The Evolution of Propaganda: From Wartime Posters to Church Geofencing

Propaganda has always evolved alongside technology, but its fundamental mission remains unchanged: shape perception to influence policy. This evolution represents a significant shift from broad public messaging to precision-targeted digital campaigns that follow individuals through their daily lives.

During World War I, the United States established its first formal influence apparatus through the Committee on Public Information (CPI). This organization flooded newspapers, films, posters, and public speeches with messaging designed to rally support for American entry into the war. The CPI effectively transformed propaganda from scattered persuasion efforts into an organized federal enterprise, coordinating messaging across every major medium. Historians note this system fundamentally altered the relationship between media and state power, normalizing government involvement in journalism.

The post-World War II era saw influence campaigns become permanently integrated into U.S. defense strategy. The Department of Defense formalized psychological operations as planned efforts to deliver carefully selected information to foreign audiences, intending to influence emotions, reasoning, and behavior. Later guidance, such as DoD Directive 3600.01, conceptualized information operations as the integrated use of multiple tools to influence adversary decision-making while protecting America’s own strategic interests.

How deeply perception management has become embedded in military operations became evident during the post-9/11 era. The Washington Post’s “Afghanistan Papers” revealed a troubling pattern: senior officials consistently delivered optimistic public briefings while privately acknowledging confusion, failure, and manipulated metrics. These internal documents showed how shaping the narrative became a strategic objective in itself, often overshadowing ground realities in Afghanistan. This created a dangerous feedback loop where the narrative drove policy rather than reflecting it.

The United States is not alone in developing sophisticated propaganda techniques. Russia’s Internet Research Agency modernized influence operations by deploying fabricated social media personas, emotional targeting, and coordinated content streams. A bipartisan U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee report documented the scale and tactics used by Russian operatives to reach Americans during the 2016 election cycle. This evolution marks a shift from traditional broadcasting to algorithmic influence, where targeted content appears personalized rather than manufactured.

Perhaps the most striking recent example of targeted influence comes from Israeli-linked public relations contractors using geofencing technology to deliver political messaging at American churches. According to Foreign Agent Registration Act filings, a firm called Show Faith by Works proposed what it described as the “Largest Geofencing and targeted Christian Digital Campaign ever,” planning to “Geofence the actual boundaries of every Major church in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado, and all Christian Colleges during worship times. Track attendees and continue to target with ads.”

The scale of this operation is considerable. Arizona Public Media published documents showing 38 churches targeted by name in that state alone. The Houston Chronicle reported that Texas filings revealed more than 200 churches identified for potential targeting. In total, foreign-agent filings show the influence firm proposed geofencing 219 megachurches in California, 38 in Arizona, 14 in Nevada, and 32 in Colorado. This represents propaganda by coordinates – political messaging delivered not by demographic category but by physical location during moments of worship.

Alongside geofencing, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has funded a large-scale paid influencer campaign. Department of Justice filings show Bridges Partners billed nearly $900,000 for fourteen to eighteen influencers producing seventy-five to ninety posts on TikTok and Instagram. Investigators who reviewed the invoices calculated compensation at approximately $6,100 to $7,300 per post.

Show Faith by Works intends to expand this strategy by contracting Christian influencers with large youth audiences, integrating them into the same system that already compensates content creators to promote government-aligned narratives. This model blends state messaging with apparent personal testimony, making propaganda feel authentic and intimate.

Across these developments, a clear pattern emerges: modern propaganda no longer simply broadcasts to the public but follows individuals throughout their daily routines. Cold War leaflets have evolved into targeted Facebook personas. Broadcast radio has transformed into geofenced sanctuaries. Press conferences have become monetized influencer posts.

The principle remains constant whether through Russia’s digital factories or Israel’s church-geofencing strategy: shape the informational environment so thoroughly that the messaging feels like part of everyday life rather than a political operation. Propaganda works most effectively when it is invisible, continuous, data-driven, and intimately tied to the platforms people use for news, conversation, and community. While techniques have transformed dramatically, the objective remains unchanged: control the story to control the resulting political reality.