Whatever Happened to Propaganda? Communication Curricula in Spain, Democracy, and the Logic of Depropagandization
Communication and Democracy, 57 (2):
203-229 (2023)DOI: 10.1080/27671127.2023.2213760
Abstract
The term “propaganda” has gradually vanished from communication studies and has been substituted with a plethora of euphemisms. This relates to the notion of “depropagandization,” that is, the disappearance of the term “propaganda” from certain contexts after World War II. These changes have impacted how communication undergraduate students learn about their discipline. To ascertain whether depropagandization is influencing the ways in which they learn about propaganda and propaganda-related issues – and, consequently, the ways in which civic education on communication is approached – a content analysis was performed on 97 communication degree programs offered at 55 public and private Spanish universities. We analyze the degrees and courses addressing propaganda-related topics, the key terms employed in the titles of the courses, and the relationship between propaganda-related curricula and power, ideology, and the historical past. Results indicate that the Spanish academic world is immersed in a process of depropagandization, thus giving rise to a potentially uncritical – and euphemism-laden – approach to propaganda. Given the relevance that the critical appraisal of propaganda has for democratic societies, depropagandization may undermine the development of a discriminating citizenry, as well as the assessment of potentially harmful messages.