Propaganda

Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behavior of large numbers of people. Instead of impartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense presents information in order to influence its audience. The most effective propaganda is often completely truthful, but some propaganda presents facts selectively to encourage a particular synthesis, or gives loaded messages in order to produce an emotional rather than a rational response to the information presented.

The aim of propagandism is to influence people's opinions or behaviors actively, rather than merely to communicate the facts about something. For example, propaganda might be used to gather either support or disapproval of a certain position, rather than to simply present the position, or to try to convince people to buy something, rather than to simply let them know there is some thing on the market.

An appeal to one's emotions is, perhaps, a more obvious, and more common propagandism method than those utilized by some other more subtle and insidious forms. For instance, propagandism may be transmitted indirectly or implicitly, through an ostensibly fair and balanced debate or argument. This can be done to great effect in conjunction with a broadly targeted, broadcast news format. In such a setting, techniques like "red herring"*, and other ploys are often used to divert the audience from a critical issue, while the intended message is suggested through indirect means.

In English, "propaganda" was originally a neutral term used to describe the dissemination of information in favor of any given cause. It was formerly common for political organizations, as it had started to be for the advertising and public relations industry, to refer to their own material as propaganda. During the 20th century, however, the term acquired a thoroughly negative meaning in western countries, representing the intentional dissemination of often false, but certainly "compelling" claims to support or justify political actions or ideologies. Now, it carries strong negative (as well as political, mainly) connotations. Because of the negative connotations the word has gained, today it is uncommon to admit producing propaganda, although opposing parties sometimes accuse each other of producing propaganda.

*red herring: something not relevant that confuses you or takes your attention away from what you should be concentrating on.

Idem, ibidem.

In relation to the above text, judge the following item.

Debates and arguments are free from propaganda.