Serhii Prokopenko’s Post

Preparedness and information resilience should be discussed also in the context of US upcoming elections context. Herewith an article shared to me by a very worried expert: https://lnkd.in/dYc7e346 Join the European dialogue 23.10. - see below.

I am excited to share a new OpEd, "The Media’s High-Stakes Game in the South China Sea," written in collaboration with Narayani Sritharan, PhD. In this piece, we explore the key role journalists play in covering the region's geopolitical tensions. Check out the article here: https://lnkd.in/enjPUWNg

This is a smart and timely essay written by a William & Mary student, Michelle Ngo, and faculty member, Narayani Sritharan, PhD, who teaches in the Economics Department and works at AidData. How to increase transparency and partner with the private sector (journalists in this case) to shape policy narratives on conflict in the South China Sea? Reminds me of calls coming out of #GatesForum 1 on strategic communication in foreign policy and the need for partnerships to counter China's advantage in the information space. Love the creativity here. Robert M. Gates Global Policy Center, William & Mary Global Research Institute, Mehmood Kazmi, Thom Shanker, Brent Colburn, Christopher Coons, Samantha Custer, Todd Young, Sophia Lafargue, Liz Allen, Tom Gjelten, Dr. Mara Karlin, George Barros, Gregory Tomlin, Nicholas Cull, Shawn Powers, Dan Webber, Mark Pomar, Maria Repnikova, Vivian Walker, Peter McHenry

Enjoyed this RAND report that analyzed the Ukrainian population's ability to resist Russian disinformation. I found myself nodding my head in agreement throughout this paper so I pulled a few of the recommendations that resonate with my own experience working in the region, and studying the conflict, from RAND's analysis of Ukrainian Resiliency to Russian Propaganda throughout the war: " U.S. and allied governments should look to identify key at-risk countries early. The goal, as in Ukraine, is a civil society and government that have the necessary skills and resources to counter foreign disinformation and the interconnections to coordinate such efforts." - RAND Recommendation 2/7 Practitioners know (but its quite intuitive as well) that its impossible to regain the psychological initiative after the damage has been done. But its also (historically) challenging to convince all the governing parties that we should lean forward in this area. However, given the magnitude of information warfare demonstrated during this conflict that tradition is changing, I believe. " The United States will need to assess its own doctrine, training, and war-gaming efforts to ensure it is able to counter disinformation during conflict." - RAND Recommendation 3/7 A potentially huge issue in the US...complex to solve given all the potential sources of information (as we learned during the pandemic). Not sure about the broader, working adult population; that's complex. However, other NATO countries have created digital literacy education to help their younger generations out. Something that provides awareness and tools to discern the truth (digital tools as well as classic Socratic reasoning injected into the education system at the appropriate level?) Finland has a model in place to immunize their youth from the bombardment of Russian propaganda blasted in their direction. Perhaps we could look there. "Senior U.S. government leaders must be willing to accept risk and allow communicators to quickly (without obtrusive senior leader approval chains) create unique, humorous, and engaging content." - RAND Recommendation 6/7 The approval for launching new messaging initiatives is not synchronized with the the speed of the digital age, but is, instead indexed to the speed of a 20th Century bureaucratic organization. Its impossible to fired back timely and witty memes in a meme war for the minds of a population when every image must pass through echelons before execution. Identify, train, and select sharp, talented people that understand their craft and the mission requirements then trust them to execute. Thoughts?

Source: @sputnik_africa 🤍🗣 BRICS countries' media to promote building a fair world order 💬 "Participants from BRICS countries will facilitate the construction of a fair and equal multipolar world order based on the norms of international right and principles of equality, respect of sovereignty, non-interference in the internal affairs and indivisible security using their information resources," stated the final declaration of the BRICS Media Summit, which was unanimously adopted on Sunday. 📰 Additionally, the document emphasizes the role of the media in maintaining and strengthening international dialogue. The BRICS countries' media that joined the declaration reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of fact-based, objective journalism and expressed their readiness to coordinate efforts to combat disinformation. The declaration also underscores the need to protect journalists' rights and ensure their safety, particularly during the coverage of military conflicts. It also stresses the importance for media to stay current and adopt advanced technologies, while acknowledging that the use of artificial intelligence in media necessitates the creation of suitable standards and ethical guidelines. Moreover, media from BRICS countries will support professional dialogue on the topic of artificial intelligence.

New FILTERLABS.AI newsletter is out! We paused our shorter summer newsletters to analyze Chinese, Russian, and Iranian media reactions to the Trump assassination attempt. #FilterLabsTalisman revealed notable similarities and crucial differences in their rhetoric, challenging the broader concept of the axis of upheaval. Follow FILTERLABS.AI and sign up for our weekly newsletters by going to newsletters.filterlabs.ai!

Ukraine's information space faces significant challenges beyond government policies and Ukrainian-language media, TV, radio and internet, which often fail to focus on Ukraine-centric narratives. Despite the shift in public sentiment towards Russia due to the invasion, Ukraine remains intertwined with the Russian information sphere. This connection is largely beyond state control and linked to the national consciousness and civic responsibility of its society, particularly journalists and media managers. Many Ukrainian media professionals, who appear as national advocates during their professional hours, often double as bloggers in their personal time, frequently utilizing Russian-language platforms like blogs and YouTube. While this could be used for counter-propaganda targeting external Russian-speaking audiences, many simply cater to familiar audiences without challenging Russian narratives. The lack of a cohesive Ukrainian information space has hindered efforts to strengthen Ukraine's information sovereignty. This environment discourages discussions on forming a Ukraine-centric media system, essential for winning the information war which is crucial for military success. Ukraine's struggle in the information war reflects deeper societal issues. To secure victory and progress, Ukraine needs media that fosters societal maturity and responsibility. The transformation into a sovereign media space is vital for Ukraine's development and role in global politics.

How much influence does Russian state media have on the social news ecosystem, and how does that influence play out? That's the question answered in a remarkable analysis by academics at Texas A&M and George Washington University. "Does Russian Propaganda Lead or Follow? Topic Coverage, User Engagement, and RT and Sputnik’s Agenda Influence on US Media" The analysis leverages millions of stories and *billions* of news engagements drawn from NewsWhip's system. The results show just how far and wide Kremlin narratives travel, particularly on areas of Russian foreign policy interest. You can access the article here: https://lnkd.in/enxy89xd One finding I particularly liked: "For scholars, NewsWhip's online news data dramatically exceeds alternatives."

Outstanding research! This dense paper could be extremely helpful to U.S. #NewsMedia organizations, no matter their category (center, left-wing, right-wing, and far-right), the how they interrelate, knowingly or not, to Russian state propaganda interests on a range of primarily foreign policy topics. For U.S. based researchers it adds new insight on RT's and Sputnik's geopolitical aims that suggest our awareness has been somewhat self-centered and that a larger, strategic narrative is unfolding.

The Ukrainian cross-border incursion into Russia is now in its sixth day, and we know a little more today than we did on Tuesday afternoon when the news first broke. As expected, there is now an overabundance of unverified information swirling around the various open-source platforms given the fluid nature of the situation. Sensationalist headlines and eye-catching social media posts have permeated our feeds, depending on what the AI-powered algorithm believes will appeal to us the most. To the best of our ability, we can analyze what we know, debunk some obvious myths, and speculate responsibly about the many gaps that continue to keep the picture somewhat incomplete or fuzzy. Through it all, we can try to offer our most engaging but well-informed take on what to expect next, while also maintaining realistic expectations among readers. The sheer irresponsibility of some journalists and pundits is striking, but not surprising. Big headlines, massive claims, albeit very limited evidence. There aren’t too many truly brilliant reporters and analysts who offer top-notch analysis with a caveat that the bits and pieces of info we possess at the moment is far from neatly verified content. This is where responsible analytical skills can come in handy. For now, we know what we know, and when it comes to the rest — we can speculate about the inevitable gaps that persist. Sometimes the question marks are just as useful—admitting that there are lingering unknowns is helpful analysis, too. Though some analysts and especially reporters can get caught up in their over-eagerness to outdo the next colleague and shed more light onto the darkness… or perhaps prove their support for Ukraine just by making grandiose statements when caution is presently critical. Splashy but unverified claims can also do some harm… There’s an old proverb that claims “happiness loves silence.” Perhaps it’s equally true that victory loves caution… We can wholeheartedly support Ukraine, but at the same time, sharing information responsibly is of vital importance. Speaking of some of the most brilliant analysts and writers out there, in the latest episode of his podcast #MoscowsShadows, Mark Galeotti discussed the widespread hunger to know what’s happening right now. The growing expectation that every journalist or analyst ought to offer near-definite answers and overly confident assertions 24/7 is simply not realistic… and, dare I sound redundant: irresponsible. While we’re on this topic, Mark’s podcast is a must: https://lnkd.in/eTDVzcJf Please research, write and share responsibly whenever and wherever possible. Especially when solid information is so scarcely available. #Ukraine #Russia #Kursk #geopolitics #information #media #news #journalism #analysis #research