- Which are the specific principles of Goebbels’ propaganda that make him stand apart?
- There are lots of them, but what he will be remembered by is the famous, almost apocryphal statement: “Repeat a lie a thousand times and it becomes the truth”. This is what modern mass communication is based on. Although, I would like to paraphrase Dr Goebbels and say: Repeat a message a thousand times and it becomes the truth. Hence a very clear conclusion – there is no truth. All information is irrelevant. History and all media messages are mere narratives. Truth is what you choose to believe in. Such mechanism works in 99 percent of the cases. No one ever bothers to think whether the toothpaste that is advertised as most efficient during the night really is such. No, we choose to believe what the advertisement says and cannot check the validity of the claims. This is what the power of media relies heavily on. The thick layer around the planet made of interwoven media that send messages to the receiver every day. “
As photographers we have the responsibility to tell the truth. It is easy to lie or mislead through digital image manipulation or improper context. I am not saying that we can't use the tools available to us in order to say what we want to say via photography. But there is an ethical line that should not be crossed. We each know what that line looks like. It ain't rocket science. Just sayin.
Most of us at least learned a bit about propaganda in school. So why are so many still falling for this stuff. Propaganda is alive and well in the good ole USA.
Politics is the very worst. ALL media uses it to their own biased ends. even YOU use it--whether wittingly or unwittingly.
Still, I am amazed at just how effective it is. Goebbels' certainly did not event propaganda. Progressives shortly after the turn of the century, such as a few of our Presidents. They were such masters of propaganda that they are often cited as having inspired Hitler's best (worst) propaganda.
I see it used hugely by Liberals, but it is also used by Conservatives. This is the first Presidential Election where I personally have seen it used so blatantly and blamelessly. Sure, I am a victim too. I live on this planet.
But it really astonishes me to see long-time friends so vehemently caught-up by such bogus lies. Doesn't anyone try to root out the facts for themselves? Not many. Most Americans search for quasi-information to help them feel better about the things they find most convenient to believe. I do. I try not to, but I still do. Do you?