Propaganda on Steroids: A Case Study on How Communication Technology "Pumped-Up" Russian Black Propaganda

Propaganda is a tool used to exercise power through an act of communication. It is a type of communication that this study refers to as manipulative communication, where an actor seeks to gain exclusive benefit over others through the communicative process. One of the most consequential uses of propaganda is its ability to affect the formation of public policy to benefit an actor(s) that may or may not be in the public’s interest. Walter Lippmann and John Dewey, writing in the 1920s, highlighted the susceptibility of public opinion to manipulations by non-public interests and the challenge this poses to a functioning democracy. Since the 1920s, information and communication technologies (ICTs) upon which the creation and dissemination of propaganda relies has undergone a revolutionary transformation. It is the central thesis of this paper that these technological developments have had a profound impact on the practice of propaganda, which has dramatically enhanced its effectiveness. Taking a case study research approach, this study aims to answer the question of how new ICTs have affected the practice of propaganda. Russia’s use of misattributed or black propaganda as a geopolitical instrument is the case under investigation because it contains the data that answers the research question and its representativeness of a population of similar actors. The analytical strategy employed was a case study specific time-series analysis which enabled the tracing of operational processes over time. Changes to the operational processes that occurred as new technology was introduced were noted and compared to theoretical propositions derived from the literature review. These became the conceptual generalizations or findings of the study. Data sources consisted of first-person accounts from former KGB and Soviet-bloc operatives, Russian military publications, and government documents. The findings supported the study’s theoretical propositions in that advances in ICTs prompted institutional change, improved the precision of propaganda strategies, increased its ability to reach a mass audience, and enhanced the acquisition of information on targeted groups. While certain forms and methods of propaganda have changed, new ICTs have not affected the essential nature of propaganda. Implications of the study are that the use of ICT-enabled propaganda, in particular misattributed propaganda by various actors, has the unprecedented capacity to influence the formation of public policies, elections, and ultimately erode the foundations of Western democratic institutions. Its demonstrated potency in this regard should be a call to action for the development of comprehensive policy and countermeasures to lessen its impact.