A portmanteau pairing of the words “agitation” and “propaganda,” usually used to describe media productions (posters, books, movies, music, etc.) designed to instill pro-system thought patterns into those who consume them.
In turn, these implanted thoughts lead to actions that in some way
bolster or directly advance official state policies.
Agitprop runs a
gauntlet, ranging from the crude propaganda posters of the former Soviet Union to today’s highly-polished MTV fare.
Agitprop can be
pathos (emotion) based, logos-heavy, (logic) or even a combination of both. It works both the high and the low ground. Regardless of the form it takes, the ultimate goal of
agitprop is the production of pro-state thought and action.
After having blasted his
eyeballs with countless hours of Fox News television agitprop,
Joe Sixpack was ready to head to the nearest Army recruiting office and
sign up to fight “islamo-fascists.”