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Propaganda and Spin Speech Notes

Definition of Propaganda
• “Information that is spread for the purpose of promoting some
cause.”
• “A concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or
behavior of large numbers of people.”

Definition of Spin
• A distinctive interpretation: Sway public opinion

Reading:
Savage and Tiffen ‘Politicians, journalists and “spin”: tangled
relationships and shifting alliances’

• The reading analysed the relationship between journalists and


politicians labelling them both as similar and as ‘spin doctors.’
• Simon Haggart’s idea of journalists was included in the
reading and he states that Journalists and like snake that are
“knotted together.”
• “Journalists thus need to be regularly productive, they need a
reliable supply of newsworthy material, they need to be
protected against the risks of publishing inaccurate claims,
and they need protection against being scooped by their
competitors even as they seek chances to score competitive
scoops themselves” pp 80
• “The power of spin is often exaggerated. Spin is not a magic
elixir, transcending all other political resources. Perfect spin
can only occur when there is complete control over events” pp
91
• To know why spin and propaganda occurs we need to know
the relationships between the participants, the structure of
interests the processes by which news is produced, how
people want to influence it and the institutions involved.”
• “Spin is an artform for the players, but increasingly a problem
for the system” pp 92

Source one:
Hamish and Andy Podcast 12 of February 2010
• In the week, Hamish and Andy decided for Valentines Day that
they would make a competition for couples to apply to be
married in Coles. During the week they had many shows that
were dedicated to telling their listeners about the process of
the Wedding. The 12th was the day of the wedding.
• After telling a co-worker about this wedding scandal they
brought to my attention that this was an advertising scheme
and that they were putting messages into our heads or
promoting a cause. This is a small use of propaganda without
us knowing.
• For the 16 minutes that the podcast decided to go for, Coles
was mentioned 16 times, once every minute. Even whilst they
had a call in session that went for around 5 minutes.
• This example can be linked to The Simpsons episode where
Bart joins the boy band and sings the song nioj eht yvan =
which promoted the joining of the navy. This is unknown
propaganda that the public is subconsciously aware of.
• Hamish and Andy, like Journalists want to keep above their
competition with the stories and continue to please their
audience and keep them intrigued. As Savage and Tiffen
suggest in the reading they need to exaggerate their story to
make it newsworthy.

Source two
Premier backs scandal MP,
• Talks of David Campbell’s secret sex gay life, which was
revealed on Tuesday.
• This article shows the true point that Savage and Tiffen are
arguing in their work, that Journalists will do anything to use a
political story and twist it, to keep them above the
competition.
• This article right next to the following article which portrays a
negative image, shows how we should make sympathy for him
as Campbell states “I have apologised to them, I have
apologised to the community and I accept my responsibility
for the situation that I have put my family and myself in.”
• The article starts with The premier, Krisitina Keneally stating
that she would take him back into office after he sorted out
his personal issues.

Source three
All bets, and towels, were off at Ken’s by Kent, Paul The Daily
Telegraph 22 may 2010
• David Campbell – ex roads and transport minister
• This place is described as “a gay men’s club is kind of like
calling a roman orgy a swap meet.”
• The article describes the nature of the sex club, as the
interviewer has done some primary investigation to find out
what is really happening in the Ken’s of Kingston.
• Now the problem with this article is that we don’t know that
it’s the truth, it could possibly be a bar or Ken was just getting
ready for Halloween a bit early. We will never know unless we
pay the 15 dollars and enter the place ourselves.

So I conclude stating which side do we stand on?


Does propaganda change our minds so much that, we continue to
change our opinion on a subject after we hear a different story.

References:

Hamish and Andy, 2010, radio program, safm, Coles supermarket,


12 February.

Jones, Gemma., Kamper, Angela and Bevin, Edith ‘Premier backs


scandal MP’ The Daily Telegraph, 22 May, pp 1, 4-5

Kent, Paul 2010, ‘All bets, and towels were off at Ken’s’ The Daily
Telegraph, 22 May pp 5

Wiktionary 2010, A Wikimedia Project, accessed 22 May 2010, <


http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Wiktionary:Main_Page>

Wordnet search 3.0 2010, Princeton University, accessed 22 May


2010 <http://wordnet.princeton.edu/>

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