WEAKNESSES IN PROPAGANDA NETWORK AND MATERIALS ACCORDING TO TWO CHINESE WRITERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700030017-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 14, 2011
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: November 6, 1951
• Content Type: REPORT

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COUNTRY
SUBJECT
HOW
PUBLISHED
'rrriERE
PUBLISHED
GATE
PUBLISHED
LANGUAGE
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAI,
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY TI~ONFIp~Id
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIdN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO.
Sociological - Propaganda network
Semimonthly periodical
Peiping
5 APr 1951
DATE OF
INFORMATION 195
SUPPLEidENT TO
REPORT ND.
du oocun[r conaoa urauno[ arrarn[[ m [anoux o[nm
or lx[ uuin[ [ran[ nixu m uanu or uno[u[ ap [s
c. [. c.. n us n. as a[noco. m nquu[io[ oa ^[a [mono[
or m co[n[n a aui u[[u ro a u[aumouxas nno. :[ rta
uu::[o n :a~. urmonrno[ or nu rou a nouumo.
WEAKNESSES IN PROPAGANDA NETWORK AND MATERIALS
ACCORDING TO TWO CHINESE WRITERS
The Northeast leads the People s Republic of China in the es-
tablishment of a propaganda network. Other areas must devote
more energy to the establishment of a propaganda network if it is
to be successful. Best results have been achieved from merging
t.Y1P RP PYforta wl.th other established programs, etch se the Resist
America, Aid Korea Movement; but the program is hampered by undue
stress on numerical increases and by excessively stringent gttali-
cativtis sei 3or aspirants. Within the structure, liaison is
deficient. An efficient organization of propaganda reporters
would remedy this ill.
Propaganda materials have been issued is insufficient q?,3an-
tity and the few items that have been distributed lack c1aFlty of
message or purpose. It is recommended that propaganda materials
treat current domestic and international affairs, policies of
party and government, and msJor tasks immediately facing the peo-
ple.
Macy local party organizations have started building a propaganda network
among the masses in accordance with the decisions issued by the Central Commit-
tee of the Chinese Communist Party. The Northeast made the most rapid progress
in 1950 in the establishment of a propaganda network.' Further improvement and
progress are still being made in that area. In most other areas, the task is
either in its initial stages or in a stage of expansion, although in some areas
the work has been overlooked. Since the first quarter of 1951 has already
passed, our party organizations must take up this vital matter if we are to set '~
STATE NAVY
HSNa
CONFIDENTi~~
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C~~~~~ENT1At
:ne propagauda network is to be one of several ma,jcr projects rather than
a separate undertaking. At present, it should be merged with the Resist Amer-
ica, Aid Korea Dlovement, the campaign to suppress counterrevolutionaries, and
other natx?iotic movements. Many people were puzzle3 by the recent strategic
retreat of the Chinese and Korean People's Army from Seoul. Therefore, we
should, through the propaganda network, explain to them the positive purpose
of such s retreat and the basic facts of the Korean war, tde should also ex-
p_air.`.he significance of signing the Peace Appeals and of the ~ap~nese peo-
ple~s vote against rearmament. Only after we explain these situations
clearly to the r,.asses can we hope that the Resist America, Aid Korea movement
will advance.
i!r should also reveal the criminal activities of the counterrevclution-
-.ries sri discuss the various problems involved in dealing with co;mterrevolu-
,ion. ile should emphasize the significance oi' the policy of suFhresGing
_..rx;il.arrevolutionaries. Another topic for propaganda is tha Patriotic ?ro-
duction ?tovement. ;.'e should urge people to raise the spring output. +;e
should also urge the urbs.n populace employed in factories raid wines t? con-
,inue participating in patriotic production emulation campaigns. T:i the
course of this work, a powerful propaganda network will develop in which
thousands of propagandists will successfully press the ldeslst America, /lid
Korea Iovement, the campaign to suppress counterrevolutionaries, and the pa-
;.riotir, production emulation campaigns.
To combine the propaganda program with others has the double advantage
cf mutual development. For instance, most of tho 120,000 propaganda wox?'rers
were recruited in the course of the Resist America, Aid Korea Dfovement and
the patriotic production emulation campaigns. The majority of the propa-
ganda workers in North, East, and Central and South China were recruited d,.tr-
ing the same movement, the Peace Signature Campaign, and the 1950 land-re-
Yonn program. Prospective propagandists were first selected through an
analysis of their work and subsequently approved by the party organization.
::lace these candidates have passed the acid test by participating in the mast
movement, they can become superior workerG if they receive, further training.
In expanding the propaganda network, ?ae must avoid placing undue em-
ph+ais on supericiai quantitative increase, on the one hand (such an atti-
tude prevails 1n :.:any areas), and the establishment of extremely high re-
quirementa for entry, on the other. In some areas the party branches are
.n a ve.-y favorable position to expand the propaganda ne*.work, but they are
;.oo conservative to do so. This is an error. The qualifications of props-
? ._~, workers should be set according to instructions given by the party.
Some places establish a certain cultural level as a required qualiflca-
ti^n far propaganda workers. Such a qualification is unreasonable because
It ;revents many farm and industrial workers from entering the propaganda
service. Such people are quite capable of oral propaganda work despite their
inabiiiL?y to read. Our propaganda network will not be completely successful
fr: farming and industrial areas as long as we rely on a few intellect+191s
and bar farming and industrial workers. In fact, some farmers and industrial
workers are very good speakers ar.3 are warmly welco:ced by the people despite
th= fact that they cannot read and write well. Experience in various areas
shows this to be true.
Freliminsry training is necessary after the propaganda network is es-
'.ablished. We must explain i,i1e significance of being a propaganda worker
and teach propagandists how to operate effecti?rely. We must give them con-
stant instruction and popular propaganda materials (at present, materials
concerning the Korean war, the suppression of counterrevolutionaries, and
production emulations campaigns). Cur leadership in the propaganda network
col;r?Inar; Ir,:
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CONFIDENtIAI
must be constant. We should give continuous support to propaganda work. We
should not fail in our leadership by leaving the piropagandists to work alone,
?s we did in some areas after the climax of a mesa movement had passAd.
To strengthen our leadership, party committees on all levels should es-
tablish un organization of reporters as soon as possible. According to the
Central Committee, "a reporter is a propaganda worker of the higher rank,
He is the leader of the propaganda vorkers." A propaganda reporter leads his
local propaganda workers by giving them reports, making plans for them, and
solving their problems.
It is believed that a propaganda network will soon be well established if
party committees on all levels will give it proper attention and effects its
completion along with the other major programs.
In its Decision on the Establishment of a Party Propaganda Network among
the People in January, the Central Committee of the Chinecc Communist Party de-
clared that "the provincial, municipal, district, and hsien party committees
should issue periodic directives and prepare propaganda materials for propa-
ganda workers in all areas." PreparinEy outlines for propaganda purposes has
become very urgent because, although the propaganda network has been ~5enernlly
established, the actual work has only recently begun. Zn this article we will
discuss problems relating to the preparation of propaganda outlines on the
provincial nud the municipal levels.
Soc:e provincial party committees have issued monthly propaganda outlines.
The Shansi Provincial Committee preparefl a Propaganda Outline to Be Used Until
March, which was published in the Shansi Jih-pao and many nrn?snriol ...:--ittccc
in the Northeast have distributes'. propaganda outlines regularly. Theseyout-
lines are absolute necessities, although their content coul_ be greatly im-
proved.
Party propaganda out]ines should be issued monthly by the provincial com-
mittees because our propaganda workers, who are widely scattered among the
masses, ~~gently need proper unified leadership. In HonAn, people c'sll pro-
pagandists "advisers" or "everybody's favorites" because, by explaining cur-
rent affairs to the people, these workers have imparted new knowledge and have
helped the people to solve their difficulties. People are often heard to say,
"Let's visit the propaganda workers," when they have a problem. However, our
propaganda workers do not always feel competent to handle problems because they
do not have a sufficient store of knowledge. They have no "capital." Naturally,
they hope the party organization will help them to replenish the exhausted
stores.
On the other hand, since instructions do not flow constantly from above,
many workers have invented their own methods, using their own imagination and
their own will, without a scientific analysis of the party policy in relation
to the actual ::ircumstances. It is obvious that such a situation will finally
undermine our close relationship with the people. Therefore, it is of vital
importance that the higher party organs give constani propaganda instructions
to the lower levels.
COI~FIDENTIl1
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CONFfDENT~AI
CONFIDENTIAL
Propaganda workers may obte.in instructions from the party~s hsiea or
municipal committees. But the latter find no way to obtain their necessary
instructions. Although the committees may be able to draw outlines for their
respective localities, they are still mt sufficiently competent to make de-
cisions on matters of greater importance. They have to turn to the provin-
cial committees for instructions. The Central Committee has decided that
"municipal or haiea committees should hold monthly meetings with the exe-
cutive members of branch committees or with all the propaganda workers or
their representatives in that area. At these meetings, the secretary of the
municipal or haiea committee should report on current events, explain the
party~s immediate tasks, reviex the propaganda work of the preceding month,
and make plans for the next month." In making these reports and plans, the
municipal and haiea committees need instructions from a higher level.
The propaganda outlines are not worked out by party org:nizstions hirer
than the provincial committee bec-?se the province is an important adminis-
trative unit within which work procedures are generally uniform. Since ac-
tual conditions vary from province to province, concrete work procedures
1lkewise differ among provinces. Therefore, it is more desirable that propa-
ganda outlines be drawn up by the provincial committee. Of course, party
organizations above .the provincial level should also issue monthly directives.
But such directives are too generate and broad to be followed by local prop~-
gander directors in the solution of day-to-day problems.
As to what should be included in the monthly propaganda outlines, the out-
lines are prepared for the use of local propaganda workers and should be de-
signed toward that end. The outlines may also be used in the press and radio
broadcasts. The aub;,ect matter of the outlines should be as follows: (1)
current domestic and international affairs, making reference to current af-
fairs in answering questions and pointin out common misunderstandings: (2)
policies of the party, of the Central Pe~nle?s Government, and of the provin-
cial government; (3) immediate mayor tasks confronting the people of the prov-
ince and methods recommended to complete them. These are the mains Stems that
should be included in the propaganda outlines for organizing the people to
achieve greater progress on a provincial scale.
Each piece of propaganda work should emphasize only one or two themes.
If it involves too many topics, the speaker will find it hard to follow sad
the audience will be coaFUSed. The material should be clear sad easy to
understand, so that the executive members of the branch committee c~~ com-
prehend 1t. Sisce the propaganda outlines are brief and inadequate by tr