Do Hitler's ideas about propaganda apply today in advertising and political campaigning?

Answer 1

Following the Nazi seizure of powerin 1933, Hitler established a Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda headed by Joseph Goebbels. The Ministry's aim was to ensure that the Nazi message was successfully communicated through art, music, theater, films, books, radio, educational materials, and the press. There were several audiences for Nazi propaganda. Germans were reminded of the struggle against foreign enemies and Jewish subversion. During periods preceding legislation or executive measures against Jews, propaganda campaigns created an atmosphere tolerant of violence against Jews, particularly in 1935 (before the Nuremberg Race Laws of September) and in 1938 (prior to the barrage of antisemitic economic legislation following Kristallnacht). Propaganda also encouraged passivity and acceptance of the impending measures against Jews, as these appeared to depict the Nazi government as stepping in and "restoring order."

Answer 2

Sadly, they do. But first, I do not want to imply that anyone who uses propaganda techniques is the next Hitler. Truth be told, many politicians over the past several centuries have made good use of propaganda, disseminating myths and untruths and exaggerations about "the other" or about their opponents, just for political gain. But there is no comparison with Hitler, who took these techniques to an extreme. Hitler (with the help of colleagues like his Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels) persuaded ordinary Germans that everything wrong in Germany was the fault of "the Jews" (I put this in quotes because for Hitler, he created an utterly and entirely mythical image of Jewish people as a monolithic and dangerous group that were trying to destroy Germany.)

Nothing could have been farther from the truth, but opposing viewpoints were scarce. Hitler's propaganda machine was everywhere. It was a coordinated effort that manufactured and disseminated ugly images of "the Jews," showing them as diabolical and demonic; and it also made them seem more populous than they actually were (they only made up about 3% of Germany, but in Hitler's mythology, they were everywhere.) Hitler's propaganda machine encompassed the schools, the media (including all newspapers/magazines/radio/film) and even sporting events where anti-Jewish rallies were held. There were few places one could avoid being reminded how awful and vile these (mythical) Jewish people were, and that coordinated effort at persuasion had deadly consequences.

And that is why I worry about the harsh accusations against certain minorities that we often hear in today's politics, as well as on certain Talk Shows. I am not suggesting that current candidates could become little Hitlers, but history has shown us that even in a supposedly civilized country, people can be far too easily swayed, if the right conditions (such as the right propaganda, the right use of media, and the right charismatic leader) suddenly emerge. Hitler used the equivalent of attack ads to spread his propaganda: in print, as well as in movies and radio (TV was still new in Germany at that time), people were constantly exposed to one message, over and over-- and as we have seen repeatedly, the more you tell the "big lie," the more people start to believe it. In fairness, most modern-day attack ads are not as vile as the ones Hitler used (although the content of the ads may be totally untrue). Nor are most politicians calling for violence to be directed against certain groups. But still, if the public as a whole can be persuaded that one group is to blame for society's problems, the results could be very detrimental for them, and for our democracy.

Answer 3

Hitler's ideas about propaganda, which relied on manipulation, emotional appeal, and repetition, are still present in modern advertising and political campaigning. It is common to see messages crafted to evoke strong emotional responses and repeated frequently to influence perceptions. However, ethical considerations and regulations now play a bigger role in shaping the use of propaganda techniques in today's advertising and political campaigns.