Propaganda
“Propaganda” is often used as a synonym for lies or manipulation. In practice, propaganda is more effective—and more durable—when it operates through existing institutions, incentives, and information bottlenecks rather than through overt falsehoods.
Definition
Propaganda refers to the systematic use of information, framing, or messaging by institutions or actors to shape perceptions, interpretations, or behavior in ways that serve specific power interests.
Technical meaning vs common usage
Technical meaning:
An organized communication strategy embedded in political, military, economic, or media systems, designed to influence interpretation rather than merely convey facts.
Common usage:
Any misleading, biased, or emotionally charged information.
How the term gets stretched or misused
Reduced to obvious falsehoods rather than selective truth
Applied only to adversaries, not domestic institutions
Treated as persuasion rather than perception control
Framed as a media problem rather than a system design issue
Where the power sits
Power in propaganda systems sits with actors who control information flow, repetition, and legitimacy. Agenda-setting authority, platform rules, access to distribution channels, and institutional credibility determine which narratives dominate. Propaganda works best where alternative interpretations are crowded out, delayed, or discredited without needing censorship.
This does not mean…
All persuasive communication is propaganda
Propaganda requires false information
Audiences are passive or uninformed
Individual intent is always explicit
Why precision matters
When propaganda is defined as “lies,” attention focuses on fact-checking after narratives are established. Precision shifts attention to structure: who controls framing, how repetition is enforced, and why certain interpretations become default. This explains why propaganda can persist even in open information environments.
Neutrality note
This definition describes propaganda as a system of information control and framing, not as an endorsement or critique of any political ideology, messaging strategy, or communication outcome.
Related HISW
Words Matter: Misinformation, Disinformation
Sources
Sources below explain propaganda as a structured method of influencing perception through institutional and communication systems.
Library of Congress — Propaganda: Techniques and Examples (2020) https://guides.loc.gov/propaganda
National Academies of Sciences — The Science of Science Communication II (2017) https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23674/the-science-of-science-communication-ii