The term "propaganda" is defined as, "information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular cause or point of view". Propaganda is a term that has long been associated with a negative connotation and many war efforts, especially after the first World War. However, propaganda is not a new concept, in fact, it dates back to Ancient Greece. In Athens, propaganda was derived from differences in political and religious opinions, and, because of a lack of technology and other modern advancements, the people of Athens spread propaganda through the incorporation of games, theater, religious festivals, and the courts of law. To the Athenians, this term was honorable and was associated with a multitude of religious activities.
Despite this, the term "propaganda" was not a common concept until 1622 when Pope Gregory XV created the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith, which was supposed to spread their faith to the "heathen lands". After the Congregation was formed, the College of Propaganda was created by Pope Urban VIII and was used to train and prepare priests for these missions into the heathen lands.
However, the connotation of the word eventually was no longer considered honorable and was later thought of as deceitful and selfish. This was especially true after propaganda was used in the American and French revolutions and both of the World Wars. During the post-WWI era, communists and fascists wanted to spread their political message to other countries through the use of propaganda. Additionally, dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini can be credited for giving propaganda the large and terrifying role that it has recently had in the world.
More modern forms of propaganda have been on the rise within the past decade due to new technology such as computers, smartphones, and social media platforms, along with controversial presidential elections. This modern-day propaganda is known as fake news. Fake news has very important implications for our society because it is the newest and easiest way to spread lies, rumors, and misinformation.
However, to succeed, fake news needs these three things: tools and services, social networks, and motivation. Tools and services can include things such as paid likes and followers or forcing website owners to take down stories. But to use these tools and services, there must be platforms such as Facebook or Twitter that enable the spread of propaganda. Lastly, there must be a motive. Their motivation can come from monetary gain or even for criminal or political reasons.
The government, companies, and social media users are becoming aware of how dangerous fake news can really be. In order to combat this issue, government agencies are now finding ways and creating services to "debunk" false stories and publications. There have also been discussions of enforcing punishments on those who publish deceitful misinformation, such as social networking platforms.
It is extremely important that we, as a society, become aware of fake news and other forms of propaganda and to become educated on how to identify it. Many people see "news" on social media as accurate without looking into who had written the article or reported on the event. By learning to identify fake news and how to seek out accurate sources, propaganda may eventually have less of an impact on our society.
https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/propaganda
https://www.historians.org/about-aha-and-membership/aha-history-and-archives/gi-roundtable-series/pamphlets/em-2-what-is-propaganda-(1944)/the-story-of-propaganda
https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/pl/security/news/cybercrime-and-digital-threats/fake-news-cyber-propaganda-the-abuse-of-social-media
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