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Agitprop originated in Soviet Russia as a department of the government that used theatre, literature, and music to promote communist beliefs. Today, it refers to any mass media that seeks to influence public opinion. The term was not originally negative and was intended to incite activism and disseminate information. Examples of agitprop include the sinking of the Lusitania and the 9/11 attacks. Governments can use agitprop for good or bad intentions, such as promoting healthy lifestyles or discriminating against overweight individuals.
Agitprop is a portmanteau of the words agitation and propaganda, and came into use in Soviet Russia, where an agitation and propaganda department was an essential wing of the government. The term is often used to describe theatre, literature and music designed to encourage people to be more active and to better understand communist beliefs. In more recent times, “agitprop” can be used to describe any form of mass media that seeks, often through the use of emotionally charged language, to influence public opinion.
The word “agitprop” was not originally intended as a negative term, although it has taken on that connotation. The word agitatsiya or “agitation” can be translated as inciting someone to action, which could also be called activism. Propaganda was also intended to disseminate information and is not associated with the more negative definitions given to it today.
Before the invention of the word, agitprop was already a common thing. For example, the impetus behind American involvement in World War I really came from the sinking of the Lusitania, a luxury liner that was torpedoed by a German submarine. Previously, President Woodrow Wilson had spent much time trying to find a peaceful solution to the war in Europe and prevent American involvement. Public sentiment changed and people were moved to action by what was seen as German indifference.
Stories of the destruction of the Lusitania were published in virtually every newspaper in the United States, creating a stir, and information about the sinking, the propaganda part, was not hard to come by. In particular, the deaths of women and children were highlighted, creating a greater demonization of the German people. It’s not that this wasn’t deserved, and for those European countries attacked by Germany, this isn’t even in question.
Similarly, the information released in the aftermath of the 9/10 attack on New York was essentially agitprop. Certainly it was necessary to report the bombing, explain the situation and mourn the loss of many lives. Some news stations were criticized for producing agitprop, however, as they repeatedly played footage of the attack and inserted commentary. This greatly moved the Americans, and without minimizing the devastating effects of the attack, it can be said that the attack made it quite easy for the country to sanction the war in Afghanistan almost immediately. The ensuing agitprop focused not only on 9/11 but also on the evils of the Taliban, their oppression of women and their harboring of terrorists.
Governments can use agitprop with good or bad intentions to influence people. For example, in the 2000s, concerns about America’s health care costs led to numerous public reports on the effects of obesity, as it so happens that obese people may have greater health problems. Some of these reports are completely altruistic, designed to help Americans make better dietary choices. Grim information specifically disseminated by the government or the media is meant to inspire people to action and educate them, in the hopes that people will lose weight. Some question the motives, however, and point to greater discrimination of overweight people as part of this type of agitprop.
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