Sample propaganda paper

My Propaganda: The Industrial Revolution

• I chose the Industrial Revolution as the topic for my propaganda project because propaganda does not come to mind when studying the Industrial Revolution. Although some propaganda existed during that time period—such as speeches meant to tilt people in a certain direction—a commercial would not have existed. A lot of the other topics are more stereotypical examples of propaganda, but I was interested to see if I could make one for the Industrial Revolution. Secondly, I believe propaganda could have been very helpful. The British needed a huge workforce, and with such horrible working conditions, it would have been beneficial to have a way to make people think they should work. Obviously, the life of a factory worker is horrible, but if the person feels that there’s something shining in the future, if they’re promised some sort of prize or reward (like the Soviet Union residents were promised shiny apartment buildings) they’ll continue to think that their work is paying off.  Because there were so many new things to come out of the Revolution, I knew I would have an array of interesting graphics to use. The Industrial Revolution was all about moving forward, which I see a lot of in commercials today that inspire me and the world. With this in mind, I decided to take something that happened hundreds of years ago and create a typical TV commercial.
• I chose the factory owners and government officials as authors because I wanted to make something sophisticated with hints of nationalism. The images of old and new technology would have been put in by the factory workers, who were interested in making a profit off of the new inventions, while the political element—with the world maps, and the UK moving forward as a nation, advancing to sort of be the central global power—would have been put forth by the government. By using those two authors, I encompassed both a political and economic standpoint that set the parameters for the propaganda.
• The working class of the UK is the audience because they are needed to operate the factories which ultimately would lead to the advances the authors want. Also, I chose them as the audience because I wanted to inspire, not condemn. Since their lives are probably deplorable, they are more likely to give in to this bright future. I wanted to choose an audience that would be open to change and new ideas. Propaganda can hit home for them after a hard day’s work by reminding those workers that their time will come, and by working in the factory, they’ll reach that pot of gold at the end of a rainbow that, in truth, doesn’t ever really end.
• The message of my propaganda is simple: Join in on the revolutionary movement (Industrialization) before it’s over! The message is empowering people, telling them that “change is afoot.” If they want to be apart of that change, and help their country rise above, they must get a job working in a factory or mine. It gives a sense of rush, to join the movement today. After seeing this piece of propaganda, the audience should be thinking that they’re strong and they should feel empowered. They’ll want to go out and get a job right away to support the cause, because the propaganda gives them the false reality that if they pull a few strings here and there, pull a few long shifts, they’ll hold some stake in the movement. It’s positive propaganda that highlights nationalism and the want to be on top that many humans possess, especially when their circumstances are far less than ideal. Also, the images of new and old technology should inspire people and make them want to contribute.
• One of the methods I used was bringing in a nationalism component. In the clip, I had a picture of a flag that said “In YOUR backyard.” I also used inspiring images and showed the difference between old technology, such as horses, and new, like trains. This was used as evidence to people that things are already changing—and fast! In the commercial, I put a painting of the countryside next to a picture of a more attractive city that conveyed the new world that’s emerging. I showed an old world map, and then a new geographical one. So a second method used was the element of change and advancements already made. In the beginning, the music was soft, and then transitioned as I identified the main idea: Industrialization. Towards the middle of the commercial, I pair three words with different pictures: “REVOLUTIONARY,” “EFFICIENT,” and “AHEAD,” all elements of Industrialization. Right before the end it says, “You are STRONG”—a motivational message in red font (one of the UK colors)—and then, “We are STRONG”, backed by a crowd of workers that are probably from the Industrial Revolution. They look tough and determined. Audience members should be thinking, I want to be like them. Also, the font is in blue, another color of the UK. At the very end, when it cuts to black and flashes, “JOIN THE MOVEMENT” “APPLY FOR A FACTORY JOB TODAY”, the music changes to an intense thumping. Through the use of audio, I transition between ideas and inspire. The combination of the flag, and world maps zoomed in on the UK, draw attention to the nation as a whole, which was coming together in completely new and never-before ways. I wanted to convey the Industrial Revolution as a “movement,” not a money-making mechanism or way for the government to obtain global dominance. The viewers see it as “revolutionary” and groundbreaking. The combination of all these methods are to inspire everyone’s inner-revolutionary thinker. Everyone wants to make an impact on the world and when they’re empowered and feel strong, they’ll be more likely to join in.
• My chosen methods convey my message because the music, graphic, and short sentences clearly deliver the message. Because my audience is not very educated, the language is simple and sparse. Everyone understands pictures, so I used lots of graphics. I want the commercial to be accessible. Showing the leaps that have already been made give people proof that the world is changing in many different ways, so join in before it’s too late! It puts a time stamp on this “revolutionary” opportunity. When creating commercials that resonate with people, audio is very important. By using an “inspiring” audio clip, it engages the audience’s emotional side, similar to the depressing audio used in commercials about abused animals! The pictures mixed with text give the audience something interesting to look at, and they won’t be lost in the words.