Defining Propaganda…

Defining propaganda is precisely what O’Shaunessy refers to in Politics and Propaganda as a “maddeningly elusive task.”

Propaganda could be defined based on what seems to be illustrated by history; since is no scientific, systematic method of determining an accurate definition, and any approach would be arbitrary, perhaps the easiest way to define the term would be on basis of how it has been used in the past. But then, O’Shaunessy indicates how “propaganda” would then conjure images exclusively of authoritarian or totalitarian governments, attempting to manipulate pubic knowledge or opinion, and this would not do the term justice, for the “propaganda” has evolved to encompass so much more. It is not a term that can be defined in any one way, and thus O’Shaunessy paints a multilayered definition of the term, using competing definitions, and illustrating how it can manifest itself in various forms.
The term overall seems to defined as a an advocating of any agenda, even one that is legitimate, through the use of emotional appeal, rather than a rational or informative one, in order to convince a multitude of people to embrace a specific ideal, or cause that they would not necessarily otherwise support. It is distinguished from persuasion or communication, not only because of the emotive appeal, but because it also implies an element of deception; propaganda can be replete with hyperbolic language or images, can withhold relevant information, and obscure the overall objective truth. Propaganda also relies on the subjective interpretation of the viewer, and thus whether something is determined to be propaganda or not can vary with its audience.