# Spin (propaganda)

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Spin_(propaganda)
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Spin_(propaganda).md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spin_(propaganda)
> Source revision: 1343480456
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Form of propaganda in public relations and politics

"Spin doctor" redirects here. For the rock band, see [Spin Doctors](/source/Spin_Doctors).

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United Kingdom and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new article, as appropriate. (March 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article may be confusing or unclear to readers. Please help clarify the article. There might be a discussion about this on the talk page. (March 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Further information: [Framing (social sciences)](/source/Framing_(social_sciences))

Public figures use [press conferences](/source/Press_conference) so often as a way to control the timing and specificity of their messages to the media that press conference facilities have been nicknamed "[spin rooms](/source/Spin_room)".

In [public relations](/source/Public_relations) and [politics](/source/Politics), **spin** is a form of [propaganda](/source/Propaganda), achieved through knowingly providing a biased interpretation of an event. While traditional public relations and [advertising](/source/Advertising) may manage their presentation of facts, "spin" often implies the use of [disingenuous](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/disingenuous), [deceptive](/source/Deceptive), and [manipulative](/source/Psychological_manipulation) tactics.[1]

Because of the frequent association between spin and [press conferences](/source/Press_conference) (especially [government](/source/Government) press conferences), the room in which these conferences take place is sometimes described as a "[spin room](/source/Spin_room)".[2] Public relations [advisors](/source/Adviser), pollsters and [media consultants](/source/Media_consultant) who develop deceptive or misleading messages may be referred to as "**spin doctors**" or "**spinmeisters**".

A standard tactic used in "spinning" is to reframe or modify the perception of an issue or event to reduce any negative impact it might have on public opinion. For example, a company whose top-selling product is found to have a significant safety problem may "reframe" the issue by criticizing the safety of its main competitor's products or by highlighting the risk associated with the entire product category. This might be done using a "catchy" [slogan](/source/Slogan) or [sound bite](/source/Sound_bite) that can help to persuade the public of the company's biased [point of view](/source/Point_of_view_(philosophy)). This tactic could enable the company to refocus the public's attention away from the negative aspects of its product.

Spinning is typically a service provided by paid media advisors and media consultants. The largest and most powerful companies may have in-house employees and sophisticated units with expertise in spinning issues. While spin is often considered to be a private-sector tactic, in the 1990s and 2000s some politicians and political staff were accused of using deceptive "spin" tactics to manipulate or deceive the public. Spin may include "burying" potentially negative new information by releasing it at the end of the workday on the last day before a long weekend; selectively [cherry-picking](/source/Cherry-picking) quotes from previous speeches made by their employer or an opposing politician to give the impression that they advocate a certain position; or purposely [leaking](/source/News_leak) [misinformation](/source/Misinformation) about an opposing politician or candidate that casts them in a negative light.[3]

## History

Part of a series on Rhetoric History Ancient India Ancient Greece Asianism Atticism Attic orators Calliope Classical rhetoric Sophists Ancient Rome The age of Cicero Second Sophistic Middle Ages Byzantine rhetoric Trivium Renaissance Studia humanitatis Modern period Concepts Captatio benevolentiae Chironomia Decorum Delectare Docere Device Eloquence Eloquentia perfecta Eunoia Enthymeme Facilitas Fallacy Informal Figure of speech Scheme Trope Five canons Inventio Dispositio Elocutio Memoria Pronuntiatio Hypsos Imitatio Kairos Method of loci Modes Operations Persuasion Ethos Pathos Logos Situation Style Grand Sotto voce Topos Genres Apologetics Debate Declamation Controversia Deliberative Demagogy Dialectic Socratic method Dissoi logoi Elocution Epideictic Encomium Panegyric Eulogy Farewell speech Forensic Funeral oration Homiletics‎ Sermon Invitational Lecture Public Lightning talk Maiden speech Oratory Polemic Diatribe Eristic Philippic Progymnasmata Suasoria Propaganda Spin Resignation speech Stump speech War-mongering Criticism Cluster Dramatic Pentadic Frame Genre Ideological Metaphoric Mimesis Narrative Neo-Aristotelian Rhetoricians Aeschines Aelius Aristides Antiphon Aristotle Aspasia Augustine Bakhtin Booth Brueggemann Burke Cicero de Man Demosthenes Derrida Dio Chrysostom Erasmus Gorgias Hobbes Hypereides Isocrates Lucian Lysias McLuhan Ong Perelman Pizan Protagoras Quintilian Ramus Richards Seneca the Elder Smith Toulmin Vico Weaver Works Gorgias (380 BC) Phaedrus (c. 370 BC) Rhetoric (c. 350 BC) Rhetoric to Alexander (c. 350 BC) De Sophisticis Elenchis (c. 350 BC) Topics (c. 350 BC) De Inventione (84 BC) Rhetorica ad Herennium (80 BC) De Oratore (55 BC) A Dialogue Concerning Oratorical Partitions (c. 50 BC) De Optimo Genere Oratorum (46 BC) Orator (46 BC) On the Sublime (c. 50) Institutio Oratoria (95) Panegyrici Latini (100–400) Dialogus de oratoribus (102) De doctrina Christiana (426) De vulgari eloquentia (1305) Copia: Foundations of the Abundant Style (1521) Language as Symbolic Action (1966) A General Rhetoric (1970) Subfields Argumentation Cognitive Contrastive Constitutive Digital Feminist Native American New Health and medicine Pedagogy Procedural Science Technology Therapy Visual Composition Related Ars dictaminis Communication studies Composition studies Doxa Glossary of rhetorical terms Glossophobia List of feminist rhetoricians List of speeches Oral skills Orator Pistis Public rhetoric Rhetoric of social intervention model Rhetrickery Rogerian argument Seduction Speechwriting Talking point TED Terministic screen Toulmin model Wooden iron v t e

### Rise of political spin

[Edward Bernays](/source/Edward_Bernays) has been called the "Father of Public Relations". Bernays helped [tobacco](/source/Tobacco) and [alcohol](/source/Alcohol_(drug)) companies make consumption of their products more socially acceptable, and he was proud of his work as a propagandist.[4] Throughout the 1990s, the use of spin by politicians and parties accelerated, especially in the [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom); the emergence of 24-hour news increased pressures placed upon journalists to provide nonstop content, which was further intensified by the competitive nature of British broadcasters and newspapers, and content quality declined due to 24-hour news' and political parties' techniques for handling the increased demand.[5] This led to journalists relying more heavily on the public relations industry as a source for stories, and advertising revenue as a profit source, making them more susceptible to spin.[6]

Spin in the United Kingdom began to break down with the high-profile resignations of the architects of spin within the [New Labour](/source/New_Labour) government, with [Charlie Whelan](/source/Charlie_Whelan) resigning as [Gordon Brown](/source/Gordon_Brown)'s spokesman in 1999 and [Alastair Campbell](/source/Alastair_Campbell) resigning as [Tony Blair](/source/Tony_Blair)'s Press Secretary in 2003.[3][7] As information technology has increased since the end of the 20th century, commentators like [Joe Trippi](/source/Joe_Trippi) have advanced the theory that modern [Internet activism](/source/Internet_activism) spells the end for political spin, in that the Internet may reduce the effectiveness of spin by providing immediate counterpoints.[8]

### Examples of spin doctors

Spin doctors can either command media attention or remain anonymous. Examples from the UK include [Jamie Shea](/source/Jamie_Shea) during his time as [NATO](/source/NATO)'s press secretary throughout the [Kosovo War](/source/Kosovo_War), Charlie Whelan, and [Alastair Campbell](/source/Alastair_Campbell).[6][*[clarification needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Please_clarify)*]

Campbell, previously a journalist before becoming Tony Blair's [Press Secretary](/source/Downing_Street_Press_Secretary), was the driving force behind a government that was able to produce the message it wanted in the media. He played a key role in important decisions, with advisors viewing him as a 'Deputy Prime Minister' inseparable from Blair.[9] Campbell identifies how he was able to spin [Rupert Murdoch](/source/Rupert_Murdoch), during a meeting in July 1995, into positively reporting an upcoming Blair speech, gathering the support from *[The Sun](/source/The_Sun_(United_Kingdom))* and *[The Times](/source/The_Times)*, popular British newspapers.[10] Campbell later acknowledged that his and the government's spinning had contributed to the electorate's growing distrust of politicians, and he asserted that spin must cease.[11]

"Spin doctors" such as Shea praised and respected Campbell's work. In 1999, during the beginning of [NATO's intervention in Kosovo](/source/NATO_bombing_of_Yugoslavia), Shea's media strategy was non-existent before the arrival of Campbell and his team. Campbell taught Shea how to organise his team to deliver what he wanted to be in the media, which led to Shea being appreciated for his work by President [Bill Clinton](/source/Bill_Clinton).[9]

## Techniques

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (March 2026)

Some spin techniques include:

- Selectively presenting facts and quotes that support one's position ("[cherry picking](/source/Cherry_picking_(fallacy))"). For example, a pharmaceutical company could choose only two trials where their product shows a positive effect and ignore hundreds of unsuccessful trials, or a politician's staff could handpick short speech quotations from past years which appear to show their candidate's support for a certain position.

- [Non-denial denial](/source/Non-denial_denial) – Statement that seems to deny an accusation but does not

- [Non-apology apology](/source/Non-apology_apology) – Purported apology that lacks remorsePages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets

- "[Mistakes were made](/source/Mistakes_were_made)" is an example of [distancing language](/source/Distancing_language), commonly used as a rhetorical device, whereby a speaker acknowledges that a situation was managed inappropriately but evades any direct responsibility. The expression focuses on the action, omitting any actor, via the [passive voice](/source/English_passive_voice), and "mistakes" are framed in an indirect sense that does not imply intent. A less evasive [active voice](/source/Active_voice) construction would focus on the actor, such as: "I made mistakes" or "John Doe made mistakes."

- Speaking in a way that [assumes unproven claims](/source/Begging_the_question) or [avoids the question](/source/Avoiding_the_question)[12]

- "Burying bad news": announcing unpopular things when the media is expected to be focusing on other news. In some cases, governments have released potentially controversial reports on summer long weekends. Sometimes "other news" is deliberately supplied.[3]

- Misdirection and diversion[13] This is when a government leaks a story to the news to limit the coverage of a more damaging story that has been circulating. New Labour used this tactic to reduce the coverage of Foreign Secretary [Robin Cook](/source/Robin_Cook)**’**s affair. This was achieved by leaking a story that a previous Governor of Hong Kong was under investigation by MI6.[3]

- [Limited hangout](/source/Limited_hangout) – Espionage jargon

- Rewarding like-minded or amenable journalists with stories. During the [Rhodesia crisis](/source/Rhodesia_crisis) of 1964, [Harold Wilson](/source/Harold_Wilson) formulated a list of journalists that he trusted to write stories that aligned with the government’s opinion.[3]

- Preventing access to journalists or broadcasters that are reporting to the disliking of the spin doctor. An example is [the *World at One*](/source/The_World_at_One) being ignored by New Labour in the build up to the [1997 General election](/source/1997_United_Kingdom_general_election) due to an interview they held with Blair that asked difficult questions, leading to interviews being handed to other stations.[9]

- [Dead cat strategy](/source/Dead_cat_strategy)

- [Astroturfing](/source/Astroturfing)

- [Big lie](/source/Big_lie)

- [Doublespeak](/source/Doublespeak)

For years, businesses have used fake or misleading [customer testimonials](/source/Testimonial#Customer) by editing/spinning customers to reflect a much more satisfied experience than was actually the case. In 2009, the [Federal Trade Commission](/source/Federal_Trade_Commission) updated their laws to include measures to prohibit this type of "spinning" and have been enforcing these laws as of late.[14]

## Impact on elections

The extent of the impact of "spin doctors" is contested, though their presence is still recognized in the political environment. The 1997 UK general election saw a landslide victory for New Labour with a 10.3% swing from [Conservative](/source/Conservative_Party_(UK)) to [Labour](/source/Labour_Party_(UK)), with help from newspapers such as *The Sun* towards which [Alastair Campbell](/source/Alastair_Campbell) focused his spinning tactics as he greatly valued their support.[15] The famous newspaper headline 'The Sun Backs Blair' was a key turning point in the campaign which provided New Labour with a lot of confidence and hope of increased electoral support.[16] The change in political alignment had an impact on the electorate, with the number of individuals voting for Labour that read switching newspapers rising by 19.4%, compared to only 10.8% by those that did not read switching newspapers; a study conducted by Ladd and Lenz.[17]

## See also

- [Managing the news](/source/Managing_the_news) – Media manipulation

- [Media manipulation](/source/Media_manipulation) – Techniques in which partisans create an image that favours their interests

- [*Spin* (1995 film)](/source/Spin_(1995_film))

- [*Spin Dictators*](/source/Spin_Dictators) – 2022 political science book

- [SpinSpotter](/source/SpinSpotter) – Online service to identify news bias and inaccuracy

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [William Safire](/source/William_Safire), "[The Spinner Spun](https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/22/magazine/the-spinner-spun.html)", *New York Times*, December 22, 1996.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Michael, Powell. ["Tit for Tat on a Night Where Spin Is Master,"](https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/22/us/politics/22scene.html) *New York Times.* February 22, 2008.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:0_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:0_3-4) Gaber, Ivor (1999). "Government by spin: an analysis of the process". *[Contemporary Politics](/source/Contemporary_Politics)*. **5** (3): 263–275. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1080/13569779908450008](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F13569779908450008).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Stauber, John and Sheldon Rampton. ["Book Review: *The Father of Spin: Edward L. Bernays & The Birth of PR* by Larry Tye,"](http://www.prwatch.org/prwissues/1999Q2/bernays.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20081121185416/http://www.prwatch.org/prwissues/1999Q2/bernays.html) 2008-11-21 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) *PR Watch* (Second Quarter 1999). Vol. 6, No. 2.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Jones, Nicholas (2003). "24-hours media". *Journal of Public Affairs*. **3** (1): 27–31. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1002/pa.130](https://doi.org/10.1002%2Fpa.130).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_6-1) Street, John (2011). [*Mass media, politics and democracy*](https://books.google.com/books?id=sOkcBQAAQBAJ&q=Mass+media+politics+and+democracy&pg=PR10). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781137015556](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781137015556).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Gaber, Ivor (2004). "Alastair Campbell, exit stage left: Do the "Phillis" recommendations represent a new chapter in political communications or is it "business as usual"?". *Journal of Public Affairs*. **4** (4): 365–373. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1002/pa.199](https://doi.org/10.1002%2Fpa.199).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Branigan, Tania, "[Internet spells end for political spin, says US web guru](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/jun/13/newmedia.egovernment)", *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. 12 June 2007.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:2_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:2_9-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:2_9-2) Oberne, Peter (1999). [*Alastair Campbell: New Labour and the rise of the media class*](https://books.google.com/books?id=he15AAAAIAAJ). London: Aurum. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781854106476](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781854106476).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Campbell, Alastair and; Scott, Richard (2007). [*The Blair years: extracts from the Alastair Campbell diaries*](https://books.google.com/books?id=QlMMhKCUfIMC&q=The+Blair+Years&pg=PR11). London: Hutchinson. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780099514756](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780099514756).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Campbell, Alastair (2002). "It's time to bury spin". *British Journal Review*. **13** (4): 15–23. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1177/095647480201300403](https://doi.org/10.1177%2F095647480201300403). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [143847032](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:143847032).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Staff. "[Are these examples of political spin?](https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/are-these-examples-of-political-spin/7265.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120815015401/http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/are-these-examples-of-political-spin/7265.html) 2012-08-15 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)". *[BBC Learning Zone](/source/BBC_Learning_Zone)*. Clip 7265. 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-weissman_13-0)** Weissman, Jerry. "[Spin vs. Topspin](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jerry-weissman/spin-versus-topspin_b_218103.html)". *[The Huffington Post](/source/The_Huffington_Post)*. 19 June 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["FTC Publishes Final Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials"](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2009/10/ftc-publishes-final-guides-governing-endorsements-testimonials). *Federal Trade Commission*. 2009-10-05. Retrieved 2019-07-24.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Fielding, Steven (2002). [*The Labour Party: continuity and change in the making of 'New' Labour*](https://books.google.com/books?id=zi5dDwAAQBAJ&q=The+Labour+Party%3A+continuity+and+change+in+the+making+of+%E2%80%98New%E2%80%99+Labour.&pg=PR1). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781403940445](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781403940445).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Greensalde, Roy (1997). ["It's the Sun wot's switched sides back to Blair"](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/1997/mar/18/past.roygreenslade). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 4 November 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Ladd, Jonathan M. and; Lenz, Gabriel S. (2009). "Exploiting a Rare Communication Shift to Document the Persuasive Power of the News Media". *American Journal of Political Science*. **53** (2): 394–410. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/j.1540-5907.2009.00377.x](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1540-5907.2009.00377.x).

## Bibliography

- Roberts, Alasdair S. (2005). ["Spin Control and Freedom of Information: Lessons for the United Kingdom from Canada"](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID1308145_code383666.pdf?abstractid=1308145) (PDF). *Public Administration*. **83**: 1–23. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/j.0033-3298.2005.00435.x](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.0033-3298.2005.00435.x).

- [Kathleen Hall Jamieson](/source/Kathleen_Hall_Jamieson) and Brooks Jackson (2007): *unSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation*, (Random House Paperback, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1400065660](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1400065660))

v t e Disinformation and misinformation Core content Disinformation Misinformation Propaganda Disinformation attack Disinformation research Publications about disinformation Mechanisms Psychological Cognitive bias List Denialism Manipulation Misinformation effect Political polarization Psychology of climate change denial Computational Algorithmic radicalization Content moderation Community notes Internet manipulation Social bot Social networking service List User-generated content Economic Fake news websites Surveillance capitalism Programmatic advertising Media and Politics Audience fragmentation Echo chamber (media) Fake news Media bias Media culture Media manipulation Tactics Astroturfing Big Lie Circular reporting Clickbait Conspiracy theory List Culture war Deception Deepfake Disinformation playbook Dog whistle (politics) Doublespeak Doxxing Fake news Fake news website List of fake news websites List of satirical fake news websites False accusation False attribution False balance Fear, uncertainty, and doubt Firehose of falsehood Forgery as covert operation Gaslighting Greenwashing Historical negationism Information warfare Logic and reasoning Cherry picking False dilemma Gish gallop Half-truth Fallacy Formal fallacy Informal fallacy List of fallacies Quote mining Red herring Whataboutism Memetic warfare Pink-slime journalism Psychological warfare Propaganda Black propaganda Counterpropaganda State-sponsored Internet propaganda Perception management Rumors Spin (propaganda) Smear campaign Scientific fabrication Strategy of tension Yellow journalism Related terms Alternative facts Factoid Hoax Infodemic Malinformation Post-truth politics Potemkin village Pseudoscience Tabloid journalism Truthiness Targets and campaigns International Politics Disinformation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine Misinformation in the Gaza war New World Order conspiracy theory Russian disinformation Genocide denial Politics by country List of disinformation attacks by country List of political disinformation website campaigns Antisemitism Holocaust denial International Jewish conspiracy Environmental science Climate change denial Fossil fuel industry ExxonMobil climate change denial Fossil fuels lobby Leaded gasoline Ethyl Corporation Robert A. Kehoe Clair Cameron Patterson Pesticide industry Rachel Carson Silent Spring Red mercury Medicine and Public health 5G misinformation Anti-vaccine activism Lancet MMR autism fraud Vaccines and autism Vaccine misinformation COVID-19 misinformation COVID-19 misinformation by governments COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and hesitancy Birth control misinformation Ebola misinformation GMO conspiracy theories HIV/AIDS denialism Mental illness denial Misinformation related to abortion Tobacco industry playbook Transgender health care misinformation Opposition to water fluoridation Journalism and journalists Safety of journalists Maria Ressa Daily Maverick Rappler The Quint Countering disinformation Academic research Critical thinking Digital literacy Health literacy Information literacy Media literacy Science communication Scientific consensus Scientific literacy List of climate change video games Scientific skepticism Skepticism Truth sandwich Verificado 2018 Watchdog journalism Fact-checking and research Fact-checking Websites List of fact-checking websites Non-profits and charities Africa Check FactCheck.org FakeReporter Full Fact Misbar PolitiFact USAFacts Private companies Logically (company) NewsGuard StopFake Lead Stories Other Bellingcat International Fact-Checking Network Media Bias/Fact Check Snopes Quackwatch Projeto Comprova Tahaqaq Research Canada Citizen Lab EU East StratCom Task Force Finland Faktabaari New Zealand The Disinformation Project UK Counter disinformation unit Ukraine Center for Countering Disinformation US Active Measures Working Group Counter Misinformation Team Disinformation Governance Board Countering Foreign Propaganda and Disinformation Act United States Information Agency Disinformation Misinformation

v t e Media culture Media 24-hour news cycle Alternative media Digital media Electronic media Independent media Lost media Mass media Mainstream media Media economics Mobile media New media News broadcasting News media Old media Physical media Social media Influencers State media Streaming media Principles Media development Media policy Media independence Freedom of information Freedom of speech Media pluralism Media transparency Marketplace of ideas Ideology Advanced capitalism American Dream Bipartisanship Consumerism Pensée unique Deception Forms Advertising Propaganda Fake news Public relations Spin Tabloid journalism Techniques Cult of personality Dumbing down Framing Media circus Media event Narcotizing dysfunction Protest paradigm Recuperation Sensationalism Viral phenomena Others Catch and kill Crowd manipulation Managing the news Media manipulation Philosophers Theodor W. Adorno Jean Baudrillard Edward Bernays Noam Chomsky Guy Debord Walter Lippmann Marshall McLuhan Jacques Rancière Counterculture Boycott Call-out culture Cancel culture Civil disobedience Culture jamming Demonstration Graffiti Occupation Political satire Protest Punk Review bomb Strike action In academia Influence of mass media Media studies Mediatization Semiotic democracy The Lonely Crowd Issues Agenda-setting theory Anonymity Concentration of media ownership Exploitation of women Freedom of speech Media bias Privacy Social influence Transparency Trial by media Violence Synonyms Advanced capitalism Culture industry Mass society Media franchise Post-Fordism Society of the Spectacle

v t e Media manipulation Context Bias Crowd psychology Deception Dumbing down False balance Half-truths Media Obfuscation Persuasion Manipulation (psychology) Activism Advocacy group Alternative media Boycott Call-out culture Cancel culture Civil disobedience Culture jamming Demonstrations Deplatforming Grassroots Guerrilla communication Hacktivism Internet Media Occupations Petitions Protests Youth Advertising Advertorial/Native advertising Billboards False Infomercials Mobiles Modeling Radio Sex Slogans Testimonials TV Criticism of advertising Annoyance factor Censorship and mass media regulation Books Broadcast law Burying of scholars Catch and kill Corporate Cover-ups Euphemism Films Historical negationism Internet Political Religious Self Hoaxing Alternative facts April Fools' Deepfake audio Fake news websites Fakelore Fictitious entries Firehose of falsehood Forgery Gaslighting List Literary Lying press Photograph manipulation Racial Urban legend Virus Video manipulation Marketing Branding Loyalty Product Product placement Publicity Research Word of mouth News media Agenda-setting Broadcasting Circus Cycle Emotive conjugation False balance Infotainment Managing Narcotizing dysfunction Newspeak Pseudo-event Scrum Sensationalism Tabloid journalism Political campaigning Advertising Astroturfing Attack ad Canvassing Character assassination Dog whistle Election promises Lawn signs Party platforms (or manifestos) Name recognition Negative Push polling Smear campaign Wedge issue Propaganda Bandwagon Big lie Crowd manipulation Disinformation Fearmongering Framing Indoctrination Loaded language National mythology Protest paradigm Rally 'round the flag effect Techniques Psychological warfare Airborne leaflets False flag Fifth column Information (IT) Lawfare Political Public diplomacy Sedition Subversion Public relations Cult of personality Doublespeak Non-apology apology Reputation management Slogans Sound bites Spin Transfer Understatement Weasel words Corporate propaganda Sales Cold calling Door-to-door Pricing Product demonstrations Promotion Spaving Promotional merchandise Telemarketing Related Influence-for-hire Media bias United States Media concentration Media democracy Media ecology Media ethics Media franchise Media influence Media proprietor

v t e Propaganda techniques Accusation in a mirror Ad hominem Appeal to fear Appeal to emotion Atrocity propaganda Bandwagon effect Big lie Black propaganda Blood libel Buzzword Cartographic propaganda Computational propaganda Censorship Cherry picking Cult of personality Demonizing the enemy Disinformation Dog whistle Doublespeak Emotive conjugation Exaggeration False accusation False balance False dilemma Fake news Fear, uncertainty, and doubt Firehose of falsehood Flag-waving Framing Gish gallop Glittering generality Half-truth Historical negationism Ideograph Indoctrination Lawfare Loaded language Newspeak Managing the news Memetic warfare Minimisation Monumental propaganda Moralistic fallacy New generation warfare Obscurantism Overcomplication Oversimplification Plain folks Psychological warfare Propaganda of the deed Public relations Rally 'round the flag effect Scapegoating Senbu Shooting and crying Slogan Slopaganda Spin Weasel word Whataboutism White propaganda Category

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Spin (propaganda)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spin_(propaganda)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spin_(propaganda)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.