attract as many people as possible to their side. Their goal is to come to power. The tool is including propaganda.

Every political player is interested in increasing the number of supporters, but most people do not particularly like politics. They are busy with life, making money, entertainment and the like. It is necessary for the players to explain their ideas, that is, to propagandize. This process is complex and time-consuming. In order for people to get the idea, it should be interesting. Here goes the stage of advertising. Interesters should not be let go, otherwise they will forget about the idea. Therefore, people need to present the material so that they are imbued with it, they become sick with the soul, so to speak. This is already a stage of agitation and popularization. Further, the electorate should be involved in the overall activity. To do this, use other methods.

At us with you it turned out that to propagandize is simultaneously (or stage by stage) to advertise, popularize and agitate.

Outside politics

Their ideas people at all times offered to the public. This was done in order to give the world something new, previously unknown. Today such activities have acquired a mass character. People, in fact, are kind and generous. They want to attract the attention of others to progressive thought, thereby helping to change the world for the better. Promotional values, as a rule, are an innovation, a product of the creativity of one person or group. And not always they can be attributed to politics, even on the contrary. More often a certain society gives birth to a cultural idea and carries it into the world. The technology is still the same. It is necessary to go through all the indicated stages:

• Notification or advertising;
• Attraction or promotion;
• Retention or agitation.

Ask, but where is the last synonym of "blowing your brains". It should be sought in the goal setting. We consider the ideal case, when propagandists wish to make mankind happy with his idea. But this is not always the case. If people try to take advantage of the public's attention, then this is brain inflation.

Conclusion

To propagandize is to conduct activities to attract the attention of others to a certain idea. Its essence consists in recruiting adherents, supporters of some value or thought. And whether the purpose of propaganda is truthful or false, one should understand it individually.