Objectives:

To introduce propaganda techniques in order to be able to identify them later;
To show the ways to form a propaganda narrative;
To demonstrate manipulation techniques, used in propaganda.

Preparation:

The peer educator should prepare a presentation, which introduces the theory of the key propaganda techniques.

Name calling: opponents are subject to sarcasm or

mockery, using negative symbols or images that are easy

E.g. Russian state media often refers to the Baltic States as the ‘angry Baltic dwarves’.

E.g. not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims.

E.g. Russian ethnic minority – nostalgic to the Soviet times, disloyal; the left is pro-

Russian.
Testimonial: referring to an authority and using a true or alleged expert to strengthen the impression. E.g. ‘According to experts…’

Bang

E.g. ‘Uproar in Lithuania: The New Banking Cards Will Cause a Banking Revolution’.

Source: The translation and description of the techniques is based on the information, provided in the monograph of N. Maliukevičius The Potential and Dissemination of the Russian Information Geopolitics in Lithuania.

to remember.

Glittering generality: individuals or their actions are

described using general statements, unsupported with

proof and rational arguments.

Transfer: comparing positive or negative phenomena or

qualities without reasoning.

Plain folks: trying to present oneself as a simple representative of one’s nation, who is just like the others, and present an event like the goal of the entire nation.

Bang wagon: appealing to the human desire to act like everyone, to follow a trend.

Process:

The participants of the seminar are divided into

groups (3-5 people in each).

Each group is given a well-known

fairy-tale (e.g.

ry-Cinderella, Cat in Boots, etc.).

The groups must complete a task: to remake the faitales using propaganda techniques, but without changing their storyline in a way to make the good characters look bad and the negative characters – look good. Propaganda techniques may show the negative characters in a positive light (e.g. the stepmother in

Cinderella can be shown as a caring person, while her strict character presented as a virtue), while the good characters – slandered (e.g. Cinderella portrayed as a disobedient teenager (went to a ball, although was told not to), etc.).

After the group work (15-20), each group introduces their fairy-tale remake.

The presentation is followed by a discussion of the remakes.

Summary:

To sum up the activity, you can discuss the following

questions:

1. How propaganda can be used to remake the reality?

2. What is the relation of the elements of truth and lies in

propaganda?

3. What other phenomena is propaganda related to

(slander, conspiracy theories, etc.)?

4. How does propaganda change the perception of the