« The Campaign of Truth » : propagande et fabrique de la vérité sous Truman

Abstract

This article addresses the following questions : At the end of World War II, what techniques were used to convince Americans and Congress of the merits of an international propaganda program ? How did President Truman transform the journalistic paradigm into one of truth as propaganda ? From 1945 to 1947, the United States and the Soviet Union went from being wartime allies to international rivals. In this fight, the United States wished to be seen as waging an ideological battle. But by the end of WWII, its propaganda apparatus had been dismantled. Private press propaganda, considered to be more acceptable in peacetime, would replace the wartime program. Yet this journalistic propaganda had little impact abroad. Truman responded with the “Campaign of Truth.” Again, the private press—not the U.S. government—was supposed to be its international vector. However, in spite of the insistent rhetoric on transparency and truth, the practices of the CIA remained secret.