Fadel Abbas Sabah, MSc
College of Computer Science and Information Technology
Propaganda, in its broad sense, refers to the dissemination of information and directing a focused set of means to influence the opinions or behaviors of a larger number of people. It contradicts objectivity in presenting information. Propaganda, in its simplest meaning, is presenting incomplete information with the aim of influencing the targeted recipient. Thus, false information is presented by withholding complete information, aiming to emotionally impact individuals.
Therefore, propaganda is a type of media manipulation, where media channels are used to spread distorted and misleading information to shape people’s beliefs and influence their decisions. Propaganda can be used for political, media, and commercial purposes. One of the most dangerous types of propaganda is the one that doesn’t reveal its true nature and remains disguised, making it hard for people to know its source or sense its reality, thus blending into the media clutter. This type of propaganda causes the most significant harm to public opinion as it is built on false facts and misinformation. Propaganda plays a role in sparking wars between countries, known as subversive propaganda. It also fuels internal conflicts within society, pushing towards internal strife, making societal segments pitted against each other, as seen in the support of Albania, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia for the Greek opposition during the Cold War period. Additionally, propaganda exacerbates conflicts by spreading fake news leading to hostility and violence. Furthermore, propaganda is potent and influential among people who lack broad knowledge of all aspects of life. For instance, political literacy protects individuals from believing false claims propagated by aggressive states seeking the wealth of nations, and economic knowledge counters the negative propaganda designed solely to promote a specific product.
Propaganda has become more widespread and influential in the age of technology due to digital advancements and social media platforms. Technology can be a powerful tool for disseminating news and information and shaping opinions. Individuals or organizations can rapidly and widely spread propaganda and false information. Artificial intelligence and data analysis techniques can be used to design messages and manipulate and alter audio and visual content to target specific groups of people.
The emergence of what is now known as “electronic flies” utilizes fake information and spreads it extensively to influence the other party. Electronic flies employ various methods, often ranging from coordinated tweeting, extensive commenting, to preparing newsletters opposing dissenting opinions, relying on artificial intelligence and robots to create fake accounts for fictitious individuals who invent a particular issue and spread and share posts about it extensively until it spreads among a larger number of users, eventually turning the issue into a matter of public opinion.
Many entities seek to steer public opinion in their favor and influence them by controlling social and technological media, reaching the largest segment of society, and persuading them by providing information and data, whether true or fabricated, through social media. This is because the user themselves are influential in the media or communication process, especially since these platforms enable information sharing and modification. The recipient relies heavily on social media sites to receive information, aware that this information is mostly fake, but it provides them with the freedom to share information and gain the largest number of likes and shares for the information, which is, in fact, misleading and untrue information.
One of the most significant challenges in the age of technology is distinguishing between propaganda and genuine news. Individuals must develop critical reading and analytical skills and increase their awareness of technological propaganda through workshops on how to analyze and evaluate advertising and digital content. Additionally, utilizing technology itself to combat and fight fake news and implementing strict laws and regulations to curb the use of technology for fake and misleading propaganda.
Sources:
- Hussein Abdel Qader, Public Opinion, Propaganda, and Press Freedom, Egypt, Arab Journalism Agency for Publishing, 2020, pp. 31-71.
- Messiah Al-Din Tsadideh, The Role of Propaganda in the New Wars of the Information Age: A Study of Impact Mechanisms, Methods of Combat, a Research published in Credibility Journal, Volume 5, Issue 1, 2023, pp. 50-51.
- Abdul Razzaq Al-Tamimi, Propaganda, Rumors, and Public Opinion: A Contemporary View, Amman, Dar Al-Yazodi, 2015, p. 124.
- Jihad Sahrawi, Cyberspace and the Problem of Psychological Warfare Through Information via Social Media, Research published in The Thousand Journal, Issue 3, 2021, pp. 147-1.
