Dehumanization: The Use Of Propaganda In The Media

The use of propaganda in the media is rampant and unhindered by any legislation. Propaganda of any sort can be considered psychological warfare and with this being the twenty-first century, needs to be outlawed altogether. It dehumanizes it's subjects with the use of all types of media and preys on humans herd mentality. The medias opinions fuel the fire of mass objectification that is propaganda which more often than not will also hurt those within the nation. Despite the fluctuating opinions on propaganda, it is not needed in this century.

Dehumanization can be defined as the psychological process of making the enemy seem less than human. Thus detaching people from the horrible actions made against this 'enemy'. In World War Two there was a famous poster picturing a Nazi as a gorilla, holding what is assumed to be Lady Liberty, this imagery obviously would strike fear and disgust in the minds of the American people towards the German people. However, upon the ending of the war, and the Communist takeover of Germany, the American people began to view these people differently, more like themselves; a war-torn people with little resources left. Just like everyone else. …show more content…
This is called 'herd mentality' and is when people are influenced by their peers to adopt certain behaviours and thoughts. It is a very useful tool in propaganda, used even now. Though it seems subtle, Priminister Steven Harper passed a legislation making it illegal to wear a Niquab. Now this may not seem like much, but when paired with his actions against Syrian refugees it is clear he is propagating that Muslim people are not welcome in Canada. He is trying to purvey, to the less thoughtful minds, that they are all awful terrorists. This is simply untrue, and these sorts of things do not belong in this day and