Ulakbilge - Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi
www.ulakbilge.com
Cilt 10, Sayı 76  2022/9  (ISSN: 2148-0451, E-ISSN: )
Oğuz TUNÇEL

NO Makale Adı
1660997398 ANTI-IMMIGRANT PROPAGANDA POSTERS IN EUROPE: THE SWISS CASE

Today, posters that appear in many social, cultural, political and commercial areas play an important role in spreading an idea or belief to large masses, as well as for promotion and information purposes. Posters that convey the message to the target audience quickly and effectively with their striking image and persuasive discourse also have a directing effect on human behavior. The posters, which are highly preferred due to their direct relationship with the masses, have turned into an effective propaganda tool that creates awareness by attracting the attention of the public to certain issues. Particularly during election periods, political parties that want to change the political preferences of the electorate frequently include propaganda posters in their election campaigns. The posters, which are used as an effective political communication tool by the government trying to direct the voters to certain attitudes and behaviors in line with their own political interests, or by the opposition groups who want to make their ideologies visible in the public, have the potential to mobilize the masses with emotional and mental guidance.
The phenomenon of "migration", which has become a global crisis since the beginning of the 2000s, has also become the focus of political discussions in Europe, where intense population movements have been experienced in recent years. Particularly, extreme right-wing parties with populist discourse use a polarizing/othering visual language over immigrants/foreigners in their election campaigns. It is tried to influence voter behavior through posters shared in public areas, which use foreigners as a propaganda object. When evaluated in this context, the electoral successes of the political parties, which represents the far right, in Switzerland, where a significant part of its population is composed of foreigners, draws attention. This study examines the propaganda posters used in the election campaigns of the Swiss People's Party, which follows a systematic communication strategy to increase public support for the immigration policies implemented in Switzerland, in terms of graphic form and content.
Keywords: Propaganda poster, graphic design, migration, anti-immigration, xenophobia, Swiss