Propaganda: The Basics(The Basics)

This concise and accessible guide makes clear the ubiquity of propaganda so that readers can understand its function in all layers of society, for both good or for ill, and ultimately use it to make their own voice heard. Propaganda often appears as a paradoxical art: modern society is awash in propaganda and yet many deny consuming it. Using short, easy to understand examples drawn from politics, culture, and advertising from around the world, this book introduces readers to the basic theory, research, and techniques of propaganda from the American Revolution to the present day. It demystifies propaganda for the purpose of democratizing it, revealing it as a form of mass persuasion that is a necessary part of political culture and essential to promoting social movements, social reforms, political agendas, scientific ideas, and aesthetic tastes. The book emphasizes the creative aspect of propaganda while also stressing the need for critical media literacy and ethical judgment. Filling a major gap in the literature, this book is an essential read for students of persuasion, rhetoric, communication, journalism, advertising, and public relations. It is also ideal for anyone interested in the fundamental principles and tactical forms of propaganda and those approaching the subject for the first time.

Table of Contents:
1. What Is Propaganda? 2. The Formation of Motive 3. Creating Events 4. Crafting Identity 5. Simplifying Ideas 6. Arousing Passions 7. Will Propaganda Save Us or Destroy Us?

About the Author :
Nathan Crick is a professor in the Department of Communication at Texas A&M University, USA. His recent books include The Routledge Handbook of Rhetoric and Power (Routledge, 2024), Rhetorical Public Speaking, 4th edition (Routledge, 2022), and The Rhetoric of Social Movements (Routledge, 2020).

Review :
“Nathan Crick’s approach to the mechanics of propaganda is a fresh contribution to the conversation and will doubtless be quite useful as students learn how to critically analyze the bewildering propaganda appeals in which we are all immersed.” James J. Kimble, Seton Hall University, USA “‘Propaganda’ has been a term of abuse for over a century—information we don’t like that doesn’t seem fair. But as this book demonstrates, propaganda has a distinct meaning, history, and practices related to mass persuasion. In an era of unrelenting mass persuasion, we need this book more than ever.” Ryan Skinnell, San José State University, USA “Nathan Crick’s Propaganda: The Basics is good to its word: it gets down to the basics of this modern mode of mass communication, and it offers a revaluation of the term on behalf of citizens becoming more critical consumers and more productive creators of public messages. Although keenly aware of the dangers all too present in democracies today, Crick provides both a tool kit and an argument for political speech that can be both ethical and effective.” Robert Hariman, Northwestern University, USA