Propaganda Technique's

Propaganda advertising is used on Americans day in and day out by techniques including infomercials, the newspaper, billboards, and the banners on public transportation buses, so on and so forth.  Don’t get me wrong I find advertising to be an intelligent technique in marketing.  It is effective on some people and gets the job done.  However at the same time, I find it conniving.  Advertisers are trying to attract us and as soon as they grab our attention, it is like they have locked you in and there is no turning back.  There are in fact some individuals which the “charming factor” is not successful on.  Some Americans stick to their ground and turn the advertisers down completely; others are easier to win over. 

Out of the seven basic propaganda techniques used, there are two methods I see more frequently than others.  The first is the use of the “weasel words” McClinktock referred to.  These weasel words fool some people and they end up giving in.  The most logical reasoning for this is because people believe what they see, and don’t do any extra research on the product being advertised.  The second is the use of celebrity’s as an icon in order to get their product to sell.  Propagandists feel if people admire a celebrity who uses their product, then people will also admire their product.  After watching infomercials or passing billboards while I am driving, I even admit to buying into the advertisement.  Propagandists feed off of the people who buy into their tricks.  Propaganda is everywhere but that does not necessarily mean people need to believe it.  If you fall into the trap, it is no one’s fault but your own.

Peter Elbow

Peter Elbow stresses the fact that freewriting is meant to be a non-stop exercise.  “There is a lesson here for writing: trying to get the beginning just right is a formula for failure – and probably a secret tactic to make yourself give up writing.  Make some words, whatever they are, and then grab hold of that line and reel in as hard as you can. (pg. 141)” This quote stood out to me because the hardest part about writing for me is the opening sentence or paragraph.  Before beginning a writing assignment, I find it helps to brainstorm ideas and then record them.  Simply by making a bulleted list, or jotting down ideas that run through my mind helps me to get a head start and also constructs a well-written paper.  By using this method, the paper will be very organized and will flow together nicely.  Free-writing gets your brain thinking and the ideas streaming.  When a writer records what is on their mind without stopping, one may be surprised how impressive the final product may be.

Elbow brings up a valid point while comparing the act of writing and editing, and how they go on at the same time.  This can cause some writer’s to run into trouble, because it almost feels as if more pressure is being put on the writer.  The pressure could break ones concentration and the ideas may stop flowing, AKA “writers block.”  The hesitations of the writer are not natural; therefore they can change the result of the writer’s work, which could quite possibly be a negative thing.  By making use of the freewriting exercise, or brainstorming beforehand, can only be to your advantage.

Mortimer Adler

Lauren Lavecchia                                                                                                         Comp. 1    8-23-11

The most beneficial way to read a book is to read between the lines.  If the reader just skims through the words of a novel, they will not be able to possess the full knowledge the book contains.  They must dig deeper than the surface, and read into the words.  The reader will then better understand the point the author is trying to get across.  In order to really absorb the information, an effective method I have personally used is highlighting quotes in the book which struck me as interesting or meant something to me.  I used this method while reading Life Safari over the summer.  I highlighted quite a few lines written by John P. Strelecky.  One of favorites includes, “If we are always worrying about what is coming next, we sacrifice the chance to interact with everything that is going on around us.  We can never get to the future, young Jack.  When we arrive there, it is no longer the future; it becomes the present.  So we can either enjoy life as it happens, or we can always be getting ready to enjoy it. (pg. 24)” This quote stuck out to me because Strelecky was able to put this thought into words so well, and I completely agree with him.  By highlighting this quote, I was able to better understand the knowledge John P. Strelecky was intending to convey to readers.  This quote is one of value when it comes to life lessons, and can be put to good use.  The book-marking methods mentioned by Mortimer Adler can only increase the information intended to be learned by the reader.  These methods allow you to connect with the author’s thinking process on a deeper level.