"Exploring how Propaganda Constructs the Enemy"

Summary and Reflection written by Sarah Eckerstorfer 

What do you think of when you hear the word propaganda? Many of us think back to World War II. Yet, even now, propaganda is used to spark fear of the ‘other.’ It’s easy to look back with hindsight and recognize harmful and dangerous messaging. But how do we recognize the language that’s influencing us now?

In 2022, Isabel Mann and Renee Hobbs offered a summer seminar at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans for high school social studies teachers and they wrote about their work in an issue of Social Education, the official publication of the National Council for the Social Studies. They demonstrated how to use some of the many resources available at the museum, including posters and visual propaganda produced by the U.S. government to shape the views of American audiences.

First-hand accounts of WWII propaganda were also shared by a guest speaker, who had been a child during World War II, when he recalled the impact that the media had on him and his perception of the enemy. He explained how such propaganda reinforced his sense of nationalism as an American. Still, 60 years later, he uses derogatory language to describe the populations of Germany and Japan, proof of having internalized their identity as the enemy, even many decades after the end of wartime.

When students become more aware of the power of language as a tool of propaganda, they can recognize how it is used to shape perceptions, attack opponents, and activate fear. Can you imagine attending a talk in 50 years, hearing a first-person account of the immigration crisis of 2025, and hearing someone talk about undocumented immigrants as “illegals” or  “aliens”?

Dehumanizing language like this can become widely accepted when it’s repeated over and over. Many people may not even notice how slurs shape attitudes and beliefs about “the other.” Some people may dismiss this kind of language as offensive, dangerous, and outdated, but we also must also recognize it as an artifact from which we can learn. 

What examples of propaganda can you find in the media you consume this week? What specific words and phrases do you think activate people’s strong emotions and discourage critical thinking? If we seek to avoid spreading harmful propaganda, what words should we move away from, and what words should we embrace?