What Is Propaganda? How It Works & Why You Can’t See It

You've been propagandised today. Probably in the last hour. And I'm not talking about political ads or conspiracy theories—I'm talking about ideas that feel so obvious, so natural, so true that you'd never think to question them.

In this episode, we explore what propaganda actually is, how it works in modern society, and why the most effective propaganda doesn't look like propaganda at all.

Here's what surprised me most while researching this episode:

The best propaganda isn't loud. It's not flashy. It's quiet, repetitive, and boring. It blends into the background until you forget there were other ways to think. And the language we use every day, from news headlines to social media, is doing more work than you realise.

We dive into:

• Why billionaires buy newspapers (and what that has to do with your morning coffee routine)
• Why does how we talk about certain things matter more than you think
• How "both sides" became propaganda itself
• A trend you've definitely seen on social media that's actually a masterclass in normalisation
• The question that changes everything: not whether you're influenced, but whether you're aware

You'll hear from: Jacques Ellul, Antonio Gramsci, Stuart Hall, Michel Foucault, and Paulo Freire, but don't worry, I make it actually interesting.

Fair warning: Once you hear this, you'll start seeing propaganda everywhere. Your social media feed. Your work culture. Maybe even in this very podcast description. There's no going back.

Listen, if you've ever wondered:

• Why certain ideas feel "obviously true"
• How the media shapes what we think is normal
• What makes something "extreme" vs. "reasonable"
• Whether you can actually think for yourself (spoiler: it's complicated)

See you on the Scenic Route!

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