U.S. diplomat examines public attitude toward propaganda

Propaganda is not inherently evil, but rather a "morally neutral process" that has a place in America's public diplomacy, according to former United States Cultural Attache to Russia John Brown.

Brown, who has a Russian History Ph.D. from Princeton University, is a 20-year veteran diplomat who served in press and cultural affairs appointments in Eastern Europe during the Cold War and after. Brown drew on his academic and field experiences to examine Americans' attitude toward propaganda, as well as the proper role of propaganda in the U.S.' public diplomacy.

While the term has been around since the 17th century, "many people would call the 20th century the age of propaganda," Brown said. For example, during World War I, governments worldwide sought to shape the beliefs of publics at home and abroad, to serve their national interests.

Brown noted how President Woodrow Wilson formed the Committee on Public Information, recognizing propaganda's role in maintaining the nation's will to fight and in spreading "the gospel of making the world safe for democracy."

"To claim that only the bad guys have [used propaganda] is to live in a dream world," Brown said.

Yet, Brown noted that today, "there are few words in the English language that we Americans like less than 'propaganda.'" Brown argued that the untruths, manipulativeness and the hateful attitudes that have accompanied propaganda led many Americans to see it as "in itself evil" and "incompatible with democracy."

Disputing this perception, Brown argued that "propaganda itself is morally neutral," part of a "natural human process" whose purpose is "to change peoples' beliefs." Propaganda, according to Brown, "can bring about a common social good, such as weakening an aggressor's will to victory."

Brown argued that propaganda "used intelligently by experts," with "a full understanding of its own limitations" had a legitimate role to play in U.S. policy. However, Brown cautioned that America must not "let our communication and interaction with the outside world be determined only by propaganda," pointing to cultural and educational exchanges as alternative approaches of keeping the general public informed.

Pressed by audience questioning, he admitted that "when you're out there spreading the gospel there's not always this very neat distinction between education and propaganda," recalling his role in bringing American art exhibitions to Moscow.

But Brown argued, there was a place for "very strong, truthful, convincing persuasion" in public diplomacy, "basically what a lawyer does -- you select facts, but you don't use facts to present a misleading case."

Reacting to the talk, College freshman Joseph Gasiewski said he agreed with Brown that "America has a very bad stigma" towards propaganda.

"But I think this presentation made me think of it as a more objective process," he said.

The event -- organized by the Slavic Languages and Literatures Department and the International Relations Program -- was attended by an audience of about 50 students and academics yesterday evening in Houston Hall.

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