This is from Bill Gates. I have not vetted the content of the chart, but I assume it is true and correct. TL;DR Summary The point of this poster is to illustrate R&D spending on 3 categories: Defense, health and energy. It is effective in part due to its simplicity and use of data. Data is not used often in propaganda posters because emotional appeals and pithy quotes are processed quickly by our System 1 thinking.
TL;DR Summary Making the rounds on FB again today: “A dog dug a hole in the tomb of his owner, who has just died so he can be close to him. Nothing in the World can Compare with the Love and Loyalty of a Dog for his Friend.” The story is false. More here and here. As of today, this has been shared over 8,600 times on FB alone.
TL;DR Summary Making the rounds on FB, this poster supposedly shows Europeans fleeing to North Africa to escape WW II. In reality, the photo is of Europeans (from Albania) seeking refuge elsewhere in Europe in 1991. A simple Google search confirms the story. Re-using historical photos and asserting the photo shows something other than what the photo actually shows is extremely common on social media. This propaganda method works because most people have no familiarity with the photos being used…
TL;DR Summary This poster was widely distributed on social media propaganda web sites, often in conjunction with Bernie Sanders statement that he would like 4 years of college to be free for everyone. All other states should follow Oregon’s lead, they said. Based on the comments to this poster, as it circulated, most everyone who saw this believed it applied to everyone in Oregon, at any college. Alas, the poster asserts something that is not true.
TL; DR Summary This promotional messaging associates positives feelings about nature with their product. They encourage sharing this with the specified hashtag. This example also illustrates the use of social media propaganda posters in marketing campaigns and promotions.
TL;DR Summary There is a whopper error in this poster. Can you spot it? Let’s rewrite the first line: US $7.25 Minimum Wage 49.95 Danish Krone Written that way, you would convert one currency in to the other, right? Canadian currency, like the US, is called a “dollar”. But the US dollar and the Canadian dollar are not equivalent. This propaganda poster uses this sleight of hand magic trick to persuade – most people see the $7.25 and the $10.45 and…
TL;DR Summary False quote posters, like this one, appear every day on social media, for and against numerous topics and politicians. Snopes says the quote is completely false. FactCheck.org says the quote is false. These posters work because they convey what the poster wants to believe-if you believe it to be true, than it must be true! (Indeed! I linked to Snopes in a reply to the person who posted this and he replied that he would leave it up…
TL;DR Summary False quote posters, like this one, appear every day on social media, for and against numerous topics and politicians. Snopes says the quote is completely false. FactCheck.org says the quote is false. These posters work because they convey what the poster wants to believe-if you believe it to be true, than it must be true! (Indeed! I linked to Snopes in a reply to the person who posted this and he replied that he would leave it up…
TL;DR Summary: Most people view propaganda as something undertaken by governments, especially in war time, and by politicians. But propaganda and the methods of propaganda are employed every single day by all types of organizations and participants. By sharing messages like this, you become a propagandist in the chain of propaganda! On Facebook, a “Like” or “Comment” is identical to “Share” – which means you may be “sharing” items you do not realize you are sharing!
TL;DR Summary: Most people view propaganda as something undertaken by governments, especially in war time, and by politicians. But propaganda and the methods of propaganda are employed every single day by all types of organizations and participants. By sharing messages like this, you become a propagandist in the chain of propaganda! On Facebook, a “Like” or “Comment” is identical to “Share” – which means you may be “sharing” items you do not realize you are sharing!