Careers Business Ownership Understanding the Mechanisms of Propaganda Print John Parrot/Stocktrek Images / Getty Images Business Ownership Operations & Success Marketing Sustainable Businesses Supply Chain Management Operations & Technology Market Research Business Law & Taxes Business Insurance Business Finance Accounting Industries Becoming an Owner Table of Contents Expand How Propaganda Works Famous Examples of Propaganda Non-Government Uses of Propaganda Propaganda and Fake News By Guy Bergstrom Guy Bergstrom Western Washington University Guy Bergstrom is a former writer for The Balance Small Business. He is an award-winning journalist and experienced public relations professional. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on 08/29/19 At its most basic, propaganda is biased or misleading information circulated through some form of mass media with the intent of promoting a political agenda or viewpoint. Propaganda is deliberately not objective and is usually part of a larger psychological campaign to influence people toward a specific opinion. It may include outright lies or more subtle misinformation and censorship. How Propaganda Works Propaganda works by tapping into emotions through images, slogans, and selective use of information or control and censorship of the facts. This is especially true if propaganda is being utilized by a government that is controlling the media by censorship or one that owns and runs media outlets, as was the case in the former Soviet Union. The difference between propaganda and rumors is that propaganda has intent behind it, usually with an organized, funded campaign. Modern-day political advertising, especially attack ads that create a negative impression about a candidate, can fall under the category of propaganda—although such ads are generally viewed as less sinister than state-sponsored propaganda. Famous Examples of Propaganda The most obvious examples of propaganda happen during wars when governments try to rally their people against a common enemy. During World War I and World War II, posters depicting the enemy as evil were commonly used. This technique was considered important not just to win public opinion, but to convince soldiers to fight in often bloody battles. Whether such propaganda had long-term negative effects is still debatable. Derogatory nicknames were given to enemies in both World Wars, and posters showed the Japanese and German soldiers resembling rats or monsters. During the Cold War, both the Soviet Union and the United States used propaganda against each other, to try to persuade their own citizens, as well as those in other countries, of who was right. In Fidel Castro's Cuba, propaganda was commonplace, as he rallied Cubans to embrace Communism. Non-Government Uses of Propaganda It's not always a state or institution that uses propaganda. Corporations, non-profits, and political campaigns will use techniques very similar to propaganda to affect stock prices or market conditions, to further a piece of legislation, or to make a rival candidate look bad. It can be as simple as circulating a rumor about a rival company or suggesting some misdeed by a political candidate. Even if the information is untrue, if a news outlet gets wind of a rumor and begins to ask questions, it can be difficult to disprove it. If a leader or politician, especially the president, makes a misleading or negative remark about a company or a person, that too can have the effect of swaying public opinion in a certain direction. Propaganda and Fake News Propaganda has taken on a whole new twist with the rise of so-called fake news sites. Publishers seeking advertising revenue through page views will create misleading or flat-out incorrect "news" articles with sensational or controversial headlines. Once these articles begin circulating on social media platforms, it can be very difficult to verify or disprove them.