So, if advertising isn’t propaganda, then what is it?
Many people believe that advertising informs consumers about products that best meet their needs, while propaganda distorts facts and manipulates thinking through unethical means.
Advertising tells you what to buy.
Propaganda tells you what to think.
But here's the catch: someone has to do the sorting.
We've created a mental system that categorizes manipulative media into "Safe" and "Unsafe" baskets.
When a CNN anchor dismisses something as propaganda, I instinctively know it’s something to avoid—a dangerous piece of misinformation.
The words we use, especially those used by people in power, are incredibly important.
It’s the difference between “preemptive strike” and “unprovoked attack.”
I don’t believe the “Propaganda vs. Advertising” distinction was intentional. Our fast-paced, complex, and noisy world compels us to create "Good" and "Bad" binaries just to keep up.
However, this simplicity comes at the cost of nuance and intellectual effort.
Our institutions seem increasingly focused on teaching people what to think, not how to think.
We must break this cycle, in both big and small ways.
I’m a propagandist.
And I’ll keep saying it, even when it makes people uncomfortable.
Because that’s the point.
If you want to delve deeper into this topic, check out BRINK's Webby Award-winning podcast, "This Is Propaganda."
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