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Table of Contents
Key Takeaways:
Propaganda isn’t about truth; it’s about control. Get that straight.
Repetition works—say a lie enough times, and people believe it.
Fear sells. Prey on people’s fears, and they’ll do whatever you suggest.
Authority is a shortcut to credibility. Find (or fabricate) an expert.
Make it simple. Nuance is the enemy of obedience.
Social pressure is your best friend. No one wants to be the odd one out.
The enemy of propaganda is critical thinking
Introduction
Hello my friend and welcome to Authoritarian Propaganda 101! The difference between Propaganda 101 and Copywriting 101 is that Copywriting 101 requires some level of truthfulness and dare I say it, honesty. Propaganda isn’t concerned with facts, science, objective reality, its only purpose is to convince someone of something, at any cost.
If you’re not planning on being or working for an evil authoritarian despot don’t worry. Everything in this article works and is incredibly useful for small business owners, copywriters and bureaucrats as well. Just be honest. This article is also a good primer for helping recognizing propaganda so keep reading.
A brief personal and political note:
I want to be clear about one thing: propaganda is evil. And while it has always existed we are going through a terrifying period in history where it is resurging and spreading. Entire swathes of the political spectrum, including in Canada and North America no longer even pretend honesty, truth or even basic accuracy are relevant. Propaganda, lies, and disinformation are the enemies of science, reason and democracy.
The United States has a President who has a history of repeating long debunked Russian propaganda. And he is spreading new and dangerous falsehoods from them right now. His party doesn’t care.
In Canada the leader of the Conservative Party was so committed to maintaining his message and attacks on his perceived enemies, regardless of details or truth, that he refuses to do one of the most basic aspects of his job and get a security clearance to learn about foreign political interference in his own party - and lies about the reason.
In Ontario Doug Ford is pretending to be standing up for Canada while literally spending our tax dollars to amplify Donald Trump’s and Elon Musk’s messages.
All joking about how to write propaganda vs copywriting aside, be aware, see where these techniques are being used and undermine them.
The best defense against propaganda, the best defense against authoritarianism, is critical thinking.
I’ll get off my soap box now.
Introduction Continued…
Copywriting is writing with purpose. The purpose is either to make the reader take a specific action or to impart to the reader a specific belief. Propaganda is copywriting without morality or ethics.
It’s the same set of tools, the same target subjects, the same cognitive processes and biases, the same processes. The tools can be wielded like scalpels or sledge hammers and both ways have their purposes. These words are used to shape perceptions, drive actions, and in the case of propaganda instill fear and compel compliance.
The One Sentence Persuasion Course
The One Sentence Persuasion Course was a book written by Blair Warren that is no longer available. In it he wrote 27 words that every propagandist and marketer should have above their desk.
People will do anything for those who:
Encourage their dreams,
Allay their fears,
Confirm their suspicions,
Throw rocks at their enemies and
Justify their failures.
Five Traits of Effective Propaganda:
Emotional Manipulation: Facts bore people; feelings move them.
Selective Truths: Show one side, hide the rest.
Endless Repetition: Drill it into their skulls. If you hear something often enough, you will believe it.
Authority Figures: Not experts, authorities. Slap a lab coat on someone, and people listen. Or if you’re in the United States or Canada you start think tanks.
Enemy Creation: There’s nothing like a good hate. Ideally combined with fear. A common enemy unites the masses.
Now, let’s dissect the tactics with real-world examples.