Week 3 Assignment: Melany Keroglyan

Week 3 Assignment: Melany Keroglyan

Discussion questions based on the David Welch reading “Nazi Propaganda and the Volksgemeinschaft: Constructing a People’s Community”:

• In the reading, Welch notes that Nazi Germany propaganda aimed to alter public view and affirm existing perspectives and opinions. How did Nazi propaganda counteract the reinforcement of already established existing values while pushing to create a new value system? Can we pull similarities amongst these past propaganda methods and the political-based communication that currently exists in our present day?

Discussion questions based on the Alan Sennett reading “Film Propaganda: Triumph of the Will as a Case Study”:

• The written case study by Sennett explores the function of realism and manipulation of information in propaganda movies. In what ways does the film’s usage of actual historical affairs, orchestrated sequences, and editing styles impact its persuasiveness as an element of political propaganda?

The readings by David Welch and Alan Sennett present insights into the ideas of propaganda, the media’s function in shaping the public’s views, and the intricacies of historical/art-based propaganda. Both articles stress the movie’s importance, as it is a powerful political mechanism for spreading propaganda. Welch’s reading concentrates on Nazi propaganda and how the Nazi regime ideology can be applied to observers through film. On the other hand, Sennett’s article explores the controversy surrounding Riefenstahl’s film Triumph of the Will and whether it should be categorized as a piece of art, propaganda, or both. It would be interesting to further examine these propaganda films’ various aesthetic/stylistic techniques and processes and how they sought to attain distinct political goals.