Propaganda is a dirty word. As a writer you have a responsibility to recognize it. As a reader your future may depend on whether you recognize it or not. I’ve been away visiting family and wasn’t sure I’d post this week. But something I saw on Facebook prompted this post.
Twisted Truth
Let’s start with a definition. Click here. 
We rarely think of propaganda as the truth. Surprisingly, propaganda can be the truth repackaged. Let me explain. In seventh grade Mrs. Tucker taught a unit on advertising and propaganda. I find it interesting how these topics are linked, but I digress. At the height of the Cold War, she presented the following information: An international contest was held but the results were reported differently by the US and the Soviet Union (Russia). Soviet sources reported the Soviets came in second place, while the US 
came in second from last. US sources reported the US competitors came in first and the Soviets came in dead last. Both accounts were true. How can this be?
Simple. The US came in first place, Soviets, second place. They were the only two in the competition. See how the framing of the information can be true but distorted beyond recognition?
This framing of results happens all the time in sales and political campaigns. It is up to the consumer to carefully look at the information and determine first, if it is true, and second if it is a distorted version of truth. When in doubt, check it out.
Propaganda Appeals to Emotion
Propaganda isn’t always a twisted version of truth. Sometimes it’s purely made up. Remember that game where you whisper a word or phrase in someone’s ear and they whisper to the next person and so on, until at the end the message is completely different? Some propaganda starts with a grain of a possibility of the suggestion of something 
that might have happened. A few shares on social media and suddenly it is irrefutable proof. Posts that appeal to emotion get more likes, shares, and comments. They also tend to be more divisive. Remember the uncontested conclusion that Russia interfered with the 2016 presidential election? This is why it is so important to confirm what you are reading on social media platforms before sharing. Otherwise you become a part of the chain that spreads propaganda.
Now I’m not here to tell you what to think. I firmly believe in everyone’s right to apply their own life experience to arrive at a personal belief system. However, I urge you to examine information with a critical eye, especially if it seems one-sided. Check facts. Make sure they are not framed like the example above—accurate but deceptively distorted. Read widely. Few issues are black and white. Try to understand the many sides to an issue. And please, please, don’t be snared by propaganda.
Here are a few propaganda-related links for you.
