I do not by any means want to deny that I and my fellow workers selected news and quotations following a certain tendency. It is the curse of propaganda during war that one works only with black and white. But to my knowledge it is a mistake to believe that in the Propaganda Ministry thousands of little lies were hatched out. If we had lied on a thousand small things, the enemy would have been able to deal with us more easily than was the case.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker admits propaganda uses black-and-white framing but denies systematic lies, arguing truthfulness helped credibility during war.
- In plain terms
- He admits propaganda simplifies reality but claims they avoided small lies to maintain trust.
- What can you take from it?
- Credibility in propaganda depends on avoiding detectable lies.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can propaganda be ethical?
- How does truth serve manipulation?
Another view
It defends propaganda by redefining honesty strategically.
More from Hans Fritzsche
I often said that never in the history of the world did one man receive so much faith and trust as Hitler. Similary, no one has ever betrayed so many people an…
Permalink to quote #7 ...the 'finely polished word' of Hans Fritzsche was as effective as the surgeon's knife in cutting through the putrefying tissue of lies and laying bare the tr…
Permalink to quote #9 In the first place, there is the Hitler group, among whom are the most guilty of the defendants and about whom very little, if any, good can be spoken. By the …
Permalink to quote #6
Related quotes
Of course, it was not a true uprising of the people. It was inspired by America and other agents. The 'Voice of America' really started it.
Paul RobesonPaul Robeson quote #5 Falsehood is a recognized and extremely useful weapon in warfare, and every country uses it quite deliberately to deceive its own people, to attract neutrals, …
Arthur PonsonbyArthur Ponsonby quote #6 People must never be allowed to become despondent; so victories must be exaggerated and defeats, if not concealed, at any rate minimized, and the stimulus of i…
Arthur PonsonbyArthur Ponsonby quote #8