93. szám // 2023. Politikai propaganda és társadalom
Tanulmányok
Megjelent: 2023.12.27.
Kiss László
Humour as a Mirror of Public Policy: The Analysis of the Propaganda Activity of Ludas Matyi between 1945 and 1990
Abstract
Most analyses of political cartoons as a primarily visual source focus on the characteristics of visual representation, examining the text and overall thematic content as complementary features. While the importance of visual elements is undisputable, the power of political cartoons extends beyond its visual aspects. Their message, functioning as a form of “soft” or hidden political discourse, influences the readers’ thinking through the choice of themes. The selection of themes, through the thematization of public discourse and “public hilaration” plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion and can inherently serve a propagandistic purpose. This study analyses the covers of Ludas Matyi, a satyrical weekly, between 1945 and 1990 using Comparative Agendas Project (CAP), a system primarily used in political science. The novelty of the analysis lies in using the framework of public policy codes to compare the political propaganda conveyed by Ludas Matyi with the general political processes of different historical periods, as well as the public policy content of various political acts and the content of the (political) press. The analysis of public policy codes in Ludas Matyi covers reveals the differing thematic demands of the Rákosi and Kádár eras: while the former was characterized by propaganda aimed at social mobiliza-