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Page created by osanchez@ufl.edu
and kdawadzi@hotmail.com
.
Communist Media
(Stevenson, Chapter 8)
by Michelle Calcote, Michelle Barth
and Kathleen Ragsdale
SURVEY OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION
MMC 5306, Section 2979, Fall 1998 (3 credits)
Persuasive communication is a rather generic term that encompasses tactics of persuasion utilized by governments, lobbyists, corporations via advertising, churches, educational foundations,and various other societal organizations that all attempt to influence, alter, and construct the perceptions, beliefs, values, and ideologies of mass groups, or audiences, of people. With the advent of mass media and the growing globalization of such media in recent decades, the power of persuasive communication, the influence of propaganda, is intensifying exponentially. How these groups target and influence their markets, markets that are commonly entire populations of nations, the historical development of propaganda within the United States, with special attention given to the U.S. government, military, diplomacy, Voice of America, USIA, and even to the very documents that have sculpted the U.S. political systems - the Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers, and how American values and ideologies are infiltrating other nations and permeating other cultures via U.S. embassy work, USIA initiatives, and the U.S. pervasiveness in global advertising are the major foci of this paper and presentation.
The subject is introduced by addressing the power of media in the modern age by assessing the impact that persuasive media has via new channels of communication. The instant and constant process of modern communication, in effect, acts as a magnifying lens not only for world events, but for what government, powerful corporations, and news organizations decide to highlight and to pump out to vast audiences.
To understand the role of the U.S. government in persuasive campaigns, since it is often assumed by many that such a liberal and democratic government as that in the U.S. would not be involved in policies, programs, and campaigns steeped in 'public diplomacy' and propaganda-saturated initiatives, a step is taken back in time to assess the roles played by persuasive communication in government directives.
The document The Declaration of Independence is presented and the chronology of events leading to its drafting are considered. The presentation of the document provides evidence of early and quintessential propaganda, a document that Jefferson wrote serves as "the signal of arousing men to burst the chains... to assume the blessings and security of self-government" and to restore "the free right to the unbounded exercise of reason and freedom of opinion" ("Declaring Independence: Drafting the Document;" : 2). Similarly, the Federalist Papers are presented and briefly discussed. The historical background of propaganda implementation by the government serves as a launching pad for a critical look at persuasive communication and the media serving as vehicles of such information and diplomacy in the modern era. After looking at the powerful persuasions of poster art from the World War II era, posters instilling confidence, pride, patriotism, and optimism, in attempts of inciting and motivating the American people, more serious concentration is dedicated to the foreign policy initiatives under the guidance of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Special attention is given to the Good Neighbor Policy. Aside from an array of effects in which the U.S. made attempts at a policy of nonintervention, the treaty was profound in instituting government cultural exchange programs and in allying Hollywood film makers with the government in helping to change stereotypes of Latinos in their films.
An intensive look is directed at U.S. Public Diplomacy, with the mission statements and historical developments of various government agencies - Voice of America, Radio Marti, and the USIA - compared and analyzed. In introducing the objectives of the USIA, the branch activities are also discussed. Also, an interesting contrast is brought to light in comparing the mission of the U.S. in the United Kingdom as to what it is in Vietnam. Speculation for these differences is provided and may serve as an interesting point of departure for later class discussion. Included in this section of public diplomacy is an interview conducted by Rhina Lopez with former Ambassador of Nicaragua to Switzerland, Norman Miranda.
At this point, the focus changes from political initiatives and propaganda implementation to how other organizations use persuasive communication. The Catholic Church is cited as a powerful example of not only a very influential body but also as a very adept user of persuasive media. Excerpts from letters and documents from the Catholic Information Network and from Vatican Radio provide excellent examples. An excerpt from an editorial in the New York Herald commented on the impact of the Pope's delivery : "Few events in the history of the world can compare with the profound impact the Head of the Holy Roman See made during his address directed to the entire planet... and such a thing could not have been forseen by an preceding Pope. This is a miracle of science, and no less a miracle of faith" ("Excerpts from the Press of February 12, 1931"). The impact of mass media is phenomenal, particularly so for what it holds for persuasive communication. The paper and presentation conclude with an analysis of advertising in global communication. Variables considered include Anglo-American dominance, the development of "American brands" and "global brands" and how advertising works domestically as contrasted to in the international arena. This part of the presentation, with a heightened focus given to cultural awareness, benefits from the expertise and experience realized in a presentation by Dr. Marilyn Roberts.
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