Imfethezo uhlobo lokuxhumana olusetshenziselwa ngokuyinhloko ukuthonya izilaleli nokuzikholisa ukuze kuqhutshekiswe ikhwatha. Imfethezo ivame ukuchema nokuveza iziminya ngendlela ekhethayo ukuze ikhuthaze intshwayo ethile, noma isebenzise inkulumo egxishiwe ukuveza ukusabela ngokomzwelo kunokusabela ngokomqondo ekwaziseni okwethulwayo. Imfethezo ingatholakala ezimweni ezihlukahlukene.
Igama lesiZulu elithi imfethezo kulesi sihloko lisetshenziswa ukuchaza indlela yokuthobya nokuxhaphaza abantu, ngokomlando lisho ukusakaza inhlebo, amanga namawushawusha.
Kunezinhlobonhlobo zezinsizakuxhumana nezincwadi ezisetshenziselwa ukudlulisa imiyalezo yemfethezo, ezaguquka njengoba kusungulwa ubuchwepheshe obusha, kufaka phakathi imibheco, ama-cartoons, izixhomo, amapheshana, ingqayo, izinhlelo zomsakazo, izinhlelo zomabinakude, nezizindalwebu. Muva nje, inkathi yezezibhangqiwe iye yavusa izindlela ezintsha zokusakaza imfethezo, ngokwesibonelo, imfethezo yezokucikiza, izithunu (bots) nezihlelakwenza kusetshenziselwa ukulawula uvo lomphakathi, ngokwesibonelo, ngokwakha izindabambumbulu noma izindaba ezichemile nokuzisakaza ezinkundleni zokuxhumana noma ngokusebenzisa iziqavithi ukunkawuza abantu bangempela ezinkundleni zokuxhumana.
uMsukagama
Isichazamazwi sikaNyembezi noDent sichaza igama elithi propaganda njengesenzo sokusakaza inkulumo noma ulwazi oluchemile olungavezi wonke amaqiniso. Inhloso Yokusakaza lokhu iwukukhohlisa nokuthonya abantu. Elithi imfethezo lona livela esenzweni ukufetheza, okuyisenzo sokusakaza inhlebo, amanga noma inkulumo echemile ngenjongo yokukholisa noma ukuthonya abantu. Imvelaphi yelithi propaganda ayihlangene nhlobo nokukhohlisa noma ukuthonya abantu, Kodwa selinaliwo mqondo. Ngokufanayo imfethezo igama elingeyivezi inhloso yokukholisa nokuhleba, nalo linganikwa umqondo ofanayo. Elithi inkulumo-ze nakuba lisetshenziswa yimithombo ethile, liyageja njengoba lusikisela ukuthi imfethezo isho inkulumo engenalutho, engenasisindo noma engenawo amandla.
Izincasiselo
Usomlando uArthur Aspinall waqaphela ukuthi amaphephandaba ayingalundelwe ukuba abe yizinsiza ezizimele zokwaziswa lapho eqala ukuba nengxenye ebalulekile kwezombusazwe ekupheleni kwekhulu le-1700, kodwa kwakucatshangwa ukuthi azoqhakambisa abanikazi bawo nohulumeni abawaxhasayo. Ngekhulu lama-20, igama elithi imfethezo lalihanbisana nokuvela kwezinsizakuxhumana, ezihlanganisa amaphephandaba nomsakazo. Lapho abacwaningi beqala ukufunda umthelela wezinsizakuxhamana, basebenzisa umchachiso wosikiselo (suggestion theory) ukuze bachaze indlela abantu abathonywa ngayo imiyalezo ethinta imizwelo. UHarold Lasswell waveza incasiselo ebanzi yegama elithi imfethezo (propaganda), wathi: "iwukuvezwa kovo noma izenzo zabantu noma amaqembu abo ngenhloso yokuthonya uvo nezenzo Zabantu noma amaqembu abo ekwenzeni okunqunyiwe ngokubalumba imiqondo." UGarth Jowett benoVictoria O'Donnell bachachisa bathi imfethezo nokuthoma kuhlobene njengoba abantu besetshenziswa Ukuxhumana njengohlobo lamandla antobontobo ngokuthuthukisa nokubhala izincwadi zemfethezo.
Ngowe-1929 kunkulumo-mpikiswano yobucikomazwi noEdward Bernays, uEverett Dean Martin waphika ngokuthi, "Imfethezo isiphendula opopayi. Sidikiziswa imicu efihliwe elawulwa umfethezi." Ngeshuminyaka lowe-1920 nolwe-1930, imfethezo yayinesikhatgi lapho inamandla khona. Ngokwesibonelo, uBernays wavuma encwadini yakhe ethi Propaganda ukuthi "Ukulawulwa okuphapheme nokulumukile kwemikhuba ehleliwe nezimvo zezinkumbi kuyisici esibalulekile somphakathi wombusosobala. Labo abalawula lenguxa engabonwa yomphakathi bakha uhulumeni ocashile okuyiwona ongamandla abusayo angempela ezweni lethu. Siyabuswa, imiqondo yethu iyabunjwa, amasu wethu asikiselwe, yilabo esingakaze sezwa ngabo."
Isiqondiso seNATO sowezi-2011 sezindaba zomphakathi kwabezempi sachasisa imfethezo ngokuthi "ukwaziswa, amasu, izimfundiso, noma ukunxusa okukhethekile okusatshalaliselwa ukuthonya izimvo, imizwelo, izimo zengqondo, nokuziphatha kwanoma ibaphi abantu ukuze kuzuze umxhasi, ngokuqondile noma ngokungaqondile". Kamuva, iRAND Corporation yaqamba igama elithi firehose of falsehood ukuchazisa indlela amandla wezokuxhumana zanamuhla avumela inqwaba yemiyalezo ukuba isakazwe ngokushesha, ngokuphindiwe nangokuqhubekayo ngezisakazi ezifana ( Izindaba and Izinkundla zokuxhumana) ngaphandle kokunaka iqiniso.
