Manufacturing Narratives: Propaganda, Political Communication, and the Shaping of Public Perception in the Digital Age

Abstract

Propaganda has evolved from traditional forms of political persuasion into a complex system of narrative construction operating across conventional media, digital platforms, and social networks. Rather than relying solely on the dissemination of false information, contemporary propaganda operates through selective presentation, repetition, emotional appeal, framing, agenda-setting, and the strategic construction of political narratives. This paper examines how propaganda shapes the way individuals and societies interpret political events, actors, conflicts, and social issues. Drawing on theories of framing, agenda-setting, and the propaganda model, the study explores the relationship between media structures, political communication, and public perception, with particular attention to the transformation of propaganda in the digital age, where social media enables narratives to circulate rapidly and allows political actors, institutions, media organizations, and ordinary users alike to participate in their production and amplification. The paper further considers the challenges posed by misinformation, selective exposure, and algorithmically mediated communication. It argues that understanding contemporary propaganda requires moving beyond a simple truth/falsehood binary and instead examining how information is selected, framed, repeated, and contextualized to construct particular interpretations of reality.

Keywords: propaganda, framing, agenda-setting, political communication, digital media, misinformation, media literacy