Political Propaganda
In our daily lives, there are many sources of propaganda that surround us. One form of propaganda that is especially prominent in today’s times is propaganda among news sources and politicians. Every day, there are multiple news organizations and politicians spreading propaganda promoting their own narrative. Numerous examples can be seen on popular news networks such as ABC, CNN, and Fox News, where all three stations often spread exaggerated or even false information in order to boost viewership and spread their narrative. An example of this can be seen here, where ABC posted a fake edited video promoting their political agenda covering Turkish military operations in Syria. Other common examples include exaggerated and opinionated stories about Donald Trump from CNN and Fox News resorting to laughing and making jokes about the opposing party, insinuating incompetency among them.
In this example, a tweet was posted showing a representation of Russian President Vladimir Putin holding a puppet of former president Donald Trump. Putin is shown to be smirking while directing the puppets’ actions. The goal of this propaganda is to feed the public the idea that Trump is close with Putin and is secretively in cahoots. The use of a puppet is a strong symbol that people can quickly understand the meaning of. When viewing this image, the message is that President Trump is dangerous and untrustworthy, in that his relationship with President Putin is both terrifying and evidence that he is colluding with Russia. The smirk on President Putin’s face is also an important symbol. It adds to the emotional impact of the image as he is seen proudly and smugly looking at President Trump while controlling his actions.
As this message is posted on Twitter, it can be reposted and shared countless times, allowing it to be able to be seen by millions of people. Many users who often view political memes may come across this image especially if it fits with the type of information they view, as algorithms commonly group like-information. It can also be seen by anyone following the account that posts or reposts this tweet, which broadens the range extensively. This image can also go beyond Twitter, where it can be shared on various other social platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. This kind of propaganda can be used to encourage existing feelings within the public and also attempt to sway the opinion of others and can further division among people. Oftentimes, political propaganda such as this is seen more commonly during elections or times of disapproval of the government, however, there is constantly new propaganda being spread daily.
The genre of this message is political propaganda, and it influences audiences in many ways. Those who dislike or are against former president Trump, or believe he had collusions with Russia may view this image and reaffirm their feelings. It can also influence those who support Trump, making them think twice about his relationship with Putin. This message can also cause division between people with different viewpoints on the topic.
People from different geographic locations and different political backgrounds are likely to feel very different about this image. Those that are hardcore supporters of Trump will view this image as harmful and false propaganda spread by the left in order to insight more dislike and untrust towards the president. Those that oppose Trump or are suspicious of his close ties with Putin may view this image as a good visual representation of their viewpoint on the President and may entice them to spread this image. I believe when you view things online, you are constantly deciding whether you accept or reject a certain idea posed to you. However, the freedom to accept or reject may be limited by previous bias, leading to someone being predetermined on an idea without fully considering the message. An example of this is if you limit your media exposure only to one viewpoint, you would be less likely to be neutral and “free” to accept or reject each topic, rather be enticed to agree with the information provided. Overall, political propaganda can be seen in many places and can take various forms. It can be used to create certain feelings and emotions within people and can promote conspiracies. Political propaganda has been around since biblical times and is a useful tool in engaging with the emotions of the public.
