LIT109: Survey of Literature - Week One -
Bias & Propaganda
LESSON ONE: View - Listen - Read - Take Notes - Respond - Study
Introduction to Bias and Propaganda supported by Mometrix Academy
Introduction to Bias and Propaganda supported by Mometrix Academy
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Introduction to Bias and Propaganda
This short presentation is based on the information found in the reading selections (Part III) entitled, "Propaganda Techniques in Today's Advertising," in Ten Steps to Advancing College Reading Skills (Second Edition) by John Langen, Townsend Press, 1993.
Definitions
Bias is prejudice; a preconceived judgment or an opinion formed without just grounds or sufficient knowledge
Propaganda is a systematic effort to influence people's opinions; to win them to a certain side or view
What is biased language and what is not?
Not biased, just an objective observation: Frank spends very little money.
Biased favorably: Frank is thrifty.
Biased unfavorably: Frank is a cheapskate.
Example of biased language in a longer passage:
The suckers who take supermarket tabloids like The Enquirer or The Globe seriously should wise-up to the fact that reporters are writing entertainment, not news. The editorial policy for these rags seems to be "anything goes." The stories are often fantasy or gossip reported by unreliable sources. Read as entertainment, tabloids are good for a laugh, but nobody should base a decision on the obvious misinformation found in these publications.
The author is biased against supermarket tabloids as sources of information.
Words such as suckers and rags in the context of the previous paragraph would be considered emotionally loaded words and, therefore, biased language.
Recognizing your own biases
ASSIGNMENT: Complete this survey on paper by writing Yes, No, or No Opinion for each item.
1. Should substances that cause cancer in animals such as saccharin be banned from human use?
2. Should the food stamp program be abolished?
3. Does television have an adverse effect on morality?
4. Will computers cause people to be less creative and more dependent on computer technology?
5. Do movies contain too much sex and violence?
6. Should victims of violent crimes be reimbursed by society?
7. Are the rights of criminals protected at the expense of society?
8. Should the US sell arms to other countries?
9. Should the Federal Government control education?
10. Should cigarettes be banned by law because they are dangerous to health?
The items that are listed in the survey are controversial issues. There are no simple answers to any of them.
Reading biased and opinionated material can be difficult, especially if you have strong opinions of your own.
Look at this situation:
You read an article about computers and the author is very critical of computers and their influence on society. Your view of the article will be influenced in the same way that you answered the survey question: Will computers cause people to be less creative and more dependent on computer technology?
· If you answered yes, you probably will strongly agree with the article and think the author is not biased at all and is just pointing out obvious truths.
· If you answered no, you probably will strongly disagree with the article and think the author is very biased and doesn't know much about computers.
· If you have no opinion about computers, you might be able to read the article objectively without your own ideas and feelings interfering.
- Now try recognizing more of your own biases
- ASSIGNMENT: Complete additional items on the survey by writing Yes, No, or No Opinion for each item.
12. Is abortion ever justified?
13. Should illegal drugs be administered to terminally ill patients
14. Should all individuals of Arab descent be detained for questioning at major airports?
15. Are you in favor of daily prayers in the public schools?
16. Should the draft become compulsory and for all males?
17. Should men and women have equal rights and equal responsibilities?
18. Should females be subjected to the draft?
19. Should all households be required by law to recycle?
20. Should there be a law against human cloning?
Other signs of bias
· What is the author's affiliation?
o Look for information in the introduction of a book or the footnotes of an article to see if you can find more about the author.
o Does the author receive benefits for writing favorably about a certain subject?
§ Does he or she work for the company that sells the product?
§ Is he or she a spokesperson for the cause that is being written about?
· What are the author's basic assumptions?
o Try to recognize what values are important to the author.
o Regularly ask the question, "What general basic belief caused this author to make this statement?"
Emotional appeals:
other terms used to describe biased language:
Even if you strongly agree with the author's message, you should be aware of "loaded" words and phrases. In many cases, such language makes an argument weaker because the author appealing to emotions and not providing sufficient objective support. Be aware of emotional appeals like these:
meaningless or vague words
· progress, good, bad
emotionally loaded phrases
· slide down the slippery slope of alcohol and drugs;
· today's greatest social plague
vivid emotional description
· creating a mental picture of an abused child might persuade you to contribute time or money to prevent such abuse
unfair figurative analogy (comparison)
· The government is like hungry wolves devouring innocent sheep.
In review of bias
· Recognize the "loaded" words and other biased language of the author.
· Understand your own biases about the subject.
· Investigate the background of the author and the source of information.
· Consider important points made in the previous lessons you have learned on Fact (proven through OBJECTIVE evidence) and Opinion, Inference (reading between the lines based on your experiences and observations) and Argument (makes a point and supports it with valid, clear, non-generalized, relevant reasoning).
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Now on to propaganda
· The Bandwagon Appeal · The Testimonial · Transfer · The Plain Folks Appeal · Name Calling · Glittering Generalities · Card Stacking
The Bandwagon Appeal - This technique appeals to your need to be like everyone else. "Everybody is doing it!" You should do it also.
Examples from TV ads:
· To a background of appealing music, shots of many people wearing the sponsor's jeans appear on the screen
· On a beautiful day, almost everyone on the beach leaves in a hurry in order to attend the sponsor's sale.
The Testimonial - This technique uses a celebrity or very well known person to promote a product or cause.
Examples:
· An advertisement shows Kobe Bryant promoting shoes.
· Madonna appears in an advertisement for perfume.
Transfer - This technique associates a product with a symbol that people respect or a picture that is beautiful or unforgettable. People will buy the product because they admire the symbol or the picture not necessarily because the product is any good.
Examples:
· Prudential Life Insurance uses the rock as a symbol for a its company's advertisements. "Like a rock," Prudential is a company people can rely on.
· A cute baby becomes the focus of an ad for tires.
The Plain Folks Appeal - This technique uses ordinary people or things to promote a product. This is somewhat like "The Testimonial," only instead of celebrities, you see "people just like the rest of us."
Examples:
· An ad that shows a family and a dog getting into an SUV for a drive.
· An beer ad shows a bunch of "average" guys out drinking after work.
Name Calling - This technique uses emotionally loaded names, or labels, to turn people against a rival product, candidate, or movement.
Example:
· Burger King ads imply that McDonald's is not as good as Burger King because McDonald's does not flame-broil its burgers.
Glittering Generalities - This technique uses important sounding words to make a unspecific claim. The phrase may be colorful or appealing but say very little or nothing.
Examples:
· Pepsi Cola is advertised as "The Real Thing."
· Nike has ads that say, "Just do it."
Card Stacking - This technique shows only one side of a product or candidate. The advertisement or article omits details and provides only a very positive or very negative view.
Examples:
· When Ford claimed that its LTD model was "400 percent quieter," many people assumed that the LTD must be quieter than all other cars. When taken to court, however, Ford admitted that the phrase referred to the difference between the noise level inside and outside the LTD. Ford omitted that detail and let people assume a more positive view of the product.
· The long diet ads you find in popular magazines quite often neglect to tell the reader that exercise and proper eating habits will go further in making you healthy than a gimmick plan.
In review of propaganda
- Propaganda can be considered the extreme of biased writing.
- It can include not only an exaggeration of the truth but outright lies.
- Propaganda writers appeal to your emotions by using one or more of several techniques.
- Recognizing these techniques will help you separate the substance of a message from its persuasive elements,
· The Bandwagon Appeal · The Testimonial · Transfer · The Plain Folks Appeal · Name Calling · Glittering Generalities · Card Stacking
The Bandwagon Appeal - This technique appeals to your need to be like everyone else. "Everybody is doing it!" You should do it also.
Examples from TV ads:
· To a background of appealing music, shots of many people wearing the sponsor's jeans appear on the screen
· On a beautiful day, almost everyone on the beach leaves in a hurry in order to attend the sponsor's sale.
The Testimonial - This technique uses a celebrity or very well known person to promote a product or cause.
Examples:
· An advertisement shows Kobe Bryant promoting shoes.
· Madonna appears in an advertisement for perfume.
Transfer - This technique associates a product with a symbol that people respect or a picture that is beautiful or unforgettable. People will buy the product because they admire the symbol or the picture not necessarily because the product is any good.
Examples:
· Prudential Life Insurance uses the rock as a symbol for a its company's advertisements. "Like a rock," Prudential is a company people can rely on.
· A cute baby becomes the focus of an ad for tires.
The Plain Folks Appeal - This technique uses ordinary people or things to promote a product. This is somewhat like "The Testimonial," only instead of celebrities, you see "people just like the rest of us."
Examples:
· An ad that shows a family and a dog getting into an SUV for a drive.
· An beer ad shows a bunch of "average" guys out drinking after work.
Name Calling - This technique uses emotionally loaded names, or labels, to turn people against a rival product, candidate, or movement.
Example:
· Burger King ads imply that McDonald's is not as good as Burger King because McDonald's does not flame-broil its burgers.
Glittering Generalities - This technique uses important sounding words to make a unspecific claim. The phrase may be colorful or appealing but say very little or nothing.
Examples:
· Pepsi Cola is advertised as "The Real Thing."
· Nike has ads that say, "Just do it."
Card Stacking - This technique shows only one side of a product or candidate. The advertisement or article omits details and provides only a very positive or very negative view.
Examples:
· When Ford claimed that its LTD model was "400 percent quieter," many people assumed that the LTD must be quieter than all other cars. When taken to court, however, Ford admitted that the phrase referred to the difference between the noise level inside and outside the LTD. Ford omitted that detail and let people assume a more positive view of the product.
· The long diet ads you find in popular magazines quite often neglect to tell the reader that exercise and proper eating habits will go further in making you healthy than a gimmick plan.
In review of propaganda
- When you watch advertising on television or listen to the speech of someone running for office, try to identify the propaganda techniques (as well as the argument fallacies) that may be in use. It will help you become a better student and citizen.
- ASSIGNMENT: Closely examine the slideshow below. Copy down the number of the picture and list the primary advertising propaganda being used: The Bandwagon Appeal ·The Testimonial · Transfer · The Plain Folks Appeal · Name Calling · Glittering Generalities · or Card Stacking
ASSIGNMENT: Design a new product. Create an advertisement for a magazine AND a television commercial script to persuade consumers to purchase your new product.
GUIDELINES: Your advertisement should:
GUIDELINES: Your advertisement should:
- Target a specific audience: Explain who you are targeting
- Use at TWO DIFFERENT propaganda techniques for EACH; two for the magazine ad and two for the TV commercial script (not used in the magazine as). Explain how you used each technique. These techniques should: grab your attention and hold it, give new information, demonstrate why the product is perfect for you, persuade your specific target audience to purchase the product.