6 key elements of effective propaganda
What makes it memorable
- Emotional impact - people remember how they felt when they read the message
- Simplicity - concise to the point - helps get to the core of that idea you want to shine a light on
- Relevance - when a message speaks directly to their value sor beliefs - it feels personal and urgent
- Storytelling - sensationalized
- Novelty - challenges expectation , offers a new perspective
- Credibility
- Find relevance within their values and beliefs
TRAUMA - COLECTIVE OR CULTURAL TRAUMA - war colonization - psychological vulnerability within that grip If you’re a trauma survivor - what do you want? Now you finally belong
- Stoke fear and anger - readily invoke - more willing to export extreme policies - emotionally satisfying - what are they missing - what do they need - how can we formulate that
- Voices not heard
- Us vs them
What psychological vulnerablilties that make someone more easily influenced?
- Fear - narrows your thinking and primes us for an emotionally charged decision - they’re coming to take what’s yours
- Desire for belonging - adopt groups views just to maintain identity; doesn’t feel right to challenge - spiritual contract with that very special person - triggering message
- Certainty - Here’s the truth that they don’t want you to know - it’s comforting
- Confirmation bias - echo chambers - anything that the worldview
- Tribalism - your identity feels attacked
How can we guard against being influenced and vulnerable
- Build a media literacy for yourself
- Slow down your thinking
- Influence thrive son speed and emotion - if it makes you feel something - pause and analyze it
- Who benefits from me believing this!?!??!?!?
- Expose yourself to viewpoints outside of your bubble
Part of the great replacement theory
- Why this the of perception exists - how it gets into politics framing - policy differences on immigration enforcement
- Being soft, liberals are soft
How do you persuade someone of truth - triggering - goal isn’t to try to be right - disarm - offer information without them being triggered
- Gotta make it safe to talk
- Start w empathy and curiosity - shut down because feel attacked judge for threatened
- Ask thoughtful open ended questions - gives them reveal gaps and contradictions gently - DO YOU THINK BOTH OF THOSE THINGS CAN BE TRUE AT THE SAME TIME? -
- Emotion and identity always pass over logic
- AFFIRM THEIR VALUES - I respect that value! Me too! That’s WHY I look into XYZ
- Deconstruct a message together - walk through a piece of content one by one -
- How would someone from the opposite viewpoint see this
- Normalize being WRONG
- Propaganda thrives in an environment where people cant chang their mind
- Goal isn’t to force someone to abandon their beliefs
Build the skill without triggering the defense
