
White propaganda is
propaganda
Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loa ...
that does not hide its origin or nature. It is the most common type of propaganda and is distinguished from
black propaganda
Black propaganda is a form of propaganda intended to create the impression that it was created by those it is supposed to discredit. Black propaganda contrasts with gray propaganda, which does not identify its source, as well as white propaga ...
which disguises its origin to discredit an opposing cause.
It typically uses standard public relations techniques and one-sided presentation of an argument. In some languages the word "propaganda" does not have a negative connotation. For example, the Russian word, ''propaganda'' (пропаганда) has a neutral connotation, similar to the English word "promotion" (of an opinion or argument).
Jacques Ellul
Jacques Ellul (; ; January 6, 1912 – May 19, 1994) was a French philosopher, sociologist, lay theologian, and professor who was a noted Christian anarchist. Ellul was a longtime Professor of History and the Sociology of Institutions o ...
, in one of the major books on the subject of propaganda, ''
Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes'', mentions white propaganda as an acknowledgment of the awareness of the public of attempts being made to influence it. In some states there is a
Ministry of Propaganda, for instance; in such a case, one admits that propaganda is being made, its source is known, and its aims and intentions are identified.
[Ellul, Jacques (1965). ''Propaganda: The Formation of Men’s Attitudes'', p. 16.Trans. Konrad Kellen & Jean Lerner. ]Vintage Books
Vintage Books is a trade paperback publishing imprint of Penguin Random House originally established by Alfred A. Knopf in 1954. The company was purchased by Random House in April 1960, and a British division was set up in 1990. After Random Ho ...
, New York. . Throughout the course of a propaganda campaign, however, white propaganda may serve as a cover for
black propaganda
Black propaganda is a form of propaganda intended to create the impression that it was created by those it is supposed to discredit. Black propaganda contrasts with gray propaganda, which does not identify its source, as well as white propaga ...
when the propagandist seeks to mask the latter.
See also
*
Gray propaganda
*
Official history An official history is a work of history which is sponsored, authorised or endorsed by its subject. The term is most commonly used for histories which are produced for a government. The term also applies to commissions from non-state bodies includin ...
*
Operation Mockingbird
References
External links
On The Craft of Intelligence, Frank G. Wisner, CIA, 22 SEPT 93
Propaganda techniques
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