Propaganda and It's Implications

The understanding and definition of “propaganda” has been transformed and manipulated since it was first created and explored in 1622. Not only has the meaning itself been transformed, but it has changed the way in which it influences mass communication. Most recently, propaganda can be explained as, “a form of persuasion distinguished by a mass persuasion campaign, often one-sided and fear-based, that distorts or attempts to hide or discredit relevant evidence, disguise sources, and discourage rational thought”. When thinking about propaganda, we tend to associate it with its usage in World War I and II, advertising, religion, or education.

Although propaganda has been previously tied to negative connotations, in the world of communications, it actually can be explained and used in beneficial ways. Some forms of propaganda involve the use of fear and deception, but mostly all forms of propaganda include the use of factual information to achieve the end result of influencing others. When understanding the impact that propaganda has, it is important to keep in mind how the audience will interpret the message, how most effectively we can get the message to reach them, and what platforms or outlets people can find the message.

Propaganda is used in everyday life whether it is obvious to the human eye or not. An example of propaganda is advertising. One strategy that a company may use to advertise their product is by portraying how their product/brand is better than a specific competitor’s. Verizon has launched multiple commercial advertisements on why people should switch to them and stray away from AT&T. One of their claims was how Verizon has 5 times more 3G coverage than AT&T and this was presented to consumers by showing a side by side map of the United States comparing both companies' 3G coverage. This is an example of propaganda because Verizon is presenting information, in a biased manner, to promote their service and draw business away from their leading competitor.

Another real-life example of propaganda is through political signs, commercials, and campaigns. Candidates running for a political position will come out with statements on why they are the more qualified choice for the job than their competitors. In the most recent presidential campaign leading up to the 2020 election, Mike Bloomberg has come out with multiple 30-second commercials explaining why he would be a better president than Donald Trump. In addition, at the end of the commercials, he makes a claim that Trump is scared of Mike because Mike can “get it done”. This is a form of propaganda because Mike Bloomberg is putting out these commercials as a political strategy to sway the voter’s political point of view.

Propaganda is a powerful tool that can persuade or change people's minds. In the wrong hands, it can have a negative outcome. However, as a student studying strategic communications, it can prove to be quite useful in advancing knowledge on how to persuade and communicate to the masses.

Sources:

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/4970/
https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/gi-roundt

Cultural Apparatus: Lasswell & Lippmann on Propaganda. (n.d.). Retrieved from culturalapparatus.wordpress.com/walter-lippmann/propaganda/.

What is Your Online Footprint?

I have been challenged with the task to go online and view myself through someone else's eyes. So, I started with the most logical starting point and googled my name. As I typed M-I-A- G-I-N-D-L-E-S-P-E-R-G-E-R and prepared to hit enter, I wondered to myself what I might find out there about me. On a side note: I did happen to also think, I really need to marry someone with a short last name. After years and years of typing Gindlesperger, I dream of the day I can maybe type a name like Smith or Jones. Ok, back to the task at hand. After hitting enter, I have to admit, I was a bit nervous about what I might find. I have never posted anything wild or crazy nor have I ever been in any kind of legal trouble or anything, but the thought of what exists out there about me did make me feel a bit uneasy.

The first thing that popped up on my screen was pictures. Lots and lots of pictures mostly all posted by me at some point on one of my social media platforms. The pictures were all tasteful and there was not anything that was unsettling to me. However, upon further evaluating the pictures, such as me basking in the sun on the sea in Italy, swimming with stingrays in the Cayman Islands, being crowned Homecoming Queen in high school and giving a speech at my high school graduation, (that one was from a local newspaper publication) to name a few, they all felt a bit self-absorbed or artificial. As I dug deeper, there were even pictures of me on a mission trip that I had the honor of attending a few years back. I thought, well there is a little more substance. Something that was life-changing for me and I can only hope made a small difference in the lives of those I served. Not that I am not proud of my accomplishments nor do not have fond memories of my travels, it just kind of felt peculiar looking at it from a different mindset.

As I stared at the screen, looking at what an outsider might interpret from all these pictures and what their perspective of me might be, a few thoughts popped into my mind. They might think, "Wow! What a glamourous life she must have." "She has it all!" They may even feel a bit envious of all I have accomplished in just 20 years. Then, I had a gut-wrenching feeling, what if they felt less of themselves or like they didn't measure up. This stuck in my mind and seemed to resonate the loudest in my head.
When I posted these pictures of some happy moments in my life, I never gave a single thought about how they might make others feel.

None of these pictures showed me when I wake up with my hair a wild mess, or when I had a big pimple on my face. They did not show the tears of disappointment and shortcomings, they just featured me on my good days and lots of big smiles. Do not get me wrong, I am not ashamed of who I am, I just do not think the pictures of me that circulate the internet tell the whole story.

This assignment has certainly given me a lot to think about. In a world where we post only all the "good stuff" how do we know what is real? With that in mind, I will move forward with a more conscious and thoughtful approach as to what message I send out into the world. All while, of course, looking for that "Mr. Right" with a short last name!

Lives Changed

So, this weeks post was supposed to be on "Diffusion of Innovations", I skimmed through the reading material and although it is somewhat interesting, I just could not take my mind off of what is going on in the world. Our entire lives have been turned upside down by something called COVID-19. It isn't just something, it is a pandemic.

Just a few weeks ago, I was at High Point University packing my back for Spring Break. I was heading home to New Smyrna Beach, Florida to visit my family and spend time with some friends. I packed some bathing suits and casual beach clothes and caught my flight home. Little did I know, I would not be returning anytime soon.
Sure, I heard some buzz about this virus that originated in China and was spreading. But, people were saying not to worry. Our own President referred to it as a "hoax" so, I guess you could say I was completely blindsided by what was to come. Could this really be happening? People are dying and there are more and more people each day coming down with this potentially deadly virus. My head is spinning... I can't seem to wrap my mind around what is happening.

We are told to remain home, my mother is running around trying to buy necessities to keep our family of five fed and healthy. There is a sense of panic and of all things, people are stockpiling toilet paper. Yes, toilet paper. Not a roll to be found! Shelves are empty, people are coping the only way they know how.

My family owns and operates movie theaters and for the first time since 1947, we do not have a movie running somewhere. Yes, all 147 screens have gone dark in the theaters and by the governers ordinance will cease to operate until it is deemed safe to do so. I am in disbelief. I see the worry in my parent's eyes. This isn't a slight worry, it is deeprooted and seems to emanate from deep within them. No longer am I the carefree college student I was a few weeks ago. Life has changed, not just in my little part of the world, but throughout the entire world.
So for now, I will take all my courses online and pray. Pray for all of us. May we have strength and courage and most of all health.

Free Expression = Self Fulfillment

Freedom of Expression allows people to express their thoughts, beliefs, ideas, and emotions freely without government censorship. It gives you a voice and lets you exercise the right to use your voice. Each of us values freedom of expression for our own personal reasons. Yet, I think we can all agree that it is a fundamental right that we are thankful for. 

When reading about the eight values of freedom of expression the fourth one stood out the most to me. The fourth value is individual self-fulfillment, also known as self-actualization. I believe self-actualization is a desire we all possess. A desire to reach our full potential without being held back or restricted by limitations. 

Have you ever played the "quiet game" as a kid? It was our parents' desperate attempt for some peace and quiet masterfully disguised as a game. All, I can remember thinking is how hard it was not to say anything, because the first one to speak was out and lost the game. I would sit there and think of all the things I couldn't wait to say when the game was over. I couldn't wait to express myself. Don't we all want to express ourselves without being restricted or limited? Isn't it through expressing ourselves that we come to the realization of who we are and find our purpose?

Not only do we find our purpose and reach our full potential when we self-actualize; we become our very best. Don't take my word for it, one of the most famous psychologists of the 20th century, Abraham Maslow said: "I think of the self-actualizing man not as an ordinary man with something added, but rather as the ordinary man with nothing taken away." Basically what he was saying is we all are hardwired to self-actualize. 

Free expression leads to self-fulfillment. It is not holding back for fear of being penalized or ridiculed for who we are and what we have to say. So, find your voice, say what you have to say, wait, isn't that the name of a really cool song by John Mayer? I think this is advice we can all live by. This is why I feel self-fulfillment is the most important value of freedom of expression. 
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-doesnt-kill-us/201609/what-is-self-actualization

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qpn7XQil8A

The Invention of the Motion Picture Camera

The invention of the motion picture camera is near and dear to me. I come from a family of theatre operator and owners. It all started when my great grandfather opened his very first drive-in theatre in 1951.

In 1892, inventor Thomas Edison and William Kennedy Dickson invented the motion picture camera, which is also commonly referred to as a “movie camera”.A year after they made the first motion picture camera, they made a kinetoscope which allowed for one individual at a time to watch the film on the camera.

Timeline:

1892 - Motion picture camera invented

1893 - Kinetoscope invented

1894 - Motion picture camera began getting marketed and sold publicly

1895 - Cinematographe invented by brothers Auguste and Louis Lumiere

1895 - First motion picture film comes out, by Lumiere brothers

1905 - First movie theatre opens up

Despite popular belief, movie theatres are continuing to flourish. People continue to go to the movies to see movies on the big screen with the latest in sound and digital projection. Now, you can enjoy a movie in luxury leather recliners and indulge in more than just popcorn.

Today my family continues to operate a motion picture exhibition company based in Central Florida. EPIC currently operates 144 screens at 12 sites.  The company has embarked on an expansion program with plans to add more than 60 screens at 5 sites. 

Sources

https://edison.rutgers.edu/pictures.htm

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-commercial-movie-screened

https://www.epictheatres.com/

The Major Breakthrough of the Personal Computer

Since the major breakthrough of the first personal computer, technology has evolved allowing us to do just about anything from our computers. Computers have had a profound effect on the way we live. From the way we send mail, the way we obtain information and research, to how we shop and even the manner in which we communicate with one another. There is no doubt about it, personal computers have changed just about every aspect of our lives today!

What led to the invention of the personal computer? Before personal computers came on the scene computers were anything but "personal". They were these enormous machines that took up a great deal of space. Not only were they big, but they were also expensive and required a team of experts to run them. It is hard to believe this, but they cost roughly $500,000, weighed 30 tons and took up about 2,000 square feet of space! As you sit there reading this on your PC or even your smartphone, imagine how different computers are today.

An invention that was integral to the development of the personal computer was the microprocessor. Before microprocessors were invented computers had to have a separate integrated circuit chip for each of their individual functions.  This one one of the reasons that explained their large size. Microprocessors came along not could do things circuit chips could not, they were the size of a thumbnail. They could do amazing things like remember information, run computer programs, and run data without the aid of humans. Game changer for sure!

These innovations led the way for the invention of personal computers. In 1974, a company named MITS introduced the first personal computer called the Altair. It was actually a mail-order, build it yourself kit costing $400 and called the Altair. It was a huge success with thousands purchasing the kits. The only problem was it still didn't do very much.

It didn't take long before Harvard students, Bill Gates and Paul Allen adapted the basic programming knowledge of the Altair making it much easier to use. Eventually, the dynamic duo took this knowledge and formed the empire of Microsoft. Not far behind them were two engineers in the Homebrew Computer Club in Silicon Valley named Steve Jobs and Steve Wasnaik. Their invention of the Apple I computer changed the world as we know it today. It had more memory and even a monitor. The only thing missing came soon after when in 1977 they introduced the Apple II which had a keyboard and a color screen. It couldn't get any more exciting than that, or could it?



Oh, boy did it! The PC revolution had begun with companies like Xerox, Tandy, Commodore, and IBM entering the market. Computers soon were found in just about every office and eventually, it became commonplace in homes. Long gone were the days of typing out complicated commands, computers become user-friendly and easy to use.
Today, we have personal computers with us wherever we go. Laptops, smartphones, tablets, and even watches allow us to perform tasks with amazing speed and ease.

Sources:

https://www.history.com/topics/inventions/invention-of-the-pc

https://www.techwalla.com/articles/positive-negative-effects-of-computers

https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000984.htm

Are Anti War Voices Being Heard?

I was recently asked to explore Antiwar.com and The American Conservative websites. I immediately noticed the antiwar tones of the writers and the unfamiliar viewpoints being expressed. Why as an educated, soon to be twenty year old, had I not heard these websites?  In addition, many of their opinions were new to me and posed questions and ideas that were of a different mentality. 

Are the messages being hidden and held back from the mainstream media? I would say so. These anti-war messages are not broadcast in the manner of stories expressing views in support of war. Media can be manipulated to promote a viewpoint and a certain message to the general public. Propaganda is still used today to persuade people's judgment and decisions. How information is presented to the reader and viewer has a direct impact on how the audience perceives things.

The lines have become blurred? As Donald Trump says, "Fake News". Is it all fake as he would like us to believe? Or is that just another attempt to skew our thoughts.

In a world where there are so many conflicting thoughts and ideas thrown our way, it is our job as informed citizens to dig a little deeper and search for the true facts. This is the only way we can form intelligent and informed opinions on such important issues at the forefront today.
So, with that said, I challenge myself to spend a little less time on social media accounts and spend more time searching for answers. Will you join me in this quest?




https://www.antiwar.com/
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/