The Truth Revealed

Clip from Psywars: Definition of Psyops (Propoganda).
http://forum.prisonplanet.com/index.php?topic=189112.0

After recently watching the hour long documentary, Psywars, for my communications class, I wonder about the trust I as a citizen put in my country. Should I believe in the idea that our government does what they do for the greater good of this nation? or are they just simply taking advantage of our trust and doing what is best for them (politicians and elites)?

Documentary Film cover
Psywars: Scott Noble
http://metanoia-films.org/psywar/

Propaganda is a way of swaying the publics opinion about a situation or idea. In the documentary, many examples are presented such as the propaganda the Nazi's used to convince the public that what they were doing was good and that the real evil ones were the Jews. Other examples include Rosie the Riveter, Uncle Sam's Army recruiting posters and Ivy Lee's Public relations campaign that were meant to cover up the wrong that the Rockefeller family had committed. With the name of Rockefeller tinted with blood after the Ludlow Massacre, there had to be a way to convince the public that they were humanitarians and what happened was not their fault.

In more recent years we commonly know propaganda as advertisement. Although we perceive propaganda to be a negative way of grasping the attention of the public there are ways that Public Relation companies can use propaganda/ advertisement in a positive manner. examples of positive advertisement are Coca-Cola's global share a Coke with a friend campaign, General Electric's energy efficiency campaign, and currently the number one campaign sweeping the internet worldwide, the ice bucket challenge for ALS awareness.

2014 Coca-Cola "Share a Coke..." promoting happiness
and friendship around the world.
http://www.brandsynario.com/news/cocacola-brings-global-share-a-coke-campaign-to-pakistan-in-ramadan

"Take the challenge, donate and help us create a world without ALS!"
http://www.alsa.org/fight-als/ice-bucket-challenge.html

General Electric's campaign to combine imagination and the ecosystem.
http://globe-net.com/ge-global-ecomagination-innovation-challenge-reduce-ghg-emissions-canadas-oil-sands/

Through Coca-Cola's campaign to promote happiness through drinking their refreshing beverage, they have done much more than sell you their product. They have convinced the public that drinking a Coke can bring the world together in peace in unity. Coca-Cola's efforts have sparked a movement that has been changing the world since their 1971 television ad that introduced the song I'd like to teach the world to sing. Several different share a coke with a friend ideas have been put to the test, from the India/Pakistan small world machine, the Coca-Cola sharing can, the Coke happiness machine placed on a college a campus, to the innovative friendly twist.

The Friendly Twist

Small World Machine

The Happiness Machine

The Sharing Can

As a graphic design major, it will be be my job one day to do the very thing I speak about. It will be my job to grasp the attention of the public and in a clever yet concise way, get you to believe in the product, idea, or person. I believe that as long as "they" control the media they control us, so we have to take control and be cautious of what we allow ourselves to believe true or false. Do the research and listen to both sides, we as humans are fully capable understanding the truth from the lie.

Despite the negatives and the positives propaganda and media are always present.