Taxacom: The importance of propaganda

[John Grehan]

In bringing this up again, I acknowledge we all engage in propaganda or
'promotion' of our work. Abstracts are, if nothing else, a promotional
statement to engage interest or awareness. Propaganda takes all forms, and
some of it is perhaps pretty harmless, others not so much in such instances
where alternative possibilities are suppressed, or claims made that cannot
be substantiated. When I was a student, the role and importance of
propaganda was never mentioned and certainly there were no courses on the
subject of propaganda in science. Interested if anyone knows of such.

In recent times I have noticed how 'The Conversation' engages promotion
through regular use of propaganda language techniques that are hardly
subtle. A recent illustration below. I emphasize that I am not suggesting
these or other authors are not necessarily doing anything questionable.
Propaganda is part of science (not that any of my professors said so when a
student). But on the other hand it should be recognized for what it is.

This recent article concerns penguin fossils.
Dagger beaks and strong wings: new fossils rewrite the penguin story and
affirm NZ as a cradle of their evolution
<https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Fdagger-beaks-and-strong-wings-new-fossils-rewrite-the-penguin-story-and-affirm-nz-as-a-cradle-of-their-evolution-261083&data%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7C5713531c51e24d1fa9b308ddddb283a9%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638910480964322550%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=MltmfTt%2BBoBsppYY0MIeL%2BV1OfWIII3db2Q63GjHrKI%3D&reserved=0>

Here are a few examples (bold my emphasis) with my inferred subliminals
(perhaps there are others better)

?*rewrite*" (revolutionary)

"*cradle* of their evolution" (Garden of Eden still with us)

"driving a *"significant* reassessment? (because we say so)

?our latest findings" (latest is always best of course)

?*reshaping* the 66-million-year story? (at least they admit it is a story)

?penguins remained largely shrouded in* mystery*.? (everyone loves a good
mystery)

?the group?s *deep past*.? (deep is profound)

?the *iconic* divers we recognise today? (they are symbols)

?palaeontological t*reasure trove*? (wealth of knowledge is in the artifact)

?*Crucially,* we also found significant new material? (its really, really
crucial because we say so)

?*capitalising* on newly opened ecological niche? (nature is the first
capitalist)

?*profound *changes to their wings,? (not just banal changes, evolution
makes profound changes)


-- 
https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhepialidsoftheworld.com.au%2F&data%7C02%7Ctaxacom%40lists.ku.edu%7C5713531c51e24d1fa9b308ddddb283a9%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C638910480964340247%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Q9z3oKGtxLaRrb55ObR3bN%2BYTTwQfVkWeACYq4H7JZ0%3D&reserved=0 (use the 'visit archived web site'
link, then the 'Ghost Moth Research page' link.