Propaganda Pipeline: This term refers to the method by which fringe actors (such as those on the alt-right) insert their ‘messages’ into the mainstream through a series of steps-most typically starting with online platforms such as Reddit and 4chan, through especially influential figures such as Alex Jones and the Drudge Report, to the very end, mainstream news outlets.
Case Study in “Spirit Cooking: This is, basically, a fragment of the propaganda pipeline. A marginalia account of Hillary Clinton taking part in occult rituals started on Reddit and spread with the help of some people such as Mike Cernovich or Cassandra Fairbanks, then soon after reached such mainstream connections as Sean Hannity and, for example, the Washington Times.
Role of Russian Information Operations: The existence of a pipeline notwithstanding, the text claims that powerful political narratives are spawned principally by established media and political elites rather than by fringe actors. Russian actors, however, may take advantage of not-yet-covered schisms in the media ecosystem to promote certain narratives.
Effects of Russian Interference: The text recognizes the existence of Russian activity in American politics but warns it may not be as great as it seems. The first of such cases is that the efforts of Russian disinformation aim primarily at creating disunity and undermining the credibility of institutions rather than directly affecting the outcomes of elections.
Right-Wing Media Vulnerability: According to the text, the Raptor-right media ecology that creates a partisan-based narrative and shows disdain for mainstream media is more susceptible to Russian types of propaganda owing to existing vulnerabilities.
Russian Tactics:
• Social Media Manipulation: The charges claim that the Russians exploited fake accounts (bots, sockpuppets) and procured targeted political ads with the goal of spreading divided narratives, creating protests, and doing the damnedest to undermine Hillary Clinton.
• Propaganda Pipeline: Russian agents ripped before them an already-existing fissure in the media ecosystem, particularly in the right-wing fringe, to amplify the sounds of their narratives.
• Useful Idiots: Some aspects of American media knowingly or unknowingly marketed narratives that were developed in Russia.
• RT and Sputnik: These are the state-funded Russian media that collaborated in taking a big role in disseminating propaganda toward other media outlets.
Guccifer 2.0″ Controversy:
• Allegedly, this Romanian hacker claimed DNC hack but was thought to be a whistleblower from Russia.
• A group of former intel officials (VIPS) challenged the official story, claiming the DNC hack might have been done inside.
• This hoax caught on with right-wing media but was mostly debunked later.
Impact of Russian Interference:
• The text maintains that the most apparent purpose of disinformation efforts was to divide and undermine trust in democratic institutions rather than to impact elections directly.
• It will hard to place the Russian impact on the numbers, but it can well be expected to have increased any existing divisions within American society.
Facebook’s functionality:
• One of the Facebook platform features concerns featuring remarkable applications capable of micro-targeting individuals while placing ads for votes in favor of a candidate.
• This tool was well adopted by Trump’s campaign, where they targeted messages directed to particular population segments.
• There have been concerns on the usage of such abilities by the models to manipulate and mislead voters.
Cambridge Analytica:
• Data by this analytics company was collected from millions of Facebook users for purposes of creating psychographic profiles on voters.
• They claimed to have massively affected the Trump campaign, although it has not been clear how their approaches affected those who voted.
• This company faced criticism due to the nature of using privacy violation as well as dubious means.
Effectiveness of Microtargeting:
• According to scientific evidence, the effects of microtargeting on personality types are not highly effective.
• Research has evidenced that some persons would be to be swayed with personalized ads while others may be turned off completely.
Suspicion about Data-driven Campaigns:
• Privacy issues arise with manipulation and gradations in public discourse.
• The very concept of microtargeting could result in an “echo chamber” that confines people to receiving only that information which fits with their own biases and predilections.
Some Rules Needed:
• The above text states the need for new laws to cover potential harms associated with data-driven political campaigns.
• Such measures include setting minimum standards for disclosure and requirements for transparency and prohibitions on certain types of data use.
Tag: russia
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Network Propaganda: Part Three – The Unusual Suspect
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