There is no precise definition of propaganda. It is manipulation in so many different forms and levels that one definition would never suffice. Propaganda, without Nazi connotations, is both good and bad. The Roman Catholic Church in the fifteenth century had their own system of propaganda to spread the Christian faith. The Church was certainly not alone in their use of propaganda. Every ruler and many others (for many varying reasons) have used propaganda in some form or another to promote their own agendas.
Popular 'Definitions'
One ‘definition’ by Randall Bytwerk in “Bending Spines” is when he cited another author’s definition as: “Propaganda is the art of deceiving one’s friends while not quite convincing one’s enemies.” Of course, many others have attempted to place a definition to propaganda. Oliver Thomson and Brett Gray take propaganda back 5,000 years from the ancient Babylonians to modern-day television. They aimed to show that propaganda has been a vital part of every civilization throughout the history of mankind. Gray described propaganda as “organized manipulations of key cultural symbols and images (and biases) for the purposes of persuading a mass audience to take a position, or move to action, or remain inactive on a controversial matter.” Its literal meaning is to “disseminate or promote particular ideas.” The Latin root of the word means “to propagate” or “to sow.” Leonard Doob wrote an interesting essay in 1989 describing his understanding of propaganda, he said “a clear-cut definition of propaganda is neither possible nor desirable.” Maybe he has got a point.
No Limits
Propaganda is defined by the time and culture in which it is used. There are no set standards, for every aspect of society is subject to it. Propaganda in Ancient Greece and propaganda in Great Britain during the Great War (for example) are completely different, though they both had the same basic purpose.
It's Not All Bad...
Not all propaganda is hateful and it is not good or bad (per se). It is manipulation and deceit in whatever manner that may be. It could be through radio, films, newspapers, magazines, posters, rallies, public speeches, staged demonstrations, protests or whatever other outlet is available. It can be as simple as a commercial by a politician attempting to sway his audience to vote for him or it could be as complex as the institution of the Hitler Youth and the state-controlled churches of Nazi Germany.
Propaganda can be described and defined in many ways, but one aspect of it remains constant: It is a distortion of truth or an outright lie and it is the most powerful political and social tool ever employed.
