There is a fine line between persuasion and propaganda, one that the average consumer of public relations may not pick up on – after all, those proffering propaganda don’t want you to see a difference! According to SAGE Publications, Inc., propaganda is a form of communication that aims to further the ambitions of the propagandist. Persuasion, on the other hand, is a two-way street and should be beneficial for both the persuader and the one being persuaded.
Public relations often gets a bad rap because of the misunderstanding between these two methods. The Practice of Public Relations says that good public relations is about ethics, truth, and credibility. If the objective of the propagandist is to promote their agenda, can it be considered any of those? In our blog post a few weeks ago, we looked at one technique that gives a negative stereotype to public relations – spinning. Using this method, a spin doctor tells a tale so that listeners interpret it with a particular mindset.
Other commonly used propaganda techniques are bandwagon. Have you watched a political campaign ad recently? They are often filled with bandwagon propaganda, often referring to what ‘most Americans’ believe. This is a favorite method among politicians and is where the name got its origins. The book Techniques of Propaganda & Persuasion describes how in the 19th century, politicians would tag along with traveling circuses or live orchestras – known as a bandwagon – where they would draw crowds with their speeches. Other politicians would try to jump on board the popular bandwagons even if they didn’t necessarily agree with the message and thus the term was coined.
Another popular technique referred to in Techniques of Propaganda & Persuasion is card stacking, which is similar to spinning. This is also a favorite among politicians and campaign ads when information is shared that while might be ‘truthful’ is taken out of context or obscured so much that the propagandist is given an unfair advantage. I recently watched a campaign ad from the 2012 election in which the candidate shared just a snippet from a speech his opponent had given. He built his entire ad around this out-of-context information, which can be confirmed by viewing the original speech. If you would like to take a look at this campaign ad, you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2YvKdMchp0
Public relations professionals can help themselves avoid the negative connotations of propaganda by following the golden rule of PR: never tell a lie. Persuasion can be accomplished while remaining ethical. When you are truthful, even when it is difficult, it is easier to gain and keep the trust and respect of your audience. We are more likely to forgive a person or an organization that admits to a mistake and attempts to fix it while communicating along the way then we are when the tracks have been covered and the hope is that customers or constituents never find out. Just like when Ivy Lee, the father of public relations, persuaded Rockefeller to listen to workers grievances’ and saw success, so should modern public relations professionals advocate on behalf of those they represent to treat others with respect. Only then can it become a two-way street.
The PR Outlook 