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Propaganda is any information, idea, or image shared to sway people's opinions and behaviors. It often appeals to emotions rather than reason, sometimes twisting facts to make a point. As Mosiichuk (2024) notes, “Propagandists take advantage of the way our minds naturally work to influence how we see things, often making people ignore logic when making political choices.” In short, propaganda works by shaping how we see the world often without us realizing it.
How do we make good decisions in daily life? By asking questions, comparing options, and looking at the facts. Propaganda makes this process much harder. It simplifies complex issues and exaggerates certain points to bypass our critical thinking. Stories that tug at our emotions make us act based on feelings instead of facts and the more we hear them, the more “true” they feel (Mosiichuk, 2024).
One of the most powerful ways propaganda works is through confirmation bias our tendency to favor information that already aligns with our beliefs. Research shows that people naturally spend more time on content that confirms what they already think (Westerwick et al., 2016).
History offers stark examples. The Nazis exploited confirmation bias to normalize hatred, portraying Jews as corrupt and dangerous (Psychology & Society, 2016). Today, similar patterns appear in other conflicts. For instance, Israel often frames itself as a perpetual victim while labeling Palestinians as terrorists and downplaying civilian deaths as “collateral damage” (Tamimi & Suárez Vargas, 2024). When information matches our existing beliefs, it feels familiar and convincing, even if it’s misleading.
Another trick propaganda uses is the framing effect. How information is presented can strongly influence our choices. Tversky and Kahneman (1981) showed that survival-focused frames are more persuasive than mortality-focused ones, even when the numbers are identical.
During the Cold War, the U.S. described its interventions as “defending democracy,” while the Soviets framed their actions as fighting imperial aggression. Both sides shaped the same events in ways that reinforced their own narratives, showing how perspective and language can change perception entirely.
You might think that simply knowing these tricks would protect us. In reality, cognitive psychology shows that biases often operate below conscious awareness (Kahneman, 2011). Even critical, media-savvy individuals can fall prey when information aligns with their emotions or pre-existing beliefs. This is why propaganda is so effective it works quietly, under the surface of our minds.
From the propaganda of Nazi Germany to the misinformation we encounter online today, these techniques continue to shape how people think and decide. Recognizing confirmation bias and framing is essential if we want to think critically, make informed choices, and protect democratic processes from manipulation. Being aware is the first step toward not being unconsciously swayed by stories designed to influence us.
Kahneman, D. (2011) Thinking, Fast and Slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Mosiichuk, O. (2024) ‘Propaganda, persuasion, and the politics of memory’, Journal of Political Communication, 41(2), pp. 115–132.
Psychology & Society (2016) ‘The Presentation of “Self” and “Other” in Nazi Propaganda’, Psychology & Society, 8(1), pp. 5–12.
Tamimi, A. and Suárez Vargas, M. (2024) ‘Framing Palestine: Media narratives, propaganda, and international bias’, Global Media Journal, 22(3), pp. 44–59.
Tversky, A. and Kahneman, D. (1981) ‘The framing of decisions and the psychology of choice’, Science, 211(4481), pp. 453–458.
Westerwick, A., Kleinman, S. and Knobloch-Westerwick, S. (2016) ‘Confirmation bias in selective exposure to political online information: A panel study’, Journal of Communication, 63(4), pp. 764–785.
Author:Arooj Fatima
CT B3
