CHRISTOPHER A. MOUTON, CALEB LUCAS, SHAUN EE
Defending American
Interests Abroad
Early Detection of Foreign Malign
Information Operations
M
align information operations by foreign actors seek to undermine the strategic interests
of the United States.
1
These operations, which are often orchestrated by authoritarian
regimes, are intended to manipulate the global information environment for geostrategic
purposes.
2
Such operations seek to shape public perceptions abroad by “creat[ing] propa-
ganda to undermine other nations’ national security.”
3
The advent of advanced technologies and the
popularity of digital media platforms have increased the potential scale of these operations by allow-
ing malign entities to generate and distribute misinformation with increased efficiency and reach.
4
In addition to spreading false or misleading information, malign information operations often
employ broader forms of propaganda to shape narratives, shift public discourse, and undermine
other nations’ national security.
5
These operations often leverage classical propaganda techniques,
such as
• name-calling, which attaches disparaging labels to opponents
• glittering generalities, which use vague, positive phrases to garner approval
• transfer, which links the authority or prestige of something else to what is being promoted
• testimonial, which uses endorsements from celebrities or authorities to imply credibility
• plain-folk, which appeals to the average person’s values and experiences
• card-stacking, which selectively presents information favorable to one perspective
• bandwagon, which promotes the idea that because everyone else is doing it, one should too.
6
These techniques can be used to manipulate emotions, reinforce existing biases, and sway
public opinions abroad.
We use the 1939 work The Fine Art of Propaganda as our primary source for a definition of
propaganda because of its historical significance and general alignment with the U.S. Army field
manual on psychological operations.
7
The framework for identifying propaganda techniques that
this source provides is both specific and practical. The seven devices represent a balance between
simplicity and breadth, making the system useful for operational applications.
8
The devices identi-
fied in The Fine Art of Propaganda were a response to real-world concerns raised during the escala-
Research Report
