Do you believe that you deserve the truth? We all do, we all deserve to be told the reality of the world we live in. To get the truth, we have to decide how much we want it, the media covers the truth by burying it with strong messages and interesting headlines. If we believe we deserve the truth, it is up to us to find it out for ourselves because the media certainly is not doing anything to help us. In the article, the author, Thomas Griffin, argues that truth is being distorted by media and propaganda that is thrown out into the world. He states that the media twists their messages to align with what the government is promoting at that time period. Lies are not what needs to be fought against, but the promotion of propaganda to twist what we view as reality and truth is what requires our utmost attention. He goes on to argue that the American people will never be able to get to the bottom of all-important issues because people are self-righteous enough to hold their opinion as fact. He continues saying that the propaganda being promoted through our news outlets and screens is laying the framework for our lives and the way in which we think and use our brains. The argument Griffin makes is mind-numbingly true, but we choose how we let the propaganda in society affect our lives. Thomas Griffin proves the point of his argument using several different resources. He opens his article using a direct quote from Adolf Hitler, a man who needs no introduction. The quotes centers around people being more likely to believe a large lie that reaches many people than a small one that only they hear. He also speaks about the inaugural address of President Biden and the words of politician, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and how they believe they are moving society towards truth and away from every lie. Then, he uses the book of Chicago Tribune writer, Edmond Taylor and his thesis relying on using statistics to prove that propaganda led to the defeat of France by Nazi Germany. He claims that Franklin D. Roosevelt knew that propaganda was the root of Nazi Germany. Griffin uses historical examples to argue his point and to prove to us that there is an attempt being made to affect our ability to think for ourselves and to form our own opinions. This article by Thomas Griffin proves that if one wants to hear the truth, they must find it for themselves, or, at least, be willing to look beyond one article on the subject of interest. The media, especially forms of electronic media, will not be supplying the pure truth to the world’s population any time soon. So if one is interested in finding the truth, they must not solely rely on the media.
Awesome essay, Audrey! I love how you explained that lies are not the enemy so much as propaganda. I felt like I got a really good grasp on the article from your writing. Good Work!
In today’s culture, the truth can be hard to find. The top media outlets care more about pushing their own political ideology rather than the truth. Thomas Griffin, a writer for Crisis magazine, has recognized this. In this article, he reveals the source of propaganda and why it is so dangerous to the truth. Griffin begins his argument by explaining what propaganda is, and defines it as, “Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.” By putting this definition first, it makes the reader ask where this bias is coming from. It gives the reader time to think and identify for themselves where propaganda comes in their lives. When Griffin mentions it’s the media only a few sentences later, it makes the reader think, “Oh yeah, that’s where I’ve seen information of biased or misleading nature!” Griffin gets the idea in the readers’ head early so his idea is easy to understand later. Griffin argues that the media filters out the mind to only have one of two opinions, either “liberals are bad,” or, “liberals are good.” To further cement his point of how easily propaganda spreads, he talks of someone finding their news through using a phone or turning on the TV. These are basic life actions people do on a regular basis, which tells the reader that propaganda gets in the brain quickly, and rapidly. This also affirms propaganda gets in the brain without the person even realizing it. Griffin uses facets of everyday life to show that propaganda is a problem and that it is always around us. For the second half of his argument, Griffin showcases the destructive power of propaganda from a destructive time period. Griffin shows propaganda at its worst by detailing its use in World War II. FDR was a wise man, and Griffin knew FDR realized that propaganda won Germany many victories in the war. Propaganda broke the spirit of many countries, and he was not going to let it happen to Americans. Griffin and FDR both argue that propaganda was the biggest tool in the war. Griffin chose an excellent event to base his argument off of. World War II was destructive, so it also conveys his point that propaganda is destructive. Griffin shares similar viewpoints with FDR, a smart man. This makes Griffin look more credible. Griffin also based this argument off of facts. World War II, the use of propaganda, and FDR’s involvement were all factual happening. These were happenings that could not be questioned, and by using factual events, it shows that he truly believes truth is the answer, and shows that it can be the guiding light people need. Griffin finally concludes by saying the truth is the best way to beat propaganda. If society can hold onto the truth, it can fight off propaganda. Finally, he argues that what we read and see influence who we are, which ties back into his argument of the news giving us only two opinions. He then flips that argument on its head by saying we should let the truth be our influence. If America fails to do this, it will be our downfall.
Good work, Tanner! I was especially interested in the part where you explain how the vast array of opinions have been broken down into two political opinions and how the news ties into this.
Great job on your essay, Tanner! I liked that you mentioned that he speaks about propaganda at its worst time in history. I also liked that you mentioned how using a destructive time period promotes propaganda as being destructive.
Propaganda can be the greatest weapon in politics. It was historically used for good to raise morale during wartimes, and it was likewise used for bad by the Nazis. This article summarizes how people must fear propaganda and find out the truth for themselves. It is not to be assumed that those issuing the propaganda will have good intentions.
In present culture, the media is in control of most Americans. Most have succumbed to its addictive nature and quick resources. Because of the vast amount of readily available information, it is becoming harder and harder for the government to hide things or control Americans because politics in the media have divided people. The author presents this discovery and explains how politicians are trying to regain control. By manipulating what is shown in the media, the media becomes a form of propaganda.
The author, Thomas Griffin, explains how Hitler misused his power to manipulate a nation. A quote from Hitler is used to solidify this claim. In which Hitler states that, “In the primitive simplicity of their minds they are more easily victimized by a large lie than by a small lie.” Griffin goes on to connect this method to the separation of the parties in America. The Republican and Democratic parties both use the media to share their beliefs. Because of their opposing beliefs, this spurred animosity between the parties and created two narratives. These narratives are a result of each party pushing propaganda against the other party. Biden and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are two prevalent political figures in the U.S. currently stating they want to do something about this media problem. They are fighting against “fake news” or false information, dubbed conspiracy theories, by instating a “truth commission.” The author goes on to state that he feels these politicians are looking to censor information they do not agree with.
The purpose of this article was to bring light to the censorship in the media. Griffin wrote out these concerns because the current administration will find the truth through their beliefs and potentially try to mark Catholic views as misinformation. He compares this “truth commission” to Hitler Germany. Hitler overran the media and openly stated that manipulation is most effective in large quantities. Meaning it’s easier to change the world largely than in a small way. Overall, the author effectively proposes his concerns of propaganda in the media and manipulation from the government because this has never gone well in the past.
I really enjoyed reading your essay, Gina! I thought is was great that you mentioned how his article brought to light the censorship the media uses to distort the truth.
Propaganda is usually pictured as flyers and a thing of the past. Many are surprised to find that propaganda is affecting America still, and the opinions of America. The truth is manipulated by the media, making it extremely hard to find
When Thomas Griffin defines propaganda he defines it as “information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.” He then leads on to speak about how people tend to be biased. The act of being biased feeds propaganda. A woman may feel more inclined to believe that male privilege is real because they are a part of that group, which may not be accurate from an overall perspective. This is one of many examples of the manipulative behavior of the media. The media pins groups against each other, such as women against men and democrats against republicans.
Griffin elaborates on the effects of propaganda. Franklin D Roosevelt recognized the power propaganda gave to the Nazis which is why he set up the Office of Facts and Figures. He talks about the success of propaganda as “an indoctrinating, controlling, and obsessive roadmap toward controlling the fabric of people’s lives”. Propaganda manipulates and controls which grasps a hold that is hard to get out of. The truth is buried and to find. The authors argument is that propaganda manipulates and influences who we are and we must let the truth prevail.
Nice work! I liked how you mentioned propaganda smears and destroys society. It paints a good picture of what something so powerful and persuasive as propaganda can do, good job!
Propaganda affects the judgements and viewpoints of people because of people's desire to know the truth. The media gives viewers an altered sense of the truth by releasing biased or opinionated information. People began to believe the propaganda released by the media without considering whether or not this information is the objective truth. Thomas Griffin argues that propaganda gives an unreliable perception of truth. Thomas Griffin explains the dangers of propaganda and how it creates false information and conspiracy theories, therefore depriving the public of the truth. People believe their opinions are the facts, and often do not even care to hear the opposing side. There is a correct and incorrect truth to everything, but propaganda does not conform to the fact that only one ultimate truth can exist. The definition of propaganda is “information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.” This proves that the media attacks people's desire to know the truth and misleads them to believe the truth is something it is not. The media is the main source of knowledge for most people in America. They rely on it to find out the truth, but instead it deceives and twists it into lies. The media displays two different views to every story and people will believe in whichever side conforms to their opinions and beliefs. Griffin uses the example of the Nazis to support his argument against propaganda. President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched an executive order known as the Office of Facts and Figures in an attempt to demolish the propaganda. He knew that the Nazis utilized propaganda in a way that led them to success. They played on the public opinion to try and crush American spirit and create fear. Propaganda manipulates people by causing them to fear, anger, or create some kind of emotion. People are so desperate to know the truth that they will willingly believe anything the media displays as the truth. The ultimate goal of propaganda is to have control over the public and trick them into believing what the media wants them to believe. People allow themselves to be manipulated by propaganda when they believe that biased opinions are the truth. Everyone deserves to know the truth, but they have to discover it on their own because of the falsehood propaganda creates. Griffin argued that the media is unreliable and opinions are perceived as facts causing propaganda to pose as a threat to the truth.
Truth in today’s world is becoming something that one can make up for themselves. They will say, “This is my truth, but it does not have to be yours.” A big reason why this is happening is due to propaganda. Propaganda is deceptive news that’s main purpose is to reign over the people and make them feel a certain way. The author used many examples of propaganda, whether past or present, and showed how successful it is.
The author of this article showed how propaganda was used in the past. The most effective example was that of Adolf Hitler. A quote that was interesting was, “A major ingredient to the rise of Hitler was his ability to wreak havoc, sow discord, and control what people were thinking.” He often used propaganda to say that Jews and other “undesirables” were the main root of problems in that time. Propaganda allowed him to fool the society and made his advances inevitable. Therefore, his use of a past example strengthened his argument.
Another way that the author expressed his argument was using examples from today. He talks about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and how she wants the media to be regulated heavily. This is not necessarily fair, because many media corporations are more biased towards a certain side. This specific bias with Cortez could lead to suppression of conservative ideas. An interesting quote is this, “However, what we really need to fight against is propaganda—the most dangerous tool of any government. Its latest form is the labelling of anything the current administration disagrees with as “disinformation” or the result of conspiracy theories.” This shows that many are not able to handle disagreement and want to silence the other side.
All of the past and present examples that the author used exemplified how propaganda can be successful. The quote that best sums up the article is, “Propaganda disintegrates when we hold on to the truth; when we plant our feet in facts and sink our heels into the firm ground of justice, honesty, and integrity.” The author’s argument is that propaganda, even though the effects can be seen from past examples, is still occurring today. The author is saying that propaganda can be effective, but only if citizens allow it to be.
When propaganda is thought about, many think back to wartimes and the posters that encouraged citizens to support war efforts. However, in the modern century, propaganda is used mainly as a political machine. The propaganda is manipulating Americans into believing what the politicians want them to in order to win votes. However, it is up to the American people to fight back and not let the wary waters of propaganda trap them. In the article, Thomas Griffin calls propaganda, “the most dangerous tool of any government” and that it is also extremely biased in how it is presented. While bias is common within a family or friend group, having too much ends up morphing into propaganda because the media takes it too far. For example, a group of women may believe that male privilege is real and too overpowering because they are a part of the group that is being affected. Just like this example, the media manipulates every ounce of resource it receives in order to make it fit the popular “standard” and get more views and money. In the article, Griffin goes onto to expand on the power of propaganda and how it is effecting the world. He mentions President F.D.R. and his efforts to push back against propaganda by setting up what is known as the Office of Facts and Figures in October of 1941. This was done in order to provide a truth for the American people, even amongst the Nazi propaganda period at the time. Overall, propaganda has gained a bad reputation and serves the purpose of manipulation, especially in the political sense. The truth can be hard to uncover due to propaganda, but once one brings it to light, it can be easier to overcome the false ideas brought forth by propaganda.
I loved reading this summary Jackie! The part mentioning how propaganda has become a way for media to boost views and to obtain more money was very accurate for during this time.
Jackie, Very nice summary! I like how you talked about FDR in your summary the impact of trying to get rid of propaganda. I also like your concluding paragraph. All in all, good job!
It’s a silly thing to believe that everything you hear is the truth. Whether we like it or not almost everything we view in media is altered in some way to taper to someone else’s beilfs. This makes finding the truth about a subject difficult and it can be hard to determine which new station, magazine, or website is really handing out correct information. This can make for a scary reality. The author of this article claims the media and propaganda for the lack of truth and trust in the media. He argues that the media will distort and embellish the truth when needed in order to keep the audience's views aligned with their own agenda. His stance is that we must not fight against the lies that are spread by the media but we must fight against the promotion on thoes lies. We must not allow false claims be spread or harmful ideals to reach the ears of thoes in a vulnerable state. One of the reasons, he argues, that people will never be able to see there whole truth is because many people take their own opinions as actual facts. This can have devastating consequences for society. People hearts will be hardened and they won’t be able to see past their own thoughts to come together and solve a problem. In his article the author references hitler as someone who used propaganda to spread his message across Germany. People think “How could people be unaware of the atrocities occurring in the camps?” The answer? Hitler manipulated people into thinking that the camps were just happy work camps. He used fake footage of a seemingly peaceful camp and broadcasted it to all of Germany. He used propaganda to install hatred in people’s heats so they would believe that there are people out their who are “inferior” to them. This is just one devastating example of how propaganda affects a nation. He contacts it to American politics as well. He states that President Joe Biden and congresswoman AOC have been two political leaders determined to stop the silencing of truth. In the authors option he believes they are just trying to give the American people their own version of the truth. In the end it will always be difficult to determine who’s telling the truth and who isn’t. The best thing to do is to trust your gut and do your research.
Interesting read Tiff! I enjoyed how you related that opinions being seen as facts is able to affect society not only politically but also emotionally, not allowing us to work together in times of need.
As a part of the new generation that has been immersed in technology, it is not difficult to find organizations or individuals who abuse it. It is known as common knowledge that the internet is filled with lies upon lies. We are accustomed to being able to sort out truths from falsehoods. This ability is completely destroyed when the idea of politics is brought into the action. There are now numerous ways for the use of propaganda to enter the lives of common people, but technology was not the beginning. Propaganda within politics has been used frequently and is frequently used today. Although the social platform was only growing back then, the radio and newspapers and news channels granted an opportunity for political information to be shared globally. The article brought the eye opening fact that Adolf Hitler and his infamous legacy was a result of propaganda. The danger of propaganda is so heavily relevant as Hilter was able to create the most deadly event in history with the recording of a speech aired over a radio. Currently when someone turns on the television or opens an app on a device, you see that there are two views in American politics. They are completely separate and view the opposite side as a people that do not represent the American people as a whole. Looking past this barrier is necessary in order to fully dispute propaganda. The dignity of Americans that is held in high esteem was so strong that Hitler had used propaganda for the sole purpose of breaking the American Spirit. As lies grow and continue to circle around the internet and within our country, our ambition to find the truth should be growing greater than any propaganda found on any news channel.
Hope, I really enjoyed reading your essay. I like the way you presented the article and how you summarized it. I really like how you mentioned the use of propaganda in today's society and politics.
Hope, I really like how you pointed out that there are many people out there who abuse technology. This is one on the many reasons why we can't always trust what we read online.
Thomas Griffin’s article on propaganda is very prevalent to today’s society, and gives insight into the targeting algorithm of internet media, as well as the deception and lies of political leaders. By using authority, logic, and emotion Griffin was able to present his argument in an organized way while keeping in mind his audience, which is America in the context of current events and political happenings. Griffin starts out by relating propaganda in American society to the propaganda of Nazi Germany, which innately states the deceptive nature of it, as well as the harm it can cause to a society. He states that the creation of a truth commission could be potentially dangerous because many individuals seek to run the media and spread a specifically tailored message for their own gain. He talks about what propaganda does to a society as well. It flushes out the truth while instilling a message from a few individuals, which is ultimately going to control society and public opinion. This leads to bias, which can be extremely misleading. Truth is important in society because it helps people understand and form accurate and informed public opinions and viewpoints, which can all be unique and personalized, especially if the source information is unbiased. Logically, Griffin analyzes the use of propaganda in past societies and relates it to our own to potentially extrapolate what would happen to our society if current propaganda and lies are allowed to continue to take root in American society. He also analyzes what truth is and how it is presented, and that many people believe that the common media sources are always truthful. He uses other means of logic and deductive and inductive reasoning to help present his point. Griffin uses the emotion of deception and the fact that propaganda transforms societies in order to present his idea. By doing this, an individual could feel betrayed, and wish to put an end to the lies of society. This could cause someone to wish to return to a simpler time where propaganda in America is not as widespread. Griffin also uses literary devices and ideas to help further his argument. He uses historical statements and imagery in combination with statements from publicly disdained societies, such as Nazi Germany to make his argument more convincing Therefore, Griffin uses authority, logic, and emotion, in combination with the rhetorical situation and other literary techniques to present his argument in a convincing and organized manner.
Alex, I liked how you talked about the role that propaganda has played in the past and in the present. I also like how you brought up inductive and deductive reasoning
I liked the idea you mentioned about how propaganda is tied to selfish desires, and that the truth will soon be distorted and turn into bias. Good essay!
According to Thomas Griffin, the author of the article about propaganda, propaganda is an “obsessive roadmap towards controlling the fabric of people’s lives.” This form of persuasion was used a lot during World War ll, and it is still used today. We see this in the news and on social media. Thomas writes about the negative parts of propaganda, and how it can affect our perception of the truth. It tends to lead us away from the real truth. Thomas shows how propaganda was used in a bad way by bringing up Hitler in World War ll. He used this form of persuasion to get people to be on his side. He told the people that he would build Germany back up again. Germany needed someone to do this, and he convinced most of the people in Germany that he was the one for the job. He also used propaganda to show people that the Jews were terrible people. The Jews were not bad people, but Hitler did not like him. In Hilter’s eyes, since he did not like the Jews then nobody should. He used propaganda to form and build up Germany’s power. Propaganda, like the forms that Hitler used, were biased and misleading. It did not show the real truth. In our world, truth is a hard thing to find. One place that you can’t find the truth is from propaganda. It is biased and mostly based on opinions. Another place where we can’t find this truth is from the internet and social media. We can’t always believe what we see online. Even though this is not a source of truth, many people turn towards these things to find what they are looking for. They are looking for the answers in the wrong place. We could hear someone’s opinion and think that this is the truth. We have a choice whether or not to believe in the propaganda that is being thrown at us. We can believe in the truth, or we can pretend that what we see and hear is the real truth. Thomas Griffin gives us many reasons why propaganda is leading us away from the truth. He uses many resources and tells us some of the events when propaganda was used in our world, like World War ll. According to Thomas, propaganda is one of the places where we should not be looking to find the truth.
Tami, I really like your summary of the article. I agree with your point about the author talking about Hitler using propaganda to help him gain control of Germany. Nice Work!
Today, currently, most people are able to have use their smartphones, computers, or television sets to see what is going on in the world. Social Media plays a big factor on what people think is good and wrong and influences them to try new things. What comes with social media is whether or not the stories are logical or invalid and that is what I think this article is talking about when I read it, the idea of misleading information. Most of the time, people believe in the stories that you tell them whether or not the story was true or false. A common place to find false information or lies is the internet, and what the internet lies the most about is politics. Now, in the article, author Thomas Griffey uses the word “propaganda.” He describes it as “information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.” Thomas Griffey writes in his article about Adolf Hitler and how he used propaganda to his advantage. At the time, Germany needed someone in power who had the ability to turn the country around into something strong so Adolf Hitler convinced the Germans to put him in office. Hitler used propaganda by making Germans thinking that putting Jews into concentration camps was a good thing and that there was no harm involved. Using this historic event strengthened Griffey’s argument about propaganda being used successfully. Th the end of the day, everyone deserves to know the truth and shouldn’t be distracted by the false leadings in today’s society. Propaganda manipulates people into believing that everyone is used for the better purpose and it is also sometimes hard to understand the truth once it is found. To sum up everything that has been stated so far, the author wants people to know that the use of propaganda in social media and in the government is still being used to hide the truth and it is still effective.
In Thomas Griffins words, propaganda is, “obsessive roadmap towards controlling the fabric of people’s lives.” In Griffins article concerning propaganda, he argues that it is still very prevalent in today’s society, and that it is very effective as well. When people hear “propaganda,” they usually think about Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 40s, and their techniques to take hold on German society. When in fact, propaganda is all around us even today. And it is most notable right in your pocket. A cell phone in today’s society is more effective than any poster, speaker, speech, music, or radio station Hitler ever had. It is now easier than ever to fabricate evidence, videos, pictures, screenshots and other various forms of falsified information. People are at more risk than ever of falling into a trap of being manipulated through the media. In Griffins article, he stresses many points concerning the reasoning why propaganda can be harmful, but one sticks out much more than the rest. The propaganda that took place in Germany during the course of WWII was so impactful that it had now caused the term propaganda to be “coined” to Nazi Germany. Griffin explains how much worse off we are now, and how much faster information gets circulated. Our society is at a huge risk of mass manipulation, and no post should be taken seriously at first glance, ever. It’s almost as if it must become a basic rule of thumb to first assume that a social media post is false, or else the chances of receiving misleading information drastically increases. In conclusion, Thomas Griffin argues his point of the prevalence of propaganda in today’s society, by using many reasoning techniques that connect prior events gone wrong to current events. The comparison of propaganda strategies from 80 years ago to now, is very telling. And the effects of 80 years ago were very devastating, so how much worse would it be now?
Do you believe that you deserve the truth? We all do, we all deserve to be told the reality of the world we live in. To get the truth, we have to decide how much we want it, the media covers the truth by burying it with strong messages and interesting headlines. If we believe we deserve the truth, it is up to us to find it out for ourselves because the media certainly is not doing anything to help us.
ReplyDeleteIn the article, the author, Thomas Griffin, argues that truth is being distorted by media and propaganda that is thrown out into the world. He states that the media twists their messages to align with what the government is promoting at that time period. Lies are not what needs to be fought against, but the promotion of propaganda to twist what we view as reality and truth is what requires our utmost attention. He goes on to argue that the American people will never be able to get to the bottom of all-important issues because people are self-righteous enough to hold their opinion as fact. He continues saying that the propaganda being promoted through our news outlets and screens is laying the framework for our lives and the way in which we think and use our brains. The argument Griffin makes is mind-numbingly true, but we choose how we let the propaganda in society affect our lives.
Thomas Griffin proves the point of his argument using several different resources. He opens his article using a direct quote from Adolf Hitler, a man who needs no introduction. The quotes centers around people being more likely to believe a large lie that reaches many people than a small one that only they hear. He also speaks about the inaugural address of President Biden and the words of politician, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and how they believe they are moving society towards truth and away from every lie. Then, he uses the book of Chicago Tribune writer, Edmond Taylor and his thesis relying on using statistics to prove that propaganda led to the defeat of France by Nazi Germany. He claims that Franklin D. Roosevelt knew that propaganda was the root of Nazi Germany. Griffin uses historical examples to argue his point and to prove to us that there is an attempt being made to affect our ability to think for ourselves and to form our own opinions.
This article by Thomas Griffin proves that if one wants to hear the truth, they must find it for themselves, or, at least, be willing to look beyond one article on the subject of interest. The media, especially forms of electronic media, will not be supplying the pure truth to the world’s population any time soon. So if one is interested in finding the truth, they must not solely rely on the media.
Awesome essay, Audrey! I love how you explained that lies are not the enemy so much as propaganda. I felt like I got a really good grasp on the article from your writing. Good Work!
DeleteThis is a great essay, Audrey! I like how you talked about the different political figures and how they have used propaganda.
DeleteIn today’s culture, the truth can be hard to find. The top media outlets care more about pushing their own political ideology rather than the truth. Thomas Griffin, a writer for Crisis magazine, has recognized this. In this article, he reveals the source of propaganda and why it is so dangerous to the truth.
ReplyDeleteGriffin begins his argument by explaining what propaganda is, and defines it as, “Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.” By putting this definition first, it makes the reader ask where this bias is coming from. It gives the reader time to think and identify for themselves where propaganda comes in their lives. When Griffin mentions it’s the media only a few sentences later, it makes the reader think, “Oh yeah, that’s where I’ve seen information of biased or misleading nature!” Griffin gets the idea in the readers’ head early so his idea is easy to understand later. Griffin argues that the media filters out the mind to only have one of two opinions, either “liberals are bad,” or, “liberals are good.” To further cement his point of how easily propaganda spreads, he talks of someone finding their news through using a phone or turning on the TV. These are basic life actions people do on a regular basis, which tells the reader that propaganda gets in the brain quickly, and rapidly. This also affirms propaganda gets in the brain without the person even realizing it. Griffin uses facets of everyday life to show that propaganda is a problem and that it is always around us.
For the second half of his argument, Griffin showcases the destructive power of propaganda from a destructive time period. Griffin shows propaganda at its worst by detailing its use in World War II. FDR was a wise man, and Griffin knew FDR realized that propaganda won Germany many victories in the war. Propaganda broke the spirit of many countries, and he was not going to let it happen to Americans. Griffin and FDR both argue that propaganda was the biggest tool in the war. Griffin chose an excellent event to base his argument off of. World War II was destructive, so it also conveys his point that propaganda is destructive. Griffin shares similar viewpoints with FDR, a smart man. This makes Griffin look more credible. Griffin also based this argument off of facts. World War II, the use of propaganda, and FDR’s involvement were all factual happening. These were happenings that could not be questioned, and by using factual events, it shows that he truly believes truth is the answer, and shows that it can be the guiding light people need.
Griffin finally concludes by saying the truth is the best way to beat propaganda. If society can hold onto the truth, it can fight off propaganda. Finally, he argues that what we read and see influence who we are, which ties back into his argument of the news giving us only two opinions. He then flips that argument on its head by saying we should let the truth be our influence. If America fails to do this, it will be our downfall.
Good work, Tanner! I was especially interested in the part where you explain how the vast array of opinions have been broken down into two political opinions and how the news ties into this.
DeleteGreat job on your essay, Tanner! I liked that you mentioned that he speaks about propaganda at its worst time in history. I also liked that you mentioned how using a destructive time period promotes propaganda as being destructive.
DeletePropaganda can be the greatest weapon in politics. It was historically used for good to raise morale during wartimes, and it was likewise used for bad by the Nazis. This article summarizes how people must fear propaganda and find out the truth for themselves. It is not to be assumed that those issuing the propaganda will have good intentions.
ReplyDeleteIn present culture, the media is in control of most Americans. Most have succumbed to its addictive nature and quick resources. Because of the vast amount of readily available information, it is becoming harder and harder for the government to hide things or control Americans because politics in the media have divided people. The author presents this discovery and explains how politicians are trying to regain control. By manipulating what is shown in the media, the media becomes a form of propaganda.
The author, Thomas Griffin, explains how Hitler misused his power to manipulate a nation. A quote from Hitler is used to solidify this claim. In which Hitler states that, “In the primitive simplicity of their minds they are more easily victimized by a large lie than by a small lie.” Griffin goes on to connect this method to the separation of the parties in America. The Republican and Democratic parties both use the media to share their beliefs. Because of their opposing beliefs, this spurred animosity between the parties and created two narratives. These narratives are a result of each party pushing propaganda against the other party. Biden and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are two prevalent political figures in the U.S. currently stating they want to do something about this media problem. They are fighting against “fake news” or false information, dubbed conspiracy theories, by instating a “truth commission.” The author goes on to state that he feels these politicians are looking to censor information they do not agree with.
The purpose of this article was to bring light to the censorship in the media. Griffin wrote out these concerns because the current administration will find the truth through their beliefs and potentially try to mark Catholic views as misinformation. He compares this “truth commission” to Hitler Germany. Hitler overran the media and openly stated that manipulation is most effective in large quantities. Meaning it’s easier to change the world largely than in a small way. Overall, the author effectively proposes his concerns of propaganda in the media and manipulation from the government because this has never gone well in the past.
I really like your essay, Gina! You did an excellent job explaining how the media controls and manipulates. Good Job!
DeleteI really enjoyed reading your essay, Gina! I thought is was great that you mentioned how his article brought to light the censorship the media uses to distort the truth.
ReplyDeletePropaganda is usually pictured as flyers and a thing of the past. Many are surprised to find that propaganda is affecting America still, and the opinions of America. The truth is manipulated by the media, making it extremely hard to find
ReplyDeleteWhen Thomas Griffin defines propaganda he defines it as “information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.” He then leads on to speak about how people tend to be biased. The act of being biased feeds propaganda. A woman may feel more inclined to believe that male privilege is real because they are a part of that group, which may not be accurate from an overall perspective. This is one of many examples of the manipulative behavior of the media. The media pins groups against each other, such as women against men and democrats against republicans.
Griffin elaborates on the effects of propaganda. Franklin D Roosevelt recognized the power propaganda gave to the Nazis which is why he set up the Office of Facts and Figures. He talks about the success of propaganda as “an indoctrinating, controlling, and obsessive roadmap toward controlling the fabric of people’s lives”. Propaganda manipulates and controls which grasps a hold that is hard to get out of. The truth is buried and to find. The authors argument is that propaganda manipulates and influences who we are and we must let the truth prevail.
Good Job Lani! I really liked how you mentioned that propaganda pins groups against eachother. Great essay!
DeleteNice work! I liked how you mentioned propaganda smears and destroys society. It paints a good picture of what something so powerful and persuasive as propaganda can do, good job!
DeletePropaganda affects the judgements and viewpoints of people because of people's desire to know the truth. The media gives viewers an altered sense of the truth by releasing biased or opinionated information. People began to believe the propaganda released by the media without considering whether or not this information is the objective truth. Thomas Griffin argues that propaganda gives an unreliable perception of truth.
ReplyDeleteThomas Griffin explains the dangers of propaganda and how it creates false information and conspiracy theories, therefore depriving the public of the truth. People believe their opinions are the facts, and often do not even care to hear the opposing side. There is a correct and incorrect truth to everything, but propaganda does not conform to the fact that only one ultimate truth can exist. The definition of propaganda is “information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.” This proves that the media attacks people's desire to know the truth and misleads them to believe the truth is something it is not. The media is the main source of knowledge for most people in America. They rely on it to find out the truth, but instead it deceives and twists it into lies. The media displays two different views to every story and people will believe in whichever side conforms to their opinions and beliefs.
Griffin uses the example of the Nazis to support his argument against propaganda. President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched an executive order known as the Office of Facts and Figures in an attempt to demolish the propaganda. He knew that the Nazis utilized propaganda in a way that led them to success. They played on the public opinion to try and crush American spirit and create fear. Propaganda manipulates people by causing them to fear, anger, or create some kind of emotion. People are so desperate to know the truth that they will willingly believe anything the media displays as the truth.
The ultimate goal of propaganda is to have control over the public and trick them into believing what the media wants them to believe. People allow themselves to be manipulated by propaganda when they believe that biased opinions are the truth. Everyone deserves to know the truth, but they have to discover it on their own because of the falsehood propaganda creates. Griffin argued that the media is unreliable and opinions are perceived as facts causing propaganda to pose as a threat to the truth.
This is a great essay, Abby! I like how you mentioned that opinions are now considered facts and other’s opinions are no matter of importance anymore.
DeleteGreat essay Abby! I loved the examples you used to help drive home your point! Good job!
DeleteTruth in today’s world is becoming something that one can make up for themselves. They will say, “This is my truth, but it does not have to be yours.” A big reason why this is happening is due to propaganda. Propaganda is deceptive news that’s main purpose is to reign over the people and make them feel a certain way. The author used many examples of propaganda, whether past or present, and showed how successful it is.
ReplyDeleteThe author of this article showed how propaganda was used in the past. The most effective example was that of Adolf Hitler. A quote that was interesting was, “A major ingredient to the rise of Hitler was his ability to wreak havoc, sow discord, and control what people were thinking.” He often used propaganda to say that Jews and other “undesirables” were the main root of problems in that time. Propaganda allowed him to fool the society and made his advances inevitable. Therefore, his use of a past example strengthened his argument.
Another way that the author expressed his argument was using examples from today. He talks about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and how she wants the media to be regulated heavily. This is not necessarily fair, because many media corporations are more biased towards a certain side. This specific bias with Cortez could lead to suppression of conservative ideas. An interesting quote is this, “However, what we really need to fight against is propaganda—the most dangerous tool of any government. Its latest form is the labelling of anything the current administration disagrees with as “disinformation” or the result of conspiracy theories.” This shows that many are not able to handle disagreement and want to silence the other side.
All of the past and present examples that the author used exemplified how propaganda can be successful. The quote that best sums up the article is, “Propaganda disintegrates when we hold on to the truth; when we plant our feet in facts and sink our heels into the firm ground of justice, honesty, and integrity.” The author’s argument is that propaganda, even though the effects can be seen from past examples, is still occurring today. The author is saying that propaganda can be effective, but only if citizens allow it to be.
Great essay Melaina! I really liked how you mentioned about AOC and how that was relevant to the argument.
DeleteThis is a great essay! Nice job! I loved the examples you used it really helped seal in your argument!
DeleteWhen propaganda is thought about, many think back to wartimes and the posters that encouraged citizens to support war efforts. However, in the modern century, propaganda is used mainly as a political machine. The propaganda is manipulating Americans into believing what the politicians want them to in order to win votes. However, it is up to the American people to fight back and not let the wary waters of propaganda trap them.
ReplyDeleteIn the article, Thomas Griffin calls propaganda, “the most dangerous tool of any government” and that it is also extremely biased in how it is presented. While bias is common within a family or friend group, having too much ends up morphing into propaganda because the media takes it too far. For example, a group of women may believe that male privilege is real and too overpowering because they are a part of the group that is being affected. Just like this example, the media manipulates every ounce of resource it receives in order to make it fit the popular “standard” and get more views and money.
In the article, Griffin goes onto to expand on the power of propaganda and how it is effecting the world. He mentions President F.D.R. and his efforts to push back against propaganda by setting up what is known as the Office of Facts and Figures in October of 1941. This was done in order to provide a truth for the American people, even amongst the Nazi propaganda period at the time.
Overall, propaganda has gained a bad reputation and serves the purpose of manipulation, especially in the political sense. The truth can be hard to uncover due to propaganda, but once one brings it to light, it can be easier to overcome the false ideas brought forth by propaganda.
I loved reading this summary Jackie! The part mentioning how propaganda has become a way for media to boost views and to obtain more money was very accurate for during this time.
DeleteJackie, Very nice summary! I like how you talked about FDR in your summary the impact of trying to get rid of propaganda. I also like your concluding paragraph. All in all, good job!
DeleteIt’s a silly thing to believe that everything you hear is the truth. Whether we like it or not almost everything we view in media is altered in some way to taper to someone else’s beilfs. This makes finding the truth about a subject difficult and it can be hard to determine which new station, magazine, or website is really handing out correct information. This can make for a scary reality. The author of this article claims the media and propaganda for the lack of truth and trust in the media. He argues that the media will distort and embellish the truth when needed in order to keep the audience's views aligned with their own agenda. His stance is that we must not fight against the lies that are spread by the media but we must fight against the promotion on thoes lies. We must not allow false claims be spread or harmful ideals to reach the ears of thoes in a vulnerable state.
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons, he argues, that people will never be able to see there whole truth is because many people take their own opinions as actual facts. This can have devastating consequences for society. People hearts will be hardened and they won’t be able to see past their own thoughts to come together and solve a problem. In his article the author references hitler as someone who used propaganda to spread his message across Germany. People think “How could people be unaware of the atrocities occurring in the camps?” The answer? Hitler manipulated people into thinking that the camps were just happy work camps.
He used fake footage of a seemingly peaceful camp and broadcasted it to all of Germany. He used propaganda to install hatred in people’s heats so they would believe that there are people out their who are “inferior” to them. This is just one devastating example of how propaganda affects a nation. He contacts it to American politics as well. He states that President Joe Biden and congresswoman AOC have been two political leaders determined to stop the silencing of truth. In the authors option he believes they are just trying to give the American people their own version of the truth. In the end it will always be difficult to determine who’s telling the truth and who isn’t. The best thing to do is to trust your gut and do your research.
Interesting read Tiff! I enjoyed how you related that opinions being seen as facts is able to affect society not only politically but also emotionally, not allowing us to work together in times of need.
DeleteTiffani, I really enjoyed your essay. I especially enjoyed your opening! I like how you interpreted and how you presented your essay
DeleteAs a part of the new generation that has been immersed in technology, it is not difficult to find organizations or individuals who abuse it. It is known as common knowledge that the internet is filled with lies upon lies. We are accustomed to being able to sort out truths from falsehoods. This ability is completely destroyed when the idea of politics is brought into the action. There are now numerous ways for the use of propaganda to enter the lives of common people, but technology was not the beginning.
ReplyDeletePropaganda within politics has been used frequently and is frequently used today. Although the social platform was only growing back then, the radio and newspapers and news channels granted an opportunity for political information to be shared globally. The article brought the eye opening fact that Adolf Hitler and his infamous legacy was a result of propaganda. The danger of propaganda is so heavily relevant as Hilter was able to create the most deadly event in history with the recording of a speech aired over a radio.
Currently when someone turns on the television or opens an app on a device, you see that there are two views in American politics. They are completely separate and view the opposite side as a people that do not represent the American people as a whole. Looking past this barrier is necessary in order to fully dispute propaganda. The dignity of Americans that is held in high esteem was so strong that Hitler had used propaganda for the sole purpose of breaking the American Spirit. As lies grow and continue to circle around the internet and within our country, our ambition to find the truth should be growing greater than any propaganda found on any news channel.
This was really good Hope! I liked how you talked about propaganda being used to break American spirit, I hadn’t thought about it like that!
DeleteHope, I really enjoyed reading your essay. I like the way you presented the article and how you summarized it. I really like how you mentioned the use of propaganda in today's society and politics.
DeleteHope, I really like how you pointed out that there are many people out there who abuse technology. This is one on the many reasons why we can't always trust what we read online.
DeleteI like how you said that with the growth of propaganda, we must also work harder to find more facts, and more truth.
DeleteThomas Griffin’s article on propaganda is very prevalent to today’s society, and gives insight into the targeting algorithm of internet media, as well as the deception and lies of political leaders. By using authority, logic, and emotion Griffin was able to present his argument in an organized way while keeping in mind his audience, which is America in the context of current events and political happenings.
ReplyDeleteGriffin starts out by relating propaganda in American society to the propaganda of Nazi Germany, which innately states the deceptive nature of it, as well as the harm it can cause to a society. He states that the creation of a truth commission could be potentially dangerous because many individuals seek to run the media and spread a specifically tailored message for their own gain. He talks about what propaganda does to a society as well. It flushes out the truth while instilling a message from a few individuals, which is ultimately going to control society and public opinion. This leads to bias, which can be extremely misleading. Truth is important in society because it helps people understand and form accurate and informed public opinions and viewpoints, which can all be unique and personalized, especially if the source information is unbiased.
Logically, Griffin analyzes the use of propaganda in past societies and relates it to our own to potentially extrapolate what would happen to our society if current propaganda and lies are allowed to continue to take root in American society. He also analyzes what truth is and how it is presented, and that many people believe that the common media sources are always truthful. He uses other means of logic and deductive and inductive reasoning to help present his point.
Griffin uses the emotion of deception and the fact that propaganda transforms societies in order to present his idea. By doing this, an individual could feel betrayed, and wish to put an end to the lies of society. This could cause someone to wish to return to a simpler time where propaganda in America is not as widespread.
Griffin also uses literary devices and ideas to help further his argument. He uses historical statements and imagery in combination with statements from publicly disdained societies, such as Nazi Germany to make his argument more convincing
Therefore, Griffin uses authority, logic, and emotion, in combination with the rhetorical situation and other literary techniques to present his argument in a convincing and organized manner.
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DeleteAlex, I liked how you talked about the role that propaganda has played in the past and in the present. I also like how you brought up inductive and deductive reasoning
DeleteI liked the idea you mentioned about how propaganda is tied to selfish desires, and that the truth will soon be distorted and turn into bias. Good essay!
DeleteAccording to Thomas Griffin, the author of the article about propaganda, propaganda is
ReplyDeletean “obsessive roadmap towards controlling the fabric of people’s lives.” This form of persuasion was used a lot during World War ll, and it is still used today. We see this in the news and on social media. Thomas writes about the negative parts of propaganda, and how it can affect our perception of the truth. It tends to lead us away from the real truth.
Thomas shows how propaganda was used in a bad way by bringing up Hitler in World
War ll. He used this form of persuasion to get people to be on his side. He told the people that he would build Germany back up again. Germany needed someone to do this, and he convinced most of the people in Germany that he was the one for the job. He also used propaganda to show people that the Jews were terrible people. The Jews were not bad people, but Hitler did not like him. In Hilter’s eyes, since he did not like the Jews then nobody should. He used propaganda to form and build up Germany’s power. Propaganda, like the forms that Hitler used, were biased and misleading. It did not show the real truth.
In our world, truth is a hard thing to find. One place that you can’t find the truth is from
propaganda. It is biased and mostly based on opinions. Another place where we can’t find this truth is from the internet and social media. We can’t always believe what we see online. Even though this is not a source of truth, many people turn towards these things to find what they are looking for. They are looking for the answers in the wrong place. We could hear someone’s opinion and think that this is the truth. We have a choice whether or not to believe in the propaganda that is being thrown at us. We can believe in the truth, or we can pretend that what we see and hear is the real truth.
Thomas Griffin gives us many reasons why propaganda is leading us away from the
truth. He uses many resources and tells us some of the events when propaganda was used in our world, like World War ll. According to Thomas, propaganda is one of the places where we should not be looking to find the truth.
Tami, I really like your summary of the article. I agree with your point about the author talking about Hitler using propaganda to help him gain control of Germany. Nice Work!
DeleteToday, currently, most people are able to have use their smartphones, computers, or television sets to see what is going on in the world. Social Media plays a big factor on what people think is good and wrong and influences them to try new things. What comes with social media is whether or not the stories are logical or invalid and that is what I think this article is talking about when I read it, the idea of misleading information. Most of the time, people believe in the stories that you tell them whether or not the story was true or false.
ReplyDeleteA common place to find false information or lies is the internet, and what the internet lies the most about is politics. Now, in the article, author Thomas Griffey uses the word “propaganda.” He describes it as “information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.” Thomas Griffey writes in his article about Adolf Hitler and how he used propaganda to his advantage. At the time, Germany needed someone in power who had the ability to turn the country around into something strong so Adolf Hitler convinced the Germans to put him in office. Hitler used propaganda by making Germans thinking that putting Jews into concentration camps was a good thing and that there was no harm involved. Using this historic event strengthened Griffey’s argument about propaganda being used successfully.
Th the end of the day, everyone deserves to know the truth and shouldn’t be distracted by the false leadings in today’s society. Propaganda manipulates people into believing that everyone is used for the better purpose and it is also sometimes hard to understand the truth once it is found. To sum up everything that has been stated so far, the author wants people to know that the use of propaganda in social media and in the government is still being used to hide the truth and it is still effective.
Nice essay Mason. I like how you went into depth to include how Hilter tricked people into thinking concentration camps were innocent.
DeleteIn Thomas Griffins words, propaganda is, “obsessive roadmap towards controlling the fabric of people’s lives.” In Griffins article concerning propaganda, he argues that it is still very prevalent in today’s society, and that it is very effective as well. When people hear “propaganda,” they usually think about Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 40s, and their techniques to take hold on German society. When in fact, propaganda is all around us even today. And it is most notable right in your pocket. A cell phone in today’s society is more effective than any poster, speaker, speech, music, or radio station Hitler ever had. It is now easier than ever to fabricate evidence, videos, pictures, screenshots and other various forms of falsified information. People are at more risk than ever of falling into a trap of being manipulated through the media. In Griffins article, he stresses many points concerning the reasoning why propaganda can be harmful, but one sticks out much more than the rest. The propaganda that took place in Germany during the course of WWII was so impactful that it had now caused the term propaganda to be “coined” to Nazi Germany. Griffin explains how much worse off we are now, and how much faster information gets circulated. Our society is at a huge risk of mass manipulation, and no post should be taken seriously at first glance, ever. It’s almost as if it must become a basic rule of thumb to first assume that a social media post is false, or else the chances of receiving misleading information drastically increases. In conclusion, Thomas Griffin argues his point of the prevalence of propaganda in today’s society, by using many reasoning techniques that connect prior events gone wrong to current events. The comparison of propaganda strategies from 80 years ago to now, is very telling. And the effects of 80 years ago were very devastating, so how much worse would it be now?
ReplyDeleteWriting an academic report is not a really difficult job. One key aspect of any report is how well the question is answered.
ReplyDelete