Explanation:
Informational Texts, Persuasive
Writing and Manipulative Reporting
Informational texts are a form of non-fictional writing intended to provide readers with information on a specific topic. Although these texts are supposed to be objective, some informational texts do include a degree of persuasion. Persuasive writing tries to convince the reader of the writer's opinion, most often by making statements supported by evidence. When a seemingly informational text tries to not only persuade a reader, but to actively manipulate their opinion, this form of writing is called manipulative reporting.
Propaganda Techniques in Informational Texts
Although not all forms of propaganda are informational, this kind of text is popular among propagandists due to the fact that people subconsciously give specific credibility to seemingly factual texts. Instead of presenting their perspectives as opinions, some propagandists therefore manipulate facts, or even lie, in an attempt to influence other people's perspectives. Let's look at some of the techniques used when doing this.
Emotional Appeals
Emotional appeals are characterized by the manipulation of the reader's emotions in order convince them in the absence of factual evidence. When used in propaganda, this might include references to positive, or negative consequences, using people's fears, their spitefulness, their pity or their desire for flattery, or a tendency towards wishful thinking.
Emotional appeals are characterized by the manipulation of the reader's emotions in order convince them in the absence of factual evidence. When used in propaganda, this might include references to positive, or negative consequences, using people's fears, their spitefulness, their pity or their desire for flattery, or a tendency towards wishful thinking.The image is from a propagandist comic book from 1947. The emotional appeal contained within it manipulates people by playing into their fears through a reference to the negative consequences of communism.
