Handmaids Tale News Literacy Connection Information is often

Handmaids Tale News Literacy Connection

Information is often manipulated. . so that YOU are manipulated!

Control & Manipulation of Information

Dystopian societies = controlling government. • Gilead is authoritarian theocracy. • Authoritarian - favoring or enforcing strict obedience to authority, especially that of the government, at the expense of personal freedom. • Theocracy - government by divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided. In many theocracies the state's legal system is based on religious law. One way they gain control & power is by controlling & manipulating information. How? Discuss with group some ways that governments, companies, religious organizations, control or manipulate information so as to manipulate people.

Censorship & Propaganda What is the difference between censorship and propaganda?

Censorship Restricting access to information. Propaganda Purposeful creation & sharing of deceptive/manipulative information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, to promote or publicize a particular agenda

Modern Propaganda • What comes to mind when you think of Propaganda? • How do you know when something is propaganda?

What comes to mind when you think of propaganda? Modern Propaganda • Wartime posters • Advertisements • Memes How do you know when something is Propaganda? • ?

Techniques of Propaganda These techniques can bypass the critical thinking necessary to analyze these powerful forms of persuasion. That’s why recognizing propaganda techniques can be an important first step in developing critical thinking about media messages. Assign each group one technique. Take a moment to study your group's technique. Summarize your technique for the class – can you think of an example?

Visual Propaganda What do these four examples of visual propaganda have in common? https: //propaganda. mediaeducationlab. com/rate/enthusiastically-celebrate-return-hong-kong-0

http: //worldwar 2 headquarters. com/HT ML/posters/german/ukrainian-workrecruitment. html

Green Handout Try it individually or in pairs. Can you determine the following for at least two of the graphics?

https: //propaganda. mediaeducationlab. com/rate/celebrate-victory-north-korean-war

Propaganda in Handmaid's Tale • Slogans/Phrases • S. E. E. D. Techniques? • Colors • Symbols

what does Gilead want its people to fear? how does offred feel about her body and nakedness? How do you think Gilead got her to feel that way? Perversion of Religion • Dissolution of the family and traditional values (women stay home, men go to work) • Infertility leading to extinction of human species • Vague “enemies” such as whoever they are fighting in wars, “unwomen, ” • Body shaming • Idealizing modesty • Vilifying immodesty • "Slut" shaming (Janine scene) • Offred's musings when meeting the Japanese tourists. • Citing biblical precedent for atrocities (rape, forced surrogacy) • Nonbiblical quotes misatributed to saints (from each according to her ability, to each according to his needs” was from Marx NOT Saint Paul. • Naming/Labeling to create connotations w. religion (Rachel & Leah Center, Angels, Milk & Honey, etc) so as to indicate that the society is godly & to go against it is a sin.

For Tomorrow Think of something the Gilead government wants to accomplish. What kind of meme/poster might they create to convince people? Tomorrow class will be in the library computer lab. Pretending to be Gilead, you will create a digital propaganda poster.

Joseph Goebbels: (Hitler's Minister of Propaganda) "A lie told once remains a lie, but a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth. "