Are Conservative Memes Effective Propaganda?

Unlike traditional forms of propaganda, memes operate within the logic of internet culture: They are participatory, decentralized, and often created anonymously. These characteristics contribute to their effectiveness as propaganda tools in the following ways: Memes are sometimes seen by audiences as propaganda (dupuis & williams, 2019) and may use populist strategiessuch as employing polarizing speech, expressing political discontent, and criticizing elitesto convey their messages (kristensen & mortensen, 2021), suggesting that providing political information may not be a primary goal of these. One thought is that political memes are meant to spread informationtrue or false.

Increasingly, memes are being utilized as a tool for spreading propaganda, subtly shaping public opinion and influencing political discourse. This article explores how memes function as effective propaganda vehicles and the implications for the digital age. Memes have proven to be a particularly effective tool for computational propagandists, allowing them to convey complex ideas with minimal effort. Ever since the 2016 u. s. Misleading political memes were heavily manipulated, with almost 70% of them appearing to have some alteration, and more than 64% using shading and highlight modulation techniques.