Propaganda, Paranoia, and the Public's Interest

A lecture at The Institute of World Politics, January 19, 2018

About the Lecture: It's all propaganda. Propaganda. Don't panic. We've been here before.

Propaganda is once again a subject of US public interest and debate, arguably for the first in three generations, since the onset of the Cold War in the 1950s. And once again, the US is debating about how to defend against propaganda, protecting the public sphere and free speech.

From World War I through World War II, America's response to foreign entities using propaganda has historically been prompted by alarm, fear, and suspicion, often delaying or neglecting a measured approach to foreign propaganda efforts. Proposals and attempts to protect against propaganda included "inoculation" or public education, the "expertise" solution, censorship, and legislative measures. Between 1918 and 1948, a combination of censorship and legislation was attempted. With the Cold War, particularly in the 1980s, the United States adopted an offensive counter-influence and inoculation approach.

Today, revelations of Russia's involvement in the 2016 presidential election have churned up endless media reporting and public discussions on "fake news," disinformation, Russian manipulation, internet troll farms and bots. And in 2015, the sudden, rapid rise of Daish in Syria and Iraq, also initiated discussion on the threat posed by terrorist propaganda and how to defend against terrorist propaganda. As many experts have observed, the US is already behind in its response to 21st century propaganda and the ensuing "information warfare," but US anxiety and alarm overshadow current discussions on Russian and terrorist propaganda. America must overcome national paranoia regarding propaganda and develop a measure approach to avoid succumbing to continued foreign influence.

About the Speaker: Caitlin E. Schindler obtained a Master of Arts in Strategic Intelligence from the Institute of World Politics in 2010. While studying at IWP, Caitlin worked as a technical writer and executive officer, for a U.S. Defense Contractor supporting various government customers, mainly in counterterrorism policy and operations. In 2015, Caitlin completed her PhD at the University of Leeds in the UK under the supervision of Nicholas Cull (University of Southern California). Dr. Schindler's research focuses on the role of intelligence and national techniques of strategic communication to include propaganda, public diplomacy, and political warfare in national statecraft. Caitlin is currently employed by Leidos and is a Research Professor at the Institute of World Politics.

свернуть