What would be the best and most efficient way to sell lies and propaganda, not just to 100, 200, or 1,000, but to millions? Pick volunteers from around the country with good oratory skills and the ability to mobilize their local communities.
That's what, in 1917, US President Woodrow Wilson did by forming a volunteer team whose sole task was to spread war propaganda and sell patriotism in the form of war bonds to the American public. They delivered four-minute speeches to the public, so the volunteers working for this team were known as the Four-Minute Men. Known journalists, teachers, PR experts, and marketers were part of this Four-Minute Men group.
In 18 months, this massive team of propaganda makers, consisting of 75,000 speakers, delivered over 7.5 million four-minute propaganda speeches to over 300 million listeners, in a nation of 103 million Americans. Did it work? Of course, it did. The Four-Minute Men made Woodrow Wilson an American war hero and patriot. Over $20 billion in war bonds were raised from the public, and, most importantly, America won the war.
It's been over a century, but the need for these Four-Minute Men has never faded away. Dangerously, they are now everywhere. With the rise of social media, these Four-Minute Men have new weapons in their arsenal. From WhatsApp groups, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, they are now spreading lies and propaganda everywhere, aiding nefarious powers.
Unfortunately, unlike their predecessors, they are not controlled or obligated to any ideology. It's pretty easy to spot these Four-Minute Men. They share posts on Facebook and WhatsApp that barely have any relevance to reality or any evidence to support their claims. They are radical in their thoughts, often spewing venom towards other communities.
A few days ago, in a family WhatsApp group, an uncle shared a video claiming that a certain politician is the reincarnation of Bhagwan Krishna. I checked the video and found it had lakhs of views and thousands of shares. I know there are so many advocating why loans are good, how chips are installed inside notes, how Jews are the reincarnation of Yadavas, building mandirs by mughols, the list goes on..
As elections are on the doorstep, it's inevitable to face more and more Four-Minute Men in everyday. So, am I doomed to remain spectators in front of these Four-Minute Men? As an individual, what I can do is to question, question, and question more.
The more curious I become, the more aware I will. By challenging falsehoods and staying informed, I can beat these modern-day Four-Minute Men in the war against propaganda and fake news.