Deeply embedded in modern communication, propaganda and disinformation manipulate opinions, suppress critical thinking, and influence behavior by exploiting fundamental aspects of human nature. The Propwatch Project is committed to empowering individuals to recognize and resist propaganda, faulty logic, disinformation, and rhetorical techniques by providing the essential tools and knowledge to combat them.
While these techniques are widely recognized today, their origins trace back to Ancient Greece. Aristotle's concepts of pathos, logos, and ethos–appeal to emotion, logic, and credibility–form the foundation of persuasive communication. Modern propaganda and disinformation techniques have adapted and evolved these principles, amplifying their power through modern media and technology. Over time, these tools undermine rational discourse, polarize societies, and erode trust in institutions and credible sources.
Our approach is rooted in logic-based inoculation, an educational strategy inspired by inoculation theory. Much like how a vaccine strengthens the body's defenses against disease, this method strengthens an individual's ability to recognize and resist manipulative communication.
By exposing people to common manipulative techniques and teaching them how these tactics exploit emotional and cognitive vulnerabilities, we can help foster resilience against propaganda and disinformation. This not only bolsters resistance to immediate propagandist messaging, but also builds resistance to future challenges.
In order to assess the project's impact, we developed a series of impact assessments to gather data on viewers' ability to detect propaganda through exposure to authentic, unscripted content. Our first pilot study was conducted over a 4-week period, from May 17 - June 18, 2021. The study indicated that an inoculation-inspired methodology, one in which a message receiver is provided with explicit examples of propaganda in authentic use, can significantly increase an individual's ability to detect propaganda when it is encountered.
The findings were presented at the 108th National Communications Association Conference in 2022, and published
in The Journal of Communication and Media Studies in 2023.
This study was funded [in part] by a grant from the Hacks Hackers.
The pilot findings have provided the impetus for future research to incorporate a larger and more diverse sample. A follow up study is scheduled to be launched in January 2024.
The Propwatch Project is funded entirely through grants, charitable contributions, and the generosity of individuals who share our vision of a society grounded in rational, informed dialogue. We prioritize independence, avoiding advertising or external influences that could compromise our educational objectives. Every contribution directly supports our efforts to develop engaging resources and conduct innovative research, ensuring that our mission continues to reach and empower individuals with the tools to recognize and resist propagandist messaging.
This project was inspired by the pioneering work of the Institute for Propaganda Analysis (IPA). Founded in 1937, the IPA was created to educate the American public about propaganda and spark rational thinking, to help the public have well-informed discussions on current issues. The organization focused on domestic propaganda that might become a possible threat to the democratic way of life.
