HUM 412 - Propaganda and How it Relates to Fake News

Course Description

What is propaganda, how does it affect our lives and is it the same as “fake news”? What is the relationship of propaganda to society, politics, and culture? How is propaganda created and which communications techniques are used to make it effective? We will examine the history of propaganda focusing on its development in the 20th century and its impact today. In doing so the course will present examples from advertising, journalism, cinema, painting and digital media for analysis and discussion. The aim is to give students a broad understanding of propaganda and its role in public communications. Finally, the ethics of propaganda will be discussed.

Course Details

By completion of the course, successful students will be able to:

• Discuss the history of propaganda from Ancient Greece to the present
• Recognize and identify major propaganda techniques
• Identify the structure of propaganda campaigns and the place of various organizations in promoting propaganda
• Discuss the role of rhetoric, myth, ideology and worldview in propaganda
• Critically examine the role of the media in propaganda campaigns
• Recognize fake news and the way it is received