Propaganda in Popular Music

Paper Summary:

The paper relates that propaganda and mass persuasion are present in all forms of media, including pop music. The paper looks at the history of propaganda, mass media and pop music and shows how and why mass persuasion exists in pop music. The paper also identifies those who listen to pop music and why they are attracted to it. The paper discusses how by limiting media exposure and being aware of media techniques used to brand and market pop stars, we can make educated choices.

From the Paper:

"Propaganda is the mass persuasion of people. Often used for political gains or simply to make an individual more popular or blameless, propaganda has a history as long as humanity. Modern propaganda, however, is different. Modern propaganda, aided by technology, has allowed for mass communication and, in turn, mass propaganda. Larson cites the communications researcher Jaques Ellul, who identifies the characteristics of modern propaganda: it happens in industrialized and "depersonalized" societies; it works through forcing individuals into masses while also isolating them as individual people; and it exists to integrate people into a common way of thinking rather than agitating them to action."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Daly, Steve. "Britney Spears inside the heart and mind (and bedroom) of America's new teen queen." Rolling Stone, 15 April 1999, 60-70.
• Fox, Mark A., and Paul Kochanowski. "Models of Superstardom: An Application of the Lotka and Yule Distributions." Popular Music & Society 27, no. 4 (2004): 507-522.
• Larson, Charles U. Persuasion: Perception and Responsibility, 9th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth / Thomson Learning, 2001.
• LeBlanc, Larry. "A Revival At Top 40 Radio Brings Wave Of New Teen Acts In Canada." Billboard, 17 June 2000, 75.
• Rogers, Danny. "The Spice Trade." Brandweek 39, no. 37 (1998): 32. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed December 19, 2006).

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