Characteristics of Integration Propaganda

Aside from the necessity of propaganda, Ellul (1965) also outlined the characteristics of integration propaganda to further explain the concept. One such characteristic is that the propagandist must know the “psychological terrain” of its targets, know their opin- ions, stereotypes, myths, and needs. This is necessary because integration propaganda cannot be created out of thin air; it must play on an existing sentiment within the individual. Do the propagandists know and seek to gain this information? They certainly do. Pub- lic opinion polls are regularly conducted by PR firms and large corporations (Rampton & Stauber, 2001). PR firms collect rather detailed and specific information. For instance, the ICE, a corporate front group taking part in the lobby for lethargy campaign regarding global warming, polled the public and concluded that the ICE should target “younger, lower-income women” and “older, less-educated males from larger

344 BULLETIN OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY / October 2001

Nakajima / GREEN ADVERTISING AND GREEN PR 345

households who are not typically active information- bicide saving endangered species. Although it cannot seekers”. Also, recall that public opinion was studied

be called a lie, it is nevertheless misleading. to develop a plan for who should be targeted for green

It was shown that corporations often accuse envi- PR concerning chlorine. And it has been shown in the

ronmentalists of not telling the truth. This corresponds discussion above that PR firms also collect informa-

exactly to the tactic mentioned by Ellul (1965) of tion on environmental activists and environmental

claiming something is untrue when it is difficult to organizations. They closely monitor these possible

prove that it is true. Some environmental claims, such threats’ activities so that their potential for causing

as the effects of endocrine disruptors, are definitely damage can be minimized—for example, by making

difficult to prove. Ellul also wrote that hiding facts and sure the media does not hear about a new book or by

true intentions can be part of integration propaganda, ensuring industry’s side of the story is shared with the

such as corporations silencing environmentalists and public.

funding front groups with misleading names.

A second characteristic is that the propagandist must communicate the “fundamental currents” that

The Conditions for the Existence

are extant at any given conjuncture in society. Four of

of Integration Propaganda

these fundamental currents in contemporary society are that as human beings we strive for happiness, we

Ellul (1965) posited that there are necessary condi- are naturally good, history is progress, and all things of

tions for integration propaganda to exist and succeed. importance are material. Certainly, green ads and

The conditions outlined below present a favorable green PR play on these sentiments to ensure that our

milieu for integration propaganda. lifestyles are not so destructive and that we may con-

First, there is a certain average standard of living tinue to enjoy material goods as we strive toward prog-

that ensures that most citizens can afford to watch, ress and thus greater happiness. Industry, as has been

read, and listen to integration propaganda via the mass shown, does not hesitate to remind the public of its

media. This is ensured by education, which forms part contribution to progress via material goods and the

of what Ellul calls prepropaganda. It is what prepares economic turmoil that would result if this progress

people for receiving and reacting to integration propa- were hampered with environmental concerns.

ganda as intended by the propagandists. The corporate Thirdly, integration propaganda must be timely.

environmental education programs directed at school That is, it must relate to current events. The environ-

children is a form of prepropaganda. ment is certainly a current issue. Polls indicate that

Second, there is an average culture that ensures that 75% to 95% of Americans consider themselves

average people can read—although not too criti- “green” (Stauber & Rampton, 1995). As well, some

cally—and be able to relate to the relevant symbols, green ads and green PR are a response to a specific

stereotypes, and heroes. What symbols? The ones used event, such as the publication of Silent Spring and

in green ads and green PR are ones that our culture other books or the Kyoto climate change meetings.

associates with purity, beauty, innocence, and other

A characteristic of integration propaganda that virtues. Popular are beautiful nature scenes, especially applies very directly to green ads and green PR is that it

those with children or animals. Baby raccoons in consists of truth in facts but falsehoods in intentions

wetlands, an eagle in flight above untouched land and and interpretations. It was shown above that most of

a bobcat in the desert are pictured in a Chevron ad and the time, green ads and green PR do not use lies but

pelicans at a watering hole in an ad for British Petro- rather suggest that people draw nontruthful conclu-

leum. Some examples listed by Hawken (1993) are sions based on the available facts. Even the case of the

deer in virgin forests in an ad for a paper company that Mobil Oil bags, which claimed to be biodegradable

not only clear-cuts but also opposes the renewal of the when they were not judged to be so in court, did not

Endangered Species Act, and children cleaning up a involve outright lying. Rather, the bags were claimed

littered wildflower field using Mobil Oil plastic bags to be biodegradable under certain conditions, but the

claiming to be biodegradable as Native Americans conditions were far from those the bag would experi-

approvingly look on. As mentioned earlier, the latter ence in a landfill. This concurs with what Ellul (1965)

c o m p a ny wa s s u e d f o r t h i s fa l s e c l a i m o f discussed about presenting a fact without explanation

biodegradability by seven American states. or context. Recall also Monsanto’s claim of their her-

The third prerequisite is that there be plenty of information in the form of advertisements and other

346 BULLETIN OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY / October 2001

public relations efforts. As has been shown, green PR disruptors and negative health outcomes was con- is indeed ubiquitous. This information is necessary

demned for its irresolute conclusions. because it, in conjunction with the mass media of com-

Green ads and green PR also reinforce stereotypes munication, creates not only public opinion but also

and provide ready-made stereotypes for situations. the problem, such as the environmental crisis, and the

Stereotypes are justified on repeated exposure, such as solution, such as corporate clean ups and self-

the stereotype that environmentalists are untrustwor- regulation.

thy extremists. The effects are horrifying: through Finally, there must exist ideologies such as Nation-

crystallization, the images of integration propaganda alism, Democracy, Socialism, and Communism. The names that environmentalists are called to discredit

begin to occupy a person’s entire consciousness them (antiAmerican, communist, etc.) result from

and to push out other feelings and judgments. All being perceived as opposing one of these ideologies.

truly personal activity on the part of the individ- Ideologies do not serve as motivating forces for inte-

ual is diminished, and man finally is filled with gration propaganda; rather they are in the service of

nothing but these prejudices and beliefs around integration propaganda by furnishing it with forceful

which all else revolves. In his personal life, man language and symbols.

will eventually judge everything by such crystal- lized standards (Ellul, 1965, p. 165).

The Effects of Integration Propaganda

Ellul (1965) argued that integration propaganda re- Ellul (1965) noted that it is difficult to distinguish

sults in alienation; that is, it possesses people to the de- the effects of different media and of the contents and

gree that they can no longer be themselves. This is con- the medium itself. Along similar lines, it is difficult to

sistent with the effects of the technological system into separate the effects of ads and articles in magazines

which propaganda eases integration. Integration pro- and journals. Ads may be remembered as news. A look

paganda reduces critical thinking and personal opin- at the American journals Chemical and Engineering

ions because of the crystallization effect and because News and Chemical Engineering revealed very few

its role is to fill our need to reduce tensions. It makes us green ads in 1998 and 1999. However, this was only a

less questioning of future integration propaganda. It small sample and may not be representative. Neverthe-

leads us to believe that environmental problems are be- less, it is explainable by Ellul’s theory because there is

ing managed and solved.

no need for overt green ads considering the journals There is already evidence for this longer-term are filled with articles and ads about how chemicals are

effect. Many characterize environmentalism since the making our world better and safer.

mid-1990’s as voluntarism. This reflects the attitude Psychological crystallization refers to the effect ads

that environmentalism can be left up to the companies. can have of making vague ideas concrete. For exam-

These ideas are also evident in governments’ policies ple, vague ideas about what a company is doing crys-

of deregulation of the environment. tallize into, “This is a good company”. Chevron’s logo

Psychic dissociation between thought and action is seen beside an image of baby raccoons in wetlands

another effect mentioned by Ellul (1965). It occurs over and over again becomes, “Chevron is environ-

because our actions regarding the environment are mentally friendly.” Combined with the effect of other

automatically called for to a great extent by green ads similar ads, the message develops into, “Industry is

and green PR. Action bypasses thought. Because taking care of the environmental problem”.

green ads and green PR assure us that environmental Everything is black or white in the world of ads. A

problems are being taken care of by industry or are not company is either good or bad, clean or dirty. This

very serious, we do not consider the effect of our makes life easier for people by stripping the complexi-

actions on the biosphere very often. Although almost ties of the situation to require less genuine thinking—a

all our actions have an effect, we only think of very few threat to the technological system. Recall that even

of them, such as when we throw something into a recy- minor criticisms are not tolerated by industry. Com-

cling box.

panies are also uncomfortable with ideas that are not Green ads and green PR should create a need for clearly good or bad. For example, the book Our Stolen

more green ads and green PR according to Ellul Future that suggests a link between endocrine

because of the effect of mithridatization. This is the

Nakajima / GREEN ADVERTISING AND GREEN PR 347

term offered by Ellul to explain how people require objective information can be a goal. Specifically, we more and more integration propaganda to have the

can try to investigate where the source of the mes- same effect because they become desensitized to it.

sage’s funding is coming from and pause to think what They become indifferent to it, yet they still have a need

they may have to gain from sending a particular mes- for it. No longer do they have to pay close attention for

sage. Although we can strive to be mindful of the exis- integration propaganda to have an effect. For example,

tence of green advertising and green PR tactics, it is in 1990, during the peak period of public environmen-

daunting that ordinary citizens normally do not have tal awareness, the number of green ads increased by

the time or resources to investigate. Furthermore, large more than a factor of three (Rowell, 1996). In contrast,

corporations and industry organizations will almost few green ads were observed in the study of 1998 and

always prevail in a battle against citizens because they 1999 journals. There is another explanation according

have so many more resources in terms of money, law- to Ellul (1965). He also suggested the opposite effect

yers, PR firms, and time that they can devote. of sensitization. Over time, smaller and smaller doses

(Rampton & Stauber, 2001).

are required to produce the same actions. This theory But it must be remembered that this battle against may better explain the current situation.

integration propaganda is part of the war against tech- The world of technique allows for and necessitates

nique, for integration propaganda exists because of integration propaganda. We live in a world of tech-

technique. Green ads and green PR are examples of nique, as exhibited by Ellul in The Technological Soci-

how we are being integrated into the technological sys- ety (1964) and The Technological System (1980).

tem. Integration propaganda is one of the strongest Environmentalism is a reaction to this technological

tentacles with which technique grips humanity. It lim- system. It is an attempt to assert the importance of

its humanity’s ability to direct the future on human human values in decision making in a world where

terms because our thought patterns are so incredibly technological values dominate.

influenced by integration propaganda. It also reduces the tension in our lives so that we can be at ease and not

Conclusion

disturb the technological system. But we need tension to be able to live full, human lives, according to Ellul

Ellul’s theory of integration propaganda provides a (1965). We must pursue genuine tensions, instead of good explanation for what has been observed about

trying to rid ourselves of them by adaptation and green advertising and green public relations. The the-

integration.

ory presents us with a frightening and unpleasant Not only do green ads and green PR stand in the way explanation of our society’s situation. Industry

of allowing us to deal with tensions that we need, they unleashes its message to the media and the public,

also obstruct one of the ways for reducing the effect of often without us knowing that the message originates

technique, namely to have access to more full and with industry. We may think it is coming from a neutral

more objective information and to think critically. This stakeholder. This even happens in the education sys-

is exactly what is required to begin to weaken the influ- tem. When faced with a threat, industry is proficient at

ence of technique, but it is precisely what integration denying it even when it is true, avoiding the issue or

propaganda makes so difficult. shifting blame. At the same time, voices that call attention to important problems are kept from being heard

Note

by the public because they are personally attacked or misrepresented by industry and thus often by the

1. A similar definition employed by Vanderburg (2000, p. 226)

media.

is “the ensemble of means rationally arrived at to obtain the great-

What can be done? Full and objective information is est possible efficiency in all spheres of life.”

a weapon against integration propaganda, but as Ellul (1965) noted, and the green ad and green PR strategies

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Characteristics of Integration Propaganda