Social Media Use and Propaganda Techniques

Abstract

Propaganda, which is used to spread an idea or a doctrine, is one of the most effective communication and persuasion tools used from the past to the present. Propaganda passed in the communication process. It was first done face-to-face, and then it took place in writing with the emergence of the printing press. It was made by using mass media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, and television, which were common in the 19th and 20th centuries. When it comes to the 21st century, it is mostly done virtually in an interactive way on social media or digital media, which are Web 2.0 tools. Therefore, a change and transformation are taking place in the techniques of using propaganda in communication with new technologies. With the converged communication technologies, propaganda has been made more effective in recent years. In this study, primarily propaganda and mass media are emphasized. Afterward, the photograph is evaluated as a visual propaganda tool. Finally, the Sputnik News Agency of Russia in the context of the Ukrainian-Russian War is evaluated.