Propaganda Techniques

This page describes the 23 persuasion techniques detected by the pipeline. Each entry lists the technique name, its internal runner identifier, and a description based on the annotation guidelines from the JRC Technical Report “Annotation Guidelines for Propaganda Techniques” (JRC132862).

Technique	Runner	Description
Repetition	RepetitionRunner	Repeating the same message over and over again so that the audience will eventually accept it.
Exaggeration / Minimisation	ExaggerationRunner	Either representing something in an excessive manner, or making something seem less important or smaller than it really is.
Obfuscation	ObfuscationRunner	Using words which are deliberately not clear so that the audience may have its own interpretations.
Loaded Language	LoadedLanguageRunner	Using specific words and phrases with strong emotional implications (either positive or negative) to influence an audience.
Whataboutism	WhataboutismRunner	A technique that attempts to discredit an opponent’s position by charging them with hypocrisy without directly disproving their argument.
Kairos	KairosRunner	Exploiting a specific moment in time by presenting arguments as uniquely urgent or timely, pressuring audiences to act immediately by suggesting that the opportunity or crisis is fleeting and will not return.
Conversation Killer	ConversationKillerRunner	Words or phrases (thought-terminating clichés) that discourage critical thought and meaningful discussion about a given topic.
Slippery Slope	SlipperyRunner	Arguing that one event will inevitably lead to increasingly negative consequences, assuming a direct causal chain without sufficient evidence between an initial action and an extreme endpoint.
Slogan	SloganRunner	A brief and striking phrase that may include labeling and stereotyping. Slogans tend to act as emotional appeals.
Appeal to Values	AppealToValuesRunner	Connecting a message to deeply held beliefs or principles valued by the audience—such as patriotism, family, or justice—to encourage support without necessarily addressing logical arguments.
Red Herring	RedHerringRunner	Introducing irrelevant material to the issue being discussed, so that everyone’s attention is diverted away from the points made.
Straw Man	StrawmanRunner	An opponent’s proposition is substituted with a similar one which is then refuted in place of the original proposition.
Appeal to Fear / Prejudice	FearPrejudiceRunner	Seeking to build support for an idea by instilling anxiety and/or panic in the population towards an alternative.
Appeal to Authority	AuthorityRunner	Stating that a claim is true simply because a valid authority or expert on the issue said it was true, without any other supporting evidence offered.
Bandwagon	BandwagonRunner	Attempting to persuade the target audience to join in and take the course of action because everyone else is taking the same action.
Casting Doubt	CastingDoubtRunner	Questioning the credibility or character of an opponent in order to undermine their argument without engaging with its substance.
Flag Waving	FlagWavingRunner	Playing on strong national feeling (or loyalty to any group, e.g. race, gender, political preference) to justify or promote an action or idea.
Smear / Poisoning the Well	SmearPoisoningRunner	An effort to damage or call into question someone’s reputation by propounding negative propaganda before they have a chance to speak.
Tu Quoque	TuQuoqueRunner	Literally “you too”: deflects criticism by pointing out similar or worse behavior by opponents rather than defending against the accusation, claiming moral inconsistency.
Guilt by Association	GuiltByAssociationRunner	Persuading an audience to disapprove of an action or idea by suggesting that it is popular with groups held in contempt by the target audience.
Name Calling / Labeling	NameCallingRunner	Applying derogatory or emotionally charged labels to individuals or groups in order to provoke fear, hatred, or contempt without engaging with their actual positions.
Causal Oversimplification	CausalOversimplificationRunner	Assuming a single cause or reason when there are actually multiple causes for an issue, including transferring blame to one person or group without investigating the complexities.
False Dilemma	FalseDilemmaRunner	Presenting two alternative options as the only possibilities when in fact more possibilities exist (black-and-white fallacy).