By Shams Ur Rehman Alavi
Propaganda is a big tool and organized propaganda is a mechanism that is used by powerful groups, societies, communities, leaders, rulers, business tycoons and sections, with different aims.
It is used to weaken an opponent, defeat the adversary or rival. Politics, economics, power and clout, international or national standing, it has an impact on all.
Certain country or society, race or big group can be blamed or defamed by misuse of media and through negative propaganda. If you constantly relay propaganda, it affects the people..
.. and can even change the opinion of masses. The extent depends on investment in this exercise and the availability of plaint media. Actually, it is such a powerful method that it is used as a tool in statecraft.
If a firm or an entity gets maligned, the reputation is hurt. Similarly, if false news or fake information about a state or a country, a geographical region or a group of people is constantly aired, then it affects both sides.
People who are blamed, often don't realize that it is not truth, but a planned defamation campaign. They too start believing and this weakens them. Certain entities and groups have a command over this 'skill' and have mastered the tactics.
Morale can be affected, thoughts can be manipulated and the people may be forced to think about an aspect and take it seriously, though it may not have much truth in reality.
Planned and organized propaganda is used to show a side as progressive, strong and noble or a side as weak, regressive, bad and evil. The constant barrage of misinformation, affects minds.
Along with media, rumor mongers and professional propagandists, conspiracy theorists and all sorts of people involved in shady acts or dirty tricks may be 'used' to create a false narrative or a discourse that suits the entity that is funding the project to spread propaganda.
Often the media that is termed as 'mainstream' is also part of it, due to the corporate interests and media house owners' tilt, greed, interest or pressures. Defaming one and praising other over a long time, does change the balance in society.
Hence, it is important to understand the propaganda and see how media groups might be involved in such practices. A battle may be won or lost, without being fought on the ground, just because of the negative publicity or rumors.
If your opponent is constantly involved in negative propaganda against you, it may be wrong but people feel that there must be some truth in the charges. When such misinformation comes from multiple places, people are bound to believe it.
The reason is that through propaganda, a doubt is created in minds. Then people feel, 'there must be some truth, after all, it is being said again and again. Hence, there must be some element of truth'. Over a long period, it becomes an accepted version.
That's the victory of propaganda. But the side that is involved in it, uses money and funds the propagandists. However, other side may not even have basic media, let alone, hiring PR managers or publicity campaigners.
Always remember that the entities, groups, nations and firms that have media power and also invest in publicity as well as propaganda, use tactics to conquer & crush their rival. Embedded journalism is just one part of it.
There are lobbies and companies, which offer their services. The agencies that promote a nation or a race, a geographical region or a religion, for a price. But what about those who have no propaganda, in fact, have no stake in media? Truth won't matter. You get defamed &'defeated'.
I may sound 'repetitive' but it must be repeated as it needs to be understood--Drilled in mind! Professional propagandists act with a purpose. They keep circulating falsehood, wild and fake information. But they keep doing it.
Hence, some people do fall for it and a section feels that there must be some reality, as 'many' are talking about it. That's how propaganda works to some extent. Every society or group has a mechanism to 'say' certain things and has particular aims. Hence, they ensure that they have their media machinery apart from propagandists.
They do their job and even if they don't get success, they manage to create a perception for a section of their own people and a section of others too. The aims could be unethical or nefarious but the world is harsh and the fittest has to use multiple ways to keep self, ahead, while stopping a prospective rival.
The point is that others do and it is not about ethics alone, as propaganda is always part of statecraft. Real point is that do you have own media machinery, its multiple wings or your own propaganda to tackle the professional propagandists of the other side?
