- An effective propaganda technique is to employ name calling against something or someone to create a negative association. Name calling is often used in political campaigns and is effective because it requires no supporting evidence. Name calling is designed to elicit negative emotions by invoking qualities and characteristics that the public dislikes or fears. For example, a political candidate may use the words "baby-killer" when referring to his opponent's support for a woman's right to choose. This type of name calling paints a negative view of the opponent without having to explain that the candidate supports a woman's right to make decisions about her own body.
- Testimonials are a common propaganda technique advertisers use to convince consumers to buy their products. Advertisers recruit celebrities such as actors and sports stars to testify on behalf of a product, which confers a seal of approval on that product. The idea is that if the product satisfies someone as exalted as a celebrity, average consumers should follow suit. Testimonials often show the celebrity using the product, which creates an indelible association between the endorser and the product. Political campaigns also use testimonials to convince voters to support a candidate or a position. Showing that a celebrity has the same concerns as an average citizen can be a powerful, persuasive tool.
- Card stacking occurs when a person or company presents only the most positive and beneficial facts to an audience, but omits any details that are negative. Card stacking is often used in advertisements that promote the effectiveness of a product. For example, a new drug may advertise that it eliminates high cholesterol, but omit potential side effects and interactions, or detail those negative characteristics in small print so that they are unreadable. Similarly, a political leader may make a case to invade a foreign country by asserting that the country possesses weapons of mass destruction, without explaining that the evidence of the weapons' existence is unconfirmed.
- One of the most effective propaganda techniques is the use of glittering generalities, which are words or ideas that immediately evoke a positive meaning in an audience. These words are sometimes used to obfuscate the fact that the ideas behind the words may not be so positive. For example, a politician may urge "God-fearing Americans who love liberty" to be vigilant in observing the behavior of all Muslims in their neighborhood. On the surface, using words such as "God-fearing," and "Liberty" appeals to patriotism and faith. But the resulting action of being spies against other law-abiding citizens may not be as positive as the glittering generalities suggest.
previous post