Introduction
Propaganda is a potent tool that might serve various purposes, including psychological warfare. By using information in various ways and choosing the methods to present it, a particular party might achieve several purposes. These include affecting the morale of the opposing side, reducing support, or improving the allies’ motivation or readiness to engage in a particular activity. Considering the goals and means used to manipulate the data, the propaganda can be white, gray, and black. Nowadays, the media widely uses all the types mentioned above to shape public opinion and ensure that the majority supports a particular point of view.
White Propaganda
White propaganda can be considered the fairest and most trustworthy of all forms. It is defined as providing facts to highlight a particular phenomenon, emphasize its importance, and reach an audience that perceives these ideas as truthful and balanced (Simpson, 1994). For example, white propaganda is used to highlight the global events and the conflict in Ukraine. The article “Abrams is the best main battle tank in the world” outlines the strengths of the battle tank and its use in modern warfare (Thompson, 2023). The author uses facts and technical characteristics of the tank, which makes readers perceive the information as truthful and feel more confident because they are protected.
Gray Propaganda
Gray propaganda is another form that uses data to shape public opinion. It implies creating false information about rivals and distributing it by using media that claim to be independent (Simpson, 1994). Most newspapers often use this approach as part of the accepted course aimed at supporting the existing political power. Moreover, news stories placed in the enemy media can be related to that type of propaganda.
The article by Weiner (2020) about Trump and his relationship to the Russian intelligence service is an example of gray propaganda. The story draws on knowledge presumably derived from sources close to the FBI to emphasize the risks of Trump’s presidency due to his close interaction with the opposing state (Weiner, 2020). It affects public opinion, even if the assumptions are false.
Black Propaganda
Finally, black propaganda is the most aggressive and deceitful form of presenting information and manipulating data. It implies forging documents, creating false stories, and distributing them to target audiences to spread havoc, trouble, confusion, and fear (Simpson, 1994). It might aim at all parties, regardless of whether they belong to an enemy or an allied camp, as the main goal is to create a negative image and terrify people.
For instance, Kinetz (2022) uses the powerful title “‘Kill everyone’: Russian violence in Ukraine was strategic” to create the image of horror and scare the audience. The article offers facts about the intentional killing of numerous civilians as part of the psychological warfare to shape a particular public opinion. Although there is no evidence or results of an official investigation, the article contributes to cultivating the image of the enemy and leading the audience to believe in its desire to destroy everything.
Conclusion
Altogether, propaganda is a potent tool used by authorities to shape public opinion and secure support. It is also employed as part of psychological warfare, as changing how information is presented alters its perception by people. The white, gray, and black propaganda differ in the use of true or false facts and in the desired effects. While the first one rests on credible sources, the last one forges documents and data to strongly influence society. Nowadays, all types discussed above are widely used by various media.
References
Kinetz, E. (2022). ‘Kill everyone’: Russian violence in Ukraine was strategic. AP.
Simpson, C. (1994). Science of coercion: Communication research & psychological warfare 1945-1960. Oxford University Press.
Thompson, L. (2023). Abrams is the best main battle tank in the world. But improving it should still be a priority. Forbes.
Weiner, T. (2020). The unanswered question of our time: Is Trump an agent of Russia?The Washington Post.