Heinlein said “Man is not a rational animal; he is a rationalizing animal.” This is true of media psyops; people think they hate an empire-targeted nation/person because of reasons X, Y & Z, but really it's because the empire targeted them and then propagandists rationalized it.

If people were really honest with themselves, they'd say "You know I *THINK* I hate that Official Bad Guy of the Day because of reasons X, Y and Z, but maybe it's actually because he began inconveniencing the empire and for that reason the media started telling me to hate him?"

But generally they don't, because it's uncomfortable admitting to yourself that you have not been thinking rationally, but have actually been rationalizing the entirely irrational behavior of a depraved empire without realizing it just because the TV told you to.