ABSTRACT
Propaganda has been a subject of interest for many scholars in rhetoric and communication. Still the task of defining it remains an open project, as researchers seek to differentiate propaganda from other forms of rhetorical discourse. The author builds on previous work to suggest a three-part definition. First, he contends that propaganda is manipulative, since it prevents audiences from seeing their alternatives and freely giving their assent. Second, he argues that propaganda is anti-democratic not only because it limits freedom of choice, but because it promotes (or reifies) inequality. Finally, he argues that propaganda is best understood as an intertextual process, wherein some privileged meaning is recycled again and again across many texts. To illustrate this phenomenon, the author analyzes Joseph Biden’s statements concerning U.S. support for the Saudi-led war on Yemen. He concludes by reviewing unresolved issues about propaganda, including what constitutes an effective response to it.
