Russia’s Response to U.S. Aid: Shrugs, Disinformation and Warnings of Nuclear War
SUBSCRIBER+ EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — Russia’s reaction to the new infusion of U.S. aid for Ukraine has ranged from shrugs to fury, from warnings of nuclear […] More
Jorhena Thomas is a Clinical Instructor and Lecturer in the Crime, Justice, and Security Studies program at the University of the District of Columbia; in the Applied Intelligence Program at the Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies; and in the American University School of International Service and School of Public Affairs.
OPINION — Lately, it seems that hardly a day goes by without a major publication running an article about disinformation. This is a noticeable change from a few years ago, and it is good that this important issue is receiving the attention it deserves. Now is the time to build on existing efforts to identify and analyze disinformation by implementing measures to steel our society against it. Here are some measures that we can consider for the long, medium, and short terms.
Long Term: Education Across all Levels
As other countries have already learned, investing in media literacy and critical thinking skills through the educational systems can be a valuable tool in building a society resilient to false information. With some intentionality, it may be possible to weave in tailored programming at both the K-12 and higher education levels to meet our long-term needs for disinformation-resilient individuals.
Creative programming within any educational system to build media literacy and critical thinking skills will, of course, be subject to resource and other decision-making constraints. However, exploring how to best go about it as a long-term investment may be well worth the effort.
Medium Term: Domestic and International Engagement
Engagement among the disparate entities that look at the disinformation issue across the public and private sectors will continue to be integral to addressing it effectively. This engagement can take a variety of forms and can be as formal or informal as necessary. The overall goal is to find ways to tackle the many faces of modern disinformation, which is equal parts a sociological, technological, political, geopolitical, financial, cybersecurity, and national security phenomenon. As a multifaceted global concern, engagement with domestic and international partners can be a medium-term effort to learn and to strengthen our work.
Short Term: Exercises
As we run up to major national elections, it is prudent to think about the actions we can take in the short term to brace for the inevitable flood of false information coming our way. Staying informed of the latest tricks and trends is absolutely important, but so is practicing how to respond. A crucial short term measure, then, is to exercise through drills, tabletop exercises, functional exercises, etc.
In sum, there is a lot of good reporting being published on disinformation, and a lot of good work being done across government agencies, academia, and private sector companies. Now is the time to build upon their work to home in on long, medium, and short-term actions that can be taken to guard against the negative impacts of disinformation.
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