Theories
What’s it called when your news feed makes every story feel similar to what you align with?
Filter bubble or echo chamber
Name one modern event where agenda-setting played a key role in shaping public debate.
Palestinian genocide
What explains why a picture of a sad dog might make you vote for a housing bill?
Emotional appeal
If you were the leader of a democratic country, why would you rely on political commentators? Is there a theory that applies?
Spiral of Silence
During what U.S. president’s administration was the phrase “flood the zone with sh*t” used to describe overwhelming the public with distractions?
Donald Trump via Steve Bannon
Which type of propaganda tool uses exaggerated or absurd claims to intimidate or test loyalty?
Hard Propaganda
TikTok influencers doing subtle pro-candidate posts. What kind of propaganda?
Soft propaganda
What is it called when visual media shapes how we interpret an event — based on what’s shown or not shown?
Framing
Why do leaders often use military action or crisis framing during scandals?
Wag the dog/ to appear strong and shift media focus
Which leader filmed casual selfie-videos during wartime to increase global support?
Zelensky
What’s the difference between agenda-setting and priming?
Agenda-setting = what we think about.
Priming = how we evaluate political actors based on that agenda.
Give one example of a modern leader using visual distraction to deflect from scandal.
Trump holding a bible in front of a church while people were protesting.
What polcom concept was used when Vladimir Putin “discovered” ancient Greek artifacts while scuba diving in a televised event?
Smoke and mirrors / Cult of personality visual propaganda
What’s the risk of relying on “smoke and mirrors” tactics in democratic societies?
Public distrust, backfire, or exposure through alternative media
Who claimed they were the “father, mother, and god” of their nation?
Idi Amin
What theory explains how crime coverage leads to people buying 12 locks for their front door?
You can ask for a hint...
Cultivation Theory
In 1960, John F. Kennedy won the television debate against Nixon because of ...
optics/ his looks and composure on TV
What color is often used in campaign design to signal trust and stability?
Blue
Describe how flooding the zone can work without any lies.
By overwhelming the public with trivial, true-but-irrelevant, or conflicting content to distract from important facts.
Which dictator renamed months of the year after himself and his mother?
Saparmurat Niyazov - Turkmenistan
Which country in the world popularized firehouse of falsehood in global information campaigns?
Russia
During COVID-19, which theory was used when conflicting rumors overwhelmed social media in 2020?
Firehose of falsehood
What’s the term for making a leader seem larger-than-life through statues, banners, dramatic lighting, and slow-mo montages?
Cult of personality visuals
Why does lying a lot work better than lying well?
People stop fact-checking and start scrolling
Which country claimed its leader invented the hamburger?
North Korea