Goebbels' Principles

Basic Principles

Goebbels' Principles of Propaganda

  1. Propagandists must have access to intelligence concerning events and public opinion.
  2. Propaganda must be planned and executed by only one authority.
  3. The Propaganda consequences of an action must be considered in planning that action.
  4. Propaganda must affect the enemy's policy and actions.
  5. Declassified, operational information must be available to implement a propaganda campaign.
  6. To be perceived, propaganda must evoke the interest of an audience and must be transmitted through an attention-getting medium.
  7. Credibility alone must determine whether propaganda output should be true or false.
  8. The purpose, content, and effectiveness of enemy propaganda; the strength and effects of an expose'; and the nature of current propaganda campaigns determine whether enemy propaganda should be ignored or refuted.
  9. Credibility, intelligence, and the possible effects of communicating determine whether propaganda materials should be censored.
  10. Material from enemy propaganda may be utilized in operations when it helps diminish that enemy's prestige or lends support to the propagandist's own objective.
  11. Black rather than white propaganda must be employed when the latter is less credible or produces undesirable effects.
  12. Propaganda may be facilitated by leaders with prestige.
  13. Propaganda must be carefully timed.
  14. Propaganda must label events and people with distinctive phrases or slogans.
  15. Propaganda to the home front must prevent the raising of false hopes which can be blasted by future events.
  16. Propaganda to the home front must create an optimum anxiety level.
  17. Propaganda to the home front must diminish the impact of frustration.
  18. Propaganda must facilitate the displacement of aggression by specifying the targets for hatred.
  19. Propaganda cannot immediately affect strong counter-tendencies; instead it must offer some form of action or diversion, or both.

These would be principles guiding the conduct of propaganda operations.