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Propaganda

Propaganda Posters: Why were they needed and were they effective?

  1. The spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person.
  2. Ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause; also : a public action having such an effect.

-From the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

In 1942, the United States government established the Office of War Information (OWI) as a propaganda agency. The purpose of the OWI was to rally support for the war by creating posters, photographs, short films, news reports, and other ways to inform the public about World War II. The propaganda used as part of the poster campaign dealt with everything from enlisting in the armed forces, buying war bonds, conserving food and fuel, to war production, the role of women and minorities in the war effort, and labor-management relations.