[sentirism]

This really can't be overstated. Propaganda was highly effective even as words on pieces of paper distributed once a week or infrequent AM radio broadcasts.

I believe the old idea that would hold even more so now is that the only defense against propaganda is essentially to be illiterate. It is really hard to propagandize a person who can't read. The more informed a person believes themselves to be about the world from text, the more propagandized they are. I believe that is from Edward Bernays.

[blep_]

Illiterate people can listen to radio (or now, videos) just fine, though. Text isn't special, the content is.

[squarefoot]

Illiterate people can also be lured into crowds marching with photos of their leaders, de facto becoming themselves part of the propaganda.