5-ANALYZING PROPAGANDA AND COUNTERPROPAGANDA. FROM COLD WAR TO XXI CENTURY

Source

A source is the origin or sponsor of the propaganda. It may be an individual, government, organization, or combination thereof

According to Garth Jowett and Victoria O’donnell

“Propaganda that conceals its source has a larger purpose than what is readily discernible”

Content

Content analysis reveals the message and determines the source’s motives and goals for the propaganda.

Audience

Audience analysis reveals the group whom the propagandist is attempting to target, as well as the propagandist’s understanding of and expectations for the audience.

Media

Media analysis determines why a particular medium was selected, what are an opponent’s media capabilities, and how consistently it communicates a message

Effects

Effect analysis reveals the impact that propaganda has had on the target audience. The IO staff is given the responsibility of determining behavioral or attitudinal changes within the intended audience and assessing the need and means to respond, as required

Direct refutation

Direct refutation is a point-for-point rebuttal of adversarial claims.

Indirect refutation

Indirect refutation seeks to change the topic by questioning the creditability of the speaker or some other aspect of the allegation

Diversion

seeks to avoid addressing a topic through the introduction of a new topic.

Silence

Silence refers to not responding to the propaganda claims, other than to offer “unworthy of comment.

Restrictive measures

Restrictive measures deny access to the propaganda.

Imitative deception

involves subtly altering an adversary’s propaganda in order to discredit it or to use it as propaganda against the adversary

Conditioning

eliminates potential vulnerabilities in the target audience before exposure to adversarial propaganda.

Forestalling

anticipates adversary propaganda and counters it by reaching the intended audience first with the message

Minimization

The minimization technique acknowledges certain aspects of propaganda but minimizesits importance to the audience