This is a Squiz Kids podcast.
Your fresh take on what's happening in the world around you.
It's been dropped from the sky during wars.
It's appeared on posters, in cartoons and now in your social media feed.
And it's designed to change the way you think, feel and act.
This is your Squiz Kids shortcut to propaganda.
The podcast where we dive into the who, what, where, when, why and how of the big news stories.
I'm Christy Kijerina.
And I'm Bryce Corbin.
Hey Bryce, do you know why those balloons are floating on the ceiling?
Is that paper attached to them?
Oh, those?
I have no idea.
Hold on, I'm going to get one down.
Can you reach?
Got it, got it.
Let's take a look.
Everyone in this room agrees Bryce should be in charge.
Oh yeah, well that sounds reasonable.
Hmm.
Another one.
Let's look at this second one.
Free snacks if you vote for Bryce.
Oh, Christy, everyone loves a snack.
And this last one.
It would be dangerous to put Christy in charge.
She has weird beady eyes.
Bryce.
Well, I mean, come on, Christy.
Sometimes when the light catches them, they do have a little bit of a beady quality.
Look, I'm just putting messages out there, okay?
It's totally up to people whether they believe them or not.
Right.
So you're dropping messages everywhere, despite the fact they're just an opinion, and hoping people will believe them as a fact.
Well, when you put it like that.
Well actually Bryce, that is totally fine, because what you've done is accidentally hit on a perfect example, because that's exactly how dangerous ideas have been spread for hundreds of years, sometimes even falling from the sky.
Yes indeed, Christy.
Today we're going to be unwrapping what propaganda is, how it's been used throughout history and why it still matters very much today.
So grab your detective hat and your sceptical specs and let's get started.
And listen carefully, there's a squiz at the end.
And by the way, I like my eyes.
What?
So Bryce, what is propaganda, and how can something look like normal information but actually be trying to influence you?
Yeah, because those papers I dropped felt a little bit like ads, I know, but also perhaps a little more sneaky, shall we say.
Yeah, exactly.
Propaganda is a type of communication that's designed to persuade people to think, feel or act a certain way, usually to support a particular idea, group or a cause.
Right, so it's like convincing people, right?
It is, but there's a twist.
Propaganda often leans heavily on emotions rather than just facts like fear pride, anger or even a sense of belonging.
Aha.
So instead of saying here are the facts and you decide, it's more like here's how you should feel about this.
Yep, exactly right.
And here's the tricky part.
Propaganda isn't always made up of lies.
Sometimes it uses real facts but only tells one side of the story.
Or it can present them in a way that pushes you towards a certain conclusion.
So, Christy, what does propaganda actually look like?
Great question.
It can look like a lot of things, like a bold poster, a cartoon, a slogan that you can't get out of your head.
Or even a meme.
Exactly.
It could be a short video, it could be a headline, an ad or something shared by someone that you follow.
So it doesn't always look serious?
Not at all.
Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it can be dramatic, sometimes it feels totally normal.
Or you might see a message so often that it begins to feel normal.
Which obviously then makes it harder to spot as propaganda.
Exactly, because it's not about how it looks, it's about what it's trying to do.
Which is?
To influence you.
What you think, how you feel and what you do next.
Oh, okay.
So if that's what it is, let's talk about when people started using it.
When?
So when do you think we really start to see propaganda take off, and who do you think is usually behind it?
Hmm.
Well, I'm guessing...
Around wartime, maybe?
Yeah, that's a big one.
Propaganda has been used for thousands of years, but it really ramps up during times of conflict or big social change, when people are uncertain or worried or feel divided.
Right, and I suppose that would also apply to elections too.
That's another time.
You probably see a lot of that propaganda around, because that's when people are more likely to listen, right?
Yeah, that's right.
Let's rewind for a moment. to the early 1900s when women in countries like the uk the us and australia were fighting for the right to vote aha you're talking about the suffragettes ah i am they use posters marches and powerful slogans to spread their message focusing on fairness equality and justice but here's the twist their opponents were also using propaganda and it wasn't very flattering Some of the posters and cartoons showed women as wild, angry or out of control.
They had exaggerated features that might have looked like they were shouting or neglecting their homes or even bossing around their helpless husbands.
Others suggested that if women got the vote, families would fall apart, children would be ignored and society would be turned upside down.
The message was clear.
If women were given power, everything would go wrong.
Right.
And in fact, now that I think of it, a similar thing happened way back in the 1800s in Australia, when there was a lot of Chinese immigrants moving to Australia during the Gold Rush, which is a period of history that you'll probably learn about in class.
And a cartoon was published around that time in a very popular and a very influential magazine depicting an octopus with the head of a Chinese man, and that octopus's tentacles were wrapping around all bits of Australian life, strangling the so-called Australian way of life.
Ooh, I've seen those.
The octopus was super scary and sinister.
Yeah, right?
This was a cartoon that was designed to instil fear in the Australian public about the impact that Chinese immigrants were going to have on the country.
Now, I mean, apart from being awfully racist, it was fundamentally wrong.
But instead of an evidence-backed explanation or a calm and reasoned discussion of the issue of immigration.
These sorts of cheap but powerful images were used to make people fearful.
And they led to all sorts of dreadful discrimination against migrants.
They really did.
And you know, sometimes these messages weren't just published in magazines, they actually did fall from the sky.
Like my ceiling paper drop.
Just like that.
During wars, countries dropped thousands of leaflets over enemy territory with messages encouraging people to surrender, to question their leaders or to believe that the war was already lost.
So instead of fighting with weapons, they were fighting weapons.
With ideas.
That's right.
And those ideas were carefully designed to influence behaviour.
Aha.
So who's usually behind all of this propaganda?
Oh, well, governments are a big one, especially during wars.
But also political groups, organisations, activists, even companies.
So it's not just something that's happened in history, but it's everywhere even today.
Yep.
The tools might have changed, but the goal hasn't.
Alright, so if it's been around for this long and people are aware of it, why does it still work?
Why?
So why does propaganda work so well on us?
And how is it being used in the world that we live in today?
Yeah, because some of those examples felt a little bit obvious to me.
I mean, like monster cartoons and dramatic posters.
Yeah, they did.
But propaganda works because it taps into something that is very human, our emotions.
Oh, right.
So we're talking about feelings over facts.
Often, yes.
When something makes you feel scared proud, angry or like you belong to a group, you're more likely to believe it and act on it.
Even if you haven't really stopped to question it.
Exactly.
And it also works because of something called repetition.
Oh, right, that's hearing or seeing the same thing over and over again.
Yeah, and the more you see or hear something, the more familiar it feels and the more likely that you are to think that it's actually true.
Even if it's not.
Exactly.
Now here's where things get really interesting Bryce, because today propaganda has some very powerful new tools.
Oh, oh, oh, let me guess.
You're going to talk about the internet, aren't you?
Bingo!
Social media platforms use algorithms, which are like a set of instructions that decide what you see based on what you've clicked, watched and liked.
So if I watch one video about something Yeah, you'll probably be shown more videos just like it, and more and more and more.
Exactly, which can create something called a filter bubble or an echo chamber, meaning that you're mostly just seeing ideas that already match what you already think.
So you can feel like everyone agrees with you, even when they don't.
That is a little bit sneaky.
Yeah, it can be.
And it means propaganda today can be faster, more targeted and harder to spot than ever before.
So, Christy, what can you actually do about it?
Great question, because you don't have to avoid it.
In fact, unless you live under a rock, that would be impossible.
You just have to question it.
You need to ask yourself who made this.
What do they want me to think or do?
What might be missing from the information and how is this making me feel?
So, to borrow a phrase from our friend Squizzy the News Hound, instead of just taking it in and looking at it at face value, you've got to stop, think and check.
Bryce, Squizzy would be so proud of you.
That's exactly right, because once you understand how propaganda works, it really loses a lot of its power.
It's Kind of like having x-ray vision for information.
And in a world full of messages, posts and opinions, that Christy is a pretty powerful skill to have.
Time for the quiz.
This is the part of the podcast where you get to test how well you've been listening.
Question number one.
In Australia during the gold rush, a cartoon was published depicting Chinese immigrants as what sort of sea creature.
Well done if you said octopus.
Question number two.
This one's a true or false question.
During some wars, countries dropped leaflets from planes with messages designed to influence people on the ground.
Is that true or is it false?
Yeah, you were listening if you said true.
Question number three.
What is a filter bubble?
Is it A, a bubble you blow with soap?
B, a device you attach to taps to filter the water?
Or C, an algorithm that only shows you ideas that you already agree with?
Well done if you said C, an algorithm that only shows you ideas that you already agree with.
Well, that's all we have time for today.
Thanks for joining us as we explored the who, what, where, when, why and how of propaganda.
Now get out there and be propaganda aware and have a most excellent day.
Over and out.
