Month

January 2020
Ed Note – A summary below of peer reviewed research of interest. Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review Cross-platform disinformation campaigns: lessons learned and next steps We conducted a mixed-method, interpretative analysis of an online, cross-platform disinformation campaign targeting the White Helmets, a rescue group operating in rebel-held areas of Syria that have become the subject...
Read More
Ed note:  Who indeed?  It should be all of us – the media, the government, and the public pointing out false information and the public should ensure there is a penalty for distributing false information…well, I can dream….. From poynter.org: Who’s ‘mainly’ responsible for curbing disinformation? An excerpt: A new poll shows a lack of...
Read More
Ed note:  And think about what we could do with an ‘army’ of Fact Checkers!  Consider the impact of crowd sourced sites such as 38 North or BellingCat.  It can be done.  From Yahoo News: Fact checkers expose alleged news site run by far-right media company An excerpt: EU DisinfoLab, in cooperation with newsroom fact-checkers,...
Read More
Ed. note:  Have a capability that would help?  Here’s your chance.  While DoD has not decided (and may never) what entity in the Dept will be responsible for coordinating Information Activities, USSOCOM has the largest number of folks that understand human decision-making – unfortunately, none of them work at USCYBERCOM. From Defense News: WASHINGTON —...
Read More
Ed note – the recent agreement by a radio station in Kansas City to broadcast Russia Today radio could be another example of just ‘buying your way in.’ Making Foreign Companies Serve China: Outsourcing Propaganda to Local Entities in the Czech Republic Martin Hála The fast build-up and equally sudden decline of Chinese influence in...
Read More
From the folks at Lawfare an important contribution to the discussion about the execution of information activities at US CYBER Command and in the Army’s Cyber Command.  This is a follow-up to the article by the Washington Post in December and the NPR story last September both highlighted in this blog. This discussion will continue...
Read More
Key Findings from the Rand Report on Competing in the Gray Zone Download the entire report here The research in this report and elsewhere suggests that the West is winning this competition, but does not recognize it. “Everyday” gray zone actions must be differentiated from more aggressive and focused gray zone actions. Based on the...
Read More
Ed – The subject of this article has been under discussion within DoD for many years.  Who should be in charge?  USSOCOM?  The regional Combatant Commands?  CYBERCOM?  There are all good arguments for each but, in the end, and because of a lack of action on the part of others that CYBERCOM may be as...
Read More
From the Scientific American: In a recent review of the research, Nadia M. Brashier and Elizabeth J. Marsh identify two additional ways disinformation hacks our truth judgments. One that is closely related to fluency and the good feelings it generates is memory. The information and experiences stored in our memory are powerful weapons in the...
Read More

Recent Comments