Goebbels' Principles
Basic Principles
- Avoid abstract ideas - appeal to the emotions.
- Constantly repeat just a few ideas. Use stereotyped phrases.
- Give only one side of the argument.
- Continuously criticize your opponents.
- Pick out one special "enemy" for special vilification.
Goebbels' Principles of Propaganda
- Propagandists must have access to intelligence concerning events and public opinion.
- Propaganda must be planned and executed by only one authority.
- The Propaganda consequences of an action must be considered in planning that action.
- Propaganda must affect the enemy's policy and actions.
- Declassified, operational information must be available to implement a propaganda campaign.
- To be perceived, propaganda must evoke the interest of an audience and must be
transmitted through an attention-getting medium.
- Credibility alone must determine whether propaganda output should be true or false.
- 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.
- Credibility, intelligence, and the possible effects of communicating
determine whether propaganda materials should be censored.
- 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.
- Black rather than white propaganda must be employed when the latter is less
credible or produces undesirable effects.
- Propaganda may be facilitated by leaders with prestige.
- Propaganda must be carefully timed.
- Propaganda must label events and people with distinctive phrases or slogans.
- Propaganda to the home front must prevent the raising of false hopes
which can be blasted by future events.
- Propaganda to the home front must create an optimum anxiety level.
- Propaganda to the home front must diminish the impact of frustration.
- Propaganda must facilitate the displacement of aggression by specifying the
targets for hatred.
- 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.