Public life is filled with messages designed to persuade, shape beliefs, and influence behaviour, yet many people struggle to recognise how these forces work through propaganda. Political communication, advertising, and media often blend emotion, identity, and strategic framing in subtle ways that are hard to differentiate between facts and propaganda. This course helps you understand why persuasive narratives are so powerful, exploring how communication design, message intent, and psychological cues influence public opinion.

This course equips you with the tools to understand the power of persuasive narratives and how communication design, message intent, and psychological cues influence public opinion. Through clear explanations and practical insights, you'll learn both classic and modern techniques used to evoke emotion, direct attention, and shape decision-making. You’ll explore how these tactics operate on individual and collective levels, including the use of symbolic authority, group pressure, and algorithmic reinforcement. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to identify strategic communication, understand its motives, and critically assess influence across political, commercial, and social environments. With stronger critical judgment, you'll gain the skills to recognise manipulation, decode complex narratives, and respond confidently to media-driven influence, empowering you to make informed decisions in today’s media landscape.

This course content was created in partnership with Dennis Bailey, a qualified Political Communications Specialist. For more information on our subject matter expert, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennismbailey/

The authors generated this text in part with ChatGPT, OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model. Upon generating draft language, the authors and subject matter experts reviewed, edited, and revised the text to ensure it reflected accurate expertise and met high pedagogical standards.

Enrol today to start your journey to mastering critical thinking and navigating today’s information landscape with clarity and confidence.