During the world war, states relied on posters that reinforced the notion that their sides were positive (Hollins, 2015). Therefore, President Wilson created a committee of public information to create consensus and build support for the United States to enter into the war far. The Committee on Public Information (CPI), also considered the Creel Committee under the chairman George Creel mobilized public opinion regarding World War 1. One section of the Committee coordinated work abroad while the other worked on the home front. The domestic section focused on various groups, including industrialists, laborers, women, immigrants, and farmers. The work of the CPI is distinguishable from Propaganda since Creel, and the Committee focused on a public relations exercise. The Committee relied on different media channels and recruited people to speak about the war on social events (Maxwell, 2015). Therefore, the efforts of the Creel committee were focused on an informative and educational perspective which included the straightforward presentation of facts.
Propaganda disseminates facts, arguments, and rumors that influence public opinion. Ideally, Propaganda is all about mind controlling and brainwashing to influence public opinion. Propaganda is ideas and statements that are often exaggerated or false and are spread to benefit the sponsor either indirectly or directly through its biased or misleading nature. The public relations activity where the presentation of facts is not propagated. The Creel committee offered patriotic information about how an individual could contribute to the war effort (Vaughn, 2017). The CPI opened up operations to scrutinize the citizens and reach everyone with information about the war. The CPI directed and shaped the public option about the participation of Americans in the war and the importance of the war endeavor to the American population. For instance the poster of “Joan of Arc Saved France” was used to encourage women to buy war saving stamps that would save their country. Joan Arc is seen as a self-reliant and active warrior which encouraged women to engage in war. “Be a U.S marine” was another poster used by the CPI to encourage women, men and children to ensure individual personal sacrifice and domestic adjustment as well as instill positive outlook and confidence to help with war effort. The CPI relied on factual material rather than crude propaganda efforts. The range of the CPI’s campaign was extensive and did not blindly offer information to the public.
