-Friday World March 15, 2026
The history of propaganda is ancient, but its modern form was shaped by Edward Bernays, often called the "father of public relations." In his 1928 book *Propaganda*, Bernays wrote: “The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society.” As Sigmund Freud's nephew, Bernays drew on psychology to "engineer" public consent through techniques like stirring emotions, repetition, symbolic imagery, and leveraging celebrities or authority figures.
Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels studied Bernays' works and built Nazi propaganda on them. Goebbels' famous principle: “Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it.” Today, these same tactics thrive on social media, TV channels, and political campaigns—fake news, selective facts, fear-mongering, and "us vs. them" narratives dominate.
The World's Most Dangerous Man: Kim Jong Un vs. America's "Peace Champion" Image
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is branded worldwide as a "dictator," "madman," and "global threat." Media portrayals often caricature him—short, overweight, comical. But what is the reality? Kim has never bombed a foreign city, invaded another country's territory, or caused millions of deaths abroad. North Korea's nuclear program is largely defensive—a response to U.S. and South Korean military presence on its doorstep, including joint exercises viewed as invasion rehearsals.
Yet Western media and global narratives paint Kim as the "biggest danger to the world." Why? Propaganda has engineered this image through relentless repetition and demonization.
On the other side, the United States positions itself as the "champion of peace." Several U.S. presidents have received Nobel Peace Prizes—Theodore Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama (awarded in 2009, shortly after taking office). But Obama's presidency saw massive expansion of drone strikes and airstrikes. Estimates from sources like the Bureau of Investigative Journalism indicate hundreds of civilian deaths in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and elsewhere under Obama. In 2016 alone, the U.S. dropped over 26,000 bombs across seven countries (Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen)—roughly three bombs every hour, every day. Interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria resulted in hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths overall.
This is propaganda in action: "Our violence is justice; their violence is terrorism." Media, Hollywood, and international institutions reinforce this double standard relentlessly.
The Propaganda Game Against Muslims in India
In India, violence against Muslims has surged in the last decade. Cow-related vigilantism from 2010 to mid-2017 saw 63 attacks, killing 28 people—24 of them Muslims (about 86% of deaths)—and injuring 124, according to Reuters and IndiaSpend data. Many reports note a sharp rise after 2014, with incidents of mob lynchings, mosque and madrasa vandalism, and rumor-fueled assaults.
Yet the mainstream narrative labels Muslims as "jihadis," "extremists," or "anti-national." Meanwhile, those involved in mob violence are often portrayed as "cultured," followers of "Ahimsa Paramo Dharma" (non-violence is the highest duty), chanting "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (the world is one family) while justifying attacks as "cow protection" or "nationalism."
Propaganda techniques here are clear:
→ **Fear-mongering**: Terms like "love jihad," "population jihad," or "land jihad" spread panic.
→ **Selective reporting**: Victims are depicted as criminals or lawbreakers; perpetrators as reacting to "provocation" or "crowd anger."
→ **Repetition**: TV debates, social media, WhatsApp forwards hammer the same narrative daily.
→ **Othering**: Muslims are framed as the "internal enemy." The result? Violence becomes normalized, and victims are blamed. **How to Protect Yourself from Propaganda?** Propaganda works best on emotions, making it hard to spot. Ask these key questions:
→ Who is the source? Is it credible and unbiased?
→ Is only one side of the story being shown?
→ Are emotions like fear, anger, or hatred being deliberately stirred?
→ What do the facts say, beyond the narrative? Seek multiple sources, study history, and above all, control your emotions. Propaganda succeeds only when we accept without questioning.
In this age of information, it is also the age of propaganda. Those who understand it will reach the truth. Otherwise, we all become part of someone else's "engineered consent."
Sajjadali Nayani ✍
Friday World March 15, 2026
