Propaganda: what can we trust?

It is said that the first casualty of war is truth, because who is really telling the truth - is it those attacking or those who are defending themselves? Can we actually believe anything at all? If so, how do we know what that is? In every war, there is propaganda used, but what exactly is it?

Accessibility icon Propaganda: what can we trust?

The first victim of war is truth

It is said that truth is the first victim of war. How can you know who is really telling the truth – are they attacking someone or maybe defending themselves? Can we actually believe anything at all and how can we know what is what? Propaganda is used in every war, but what exactly is it?

En mann står med en ropert og leder en demonstrasjon.
En mann står med en ropert og leder en demonstrasjon.

What is propaganda?

Alongside the physical side of war, there is often a propaganda war. Propaganda is influencing people’s thoughts and feelings in strong visual ways, news, or rhetorical speeches. Communication tends to be a one-way street with no active dialogue. The general goal is to spread ideological, political or religious views and beliefs so that the people getting the message believe in it.

Where can you find propaganda?

Propaganda is spread through mass media such as TV, radio, social media, online news, posters, advertisements, films, and leaflets.

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En skygge av en person står bak et TV-apparat og holder fiktive seere fast med tråder.
En skygge av en person står bak et TV-apparat og holder fiktive seere fast med tråder.

Is propaganda only negative?

The Nazis used propaganda both before and during the Second World War to convince the German population and others that their world view was correct. Nazi Germany even had a Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels. His job was to present Adolf Hitler as a trustworthy leader, and to promote Nazism and the hatred of Jews. Before the Second World War, the word “propaganda” didn’t have such a negative sound. In today’s world, propaganda is generally connected with something negative.

📷  The Nazi Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels giving a speech.

A harmful tool

The word “propaganda” isn’t a negative word in itself, as it means to spread. But, when it leads to a twisted reality, lies, manipulation, and in the worst case, the loss of human lives, it can be seen as a harmful tool.

A positive tool

Propaganda can also be used positively. Many musicians use their music to spread messages about causes they care about and that are close to their hearts. One such example is the fight against bias and racism. In 2021 a large TV concert called “Hev stemmen”  (Raise your voice) was arranged in Norway. Many Norwegian musicians used this platform to speak out against racism. Music can reach a large number of people and can lead to changes in society.

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Nazistenes propagandaminister, Joseph Goebbels, holder tale.
Nazistenes propagandaminister, Joseph Goebbels, holder tale.

Bruce Springsteen’s “American Skin (41 Shots)”

The song “American Skin (41 Shots)” is about prejudice that Black Americans face in their daily lives. This song was written after the murder of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed 23-year-old Guinean migrant who was shot dead by police officers in New York City in 1999. The song is a reflection on hatred, the horror of police brutality and racial profiling.

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Music can change the world
Ansikter laget av papir i ulike farger.
Ansikter laget av papir i ulike farger.

How is propaganda used?

The goal of propaganda is to reach as many people as possible with a specific message. When it comes to the coronavirus pandemic, the Norwegian Prime Minister used his New Year’s speech to encourage as many people as possible to be vaccinated. This was meant as positive propaganda, but the anti-vaccination campaign may have seen this as negative propaganda. Those of us who listened to the speech of the Prime Minister had the chance to decide for ourselves what we thought.

Different techniques

How are we able to influence people the most effectively? There are various techniques that can be used when delivering a message. Here are a few of them.

  • The message is based on something that “everyone” already knows:  It is dangerous to use a mobile phone whilst driving.
  • Referring to your opposition as racist: You are just like Hitler.
  • One-sided presentation of an issue or view: We have no use for wolves in Norway.
  • Creating “fake news”: An online newspaper is made to look identical to the main broadcaster of a country so that people are more likely to believe what it says.
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Portrett av Jonas Gahr Støre
Portrett av Jonas Gahr Støre

Taking advantage of people’s feelings

Example 1

Propaganda will often take advantage of our feelings. We allow ourselves to be influenced by people who mock others, have outbursts or use strong emotions to get their message through. When Adolf Hitler delivered a speech he was quite often angry, and people became afraid to disagree with his opinions. 

📷  Adolf Hitler i Weimar in 1933.
Adolf Hitler i Weimar 1933.
Adolf Hitler i Weimar 1933.

Taking advantage of people’s feelings

Example 2

When Greta Thunberg went on strike for climate change in 2018, she inspired others to a high level of involvement. In several of her speeches she has shown a very emotional response to her message. Many people bought into how she fought for the environment, while others became angry. On the next page you can see a clip from her speech at the UN Climate Summit in New York on 23 September 2019.

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Trust and credibility

If we trust someone, we will believe most of what that person says and does. Who do you trust? Most people in Norway trust the King. When he makes a statement about something, a great number of people will trust what he says.

Another person that many people trust is the secretary general of NATOJens Stoltenberg. He behaves objectively, in a believable manner and is well prepared when he delivers a speech. He runs a form of propaganda when he speaks to the NATO member states to stand together.

 

Natos generalsekretær Jens Stoltenberg (2022).
Natos generalsekretær Jens Stoltenberg (2022).

Propaganda as a political tool

In war, propaganda is used to influence both supporters and those who are opposed. There is a saying that the first victim of war is the truth. It is almost impossible to know what the truth is during a war. Each side wants to get their message through. The purpose of this can be to motivate people to fight harder or to make your rivals surrender.

Example 1

As soon as the day after the attack on Norway in 1940, the Germans hung a large banner on the Norwegian Parliament which read ‘Deutschland siegt an allen Fronten’ meaning “Germany is winning on all fronts.” This banner hung here for most of the war. The purpose was to influence the people of Oslo and make them believe that Germany was going to win the war despite this proving to be untrue as the 1940s went on.

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Stortinget i Oslo i 1940 med hakekorsflagg og stort banner med tysk tekst.
Stortinget i Oslo i 1940 med hakekorsflagg og stort banner med tysk tekst.
Example 2

During the war between Russia and Ukraine this deepfake video was spread on social media. Those that know the president will be able to tell that his face has been manipulated, and the voice that you can hear is not the president’s voice. The sender is unknown, and the video has caused confusion amongst the people of Ukraine. Is it true or is it a lie? Is this part of Russian propaganda?

Bombet skolebygning i Ukraina
Bombet skolebygning i Ukraina

Censorship

During war, the authorities will often control and remove unwanted information. The freedom to write and say what one wants can become very limited. The authorities will decide what news they spread through newspapers, TV and radio. This is called press censorship.

In the war between Russia and Ukraine, the Russian media were only allowed to use Russian sources. The Russian Media Authority also censored all information coming from outside the country. What does this type of censorship do to the truth?

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Freedom of speech – can we say what we like?
Hånd med rød blyant bundet sammen med tau.
Hånd med rød blyant bundet sammen med tau.

Sources:

  • Svendsen, Lars Fredrik Händler; Grue, Jan: retorikk i Store norske leksikon på snl.no.
    Hentet 21. mars 2022 fra https://snl.no/retorikk
  • Elden, John Christian; Mæhlum, Lars: sensur i Store norske leksikon på snl.no.
    Hentet 21. mars 2022 fra https://snl.no/sensur

Media Rights:

    1. Getty Images
    2. Getty Images
    3. Deutsches Bundesarchiv
    4. Getty Images / Bruce Springsteen – YouTube
    5. NTB / Statsministerens kontor
    6. Deutsches Bundesarchiv
    7. European Parliament (CC BY 2.0) / Guardian News – YouTube
    8. NATO
    9. Stortingsarkivet
    10. Getty Images / The Telegraph – YouTube
    11. Getty Images