The role of the Internet in the proliferation of propaganda during conflicts has growingly assumed an increasing importance to those aiming at garnering public support for a political conflict. With a ceasefire brokered in 1991 by the United Nations, the conflict of Western Sahara shifted from the battles on the ground to a frenzy war in the mass media. The Internet has hitherto served as a significant new resource for politicians, media managers and propagandists from both conflicting sides to engender propaganda in its different forms. Both Morocco and the Polisario have been active in this respect, utilizing propaganda strategies and techniques to manipulate the war of information on the Net. In the literature about propaganda, it is common to refer to the seven propaganda techniques defined by the Institute for Propaganda Analysis (IPA) founded in 1937: card stacking, name calling, glittering generality, transfer, testimonial, plain folks, and bandwagon. Using the case of Western Sahara conflict, the goal of this study is to gain insight into those seven techniques in online propaganda messages. The focus is put on the propaganda campaign launched on the Internet by Morocco and the Polisario on many occasions during the conflict.
Sidi Sidi Mohamed, Hamdani has been teaching English language at a public high school for the past 16 years. He is a visiting professor at the Faculty of Sharia sciences in Es-Smara as well as Universiapolis – International University of Laayoune. He got a teaching field experience at Appalachian State University and Robert Logan Patton High School in the USA. He is also a doctoral candidate in Mohamed V University in Rabat, Morocco. Sidi is an active founding member of Smara Association of teachers of English (SATE); NGO working for the benefit of teachers of English and the improvement of the teaching of English locally and nationally. He is also member of board of directors of Center for Strategic Thinking and Defense of Democracy (http://crsdd.org); one of the most reputable and well-known non-profit organization located in the region of Laayoune where it aims to promote local democracy, human rights. He is member of the center’s team of trainers; taking charge of facilitating workshops relating to capacity building of civil society. He is also responsible for the translation work of the center.
Sidi Sidi Mohamed, Hamdani, "Techniques of Online Propaganda: A Case Study of Western Sahara Conflict", International Journal of Media Science Works, Vol. 4, Issue 4, PP. 1-5, November 2017.