Prejudice vs. Tabloid Thinking

The Propaganda technique of Prejudice is not the same as being prejudiced. Yes, you may make a generalization about a group of people or persons, but Prejudice occurs when a speaker acts on their biases. For example:

“Let’s have Mr. Nielsen tell a story at the next pep rally. He’s old, so he must know some good stories.”

This is prejudiced, ageism to be exact, but it’s also the Propaganda technique of Prejudice because the speaker is making a decision with their belief about older people as the reason for acting a certain way.

Tabloid Thinking can also involve being prejudiced. This technique differs from Prejudice because Tabloid Thinking occurs when someone simply states their preconceived judgments. Here’s an example of Tabloid Thinking:

“Jacob’s just like everyone else from Boston. He’s loud, obnoxious, and has that ridiculous accent.”

The tabloid thinker generalizes a group of people, but the prejudiced person acts on it.