Engaging vulnerable audiences with New Media
PAO’s, IO Dudes, and PSYOPer’s, I could use some help if anyone has some recommendations.
I have been writing on and off in Small Wars Journal for the past year about foreign fighters, how they are recruited, what can be done about it, etc. I have another installment coming out in the next couple weeks but am starting to research for the next extension of this path I am on which is how to break the local communication cycles where foreign fighters are recruited. The new administration has already talked about their shift to Smart Power (which includes Strategic Communication, PSYOP, IO, etc.) which will be critical in accomplishing this. I just got done reading the study “Social Software and Security: An Initial ‘Net Assessment’” by NDU professors Dr. Mark Drapeau and Dr. Linton Wells http://www.ndu.edu/ctnsp/Defense_Tech_Papers.htm.
It’s really good and being not so savvy on new media, a good starting point for me.
Has anyone seen any research or case studies on how the US can use the new media to influence these hard to reach audiences where foreign fighters are being recruited? places the US doesn't have a persistent presence?
The above study gives some good case studies of how new media is being used. But, I am looking for some success stories from DOD and the West that are out there, where we have used new communications platforms (like this one) to engage vulnerable audiences. I have seen stories about CENTCOM using Youtube and an article about the British text messaging against the Taliban but I haven’t found much. Also, I want to look into the implications of using these new media platforms for SC, IO, PSYOP. Any thoughts you all have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for any recommendations.
Twitter, Bono, and Influence Operations
Hi PJ.
I put together this thread to add to the work y'all are already doing. It seems that we struggle at times in the information war so maybe we could do better by leveraging those that do it well instead of reinventing the wheel. Here are several examples to consider.
v/r
Mike
Is Iraq Ready for Twitter? New Media in a War Zone
Mark Kukis/ Time Magazine
Quote:
Jack Dorsey, the founder and chairman of Twitter, sees no reason why Iraqis cannot join the growing chorus of global "tweets" appearing on computers and cell phones worldwide every day. "We've always been focused on making sure that the lowest common denominator, the weakest technology, still has a voice," said Dorsey, who was in Baghdad this week with a delegation of high-tech executives at the invitation of the State Department. Cellphone-carrying Iraqis, Dorsey said, could utilize Twitter applications on their current mobiles for a range of things, even without broadband Internet connections, which are still in short supply in Iraq. "In our case that's using Twitter through SMS [text-messaging]," Dorsey added. "What we've found in Iraq is that we have 85% penetration of the mobile market here." (Should the founders of Twitter be among the most influential people in the world? Vote for the TIME 100.)
What Dorsey means is that 85% of people in Iraq carry mobile phones, usually more than one. This is a new reality in a country where roughly six years ago cellphone were virtually nonexistent. For Dorsey and other tech executives visiting Baghdad, the merging of cell technology and the Internet looks like a potential leapfrog move in telecommunications for the country, much in the way cellphone networks lessen the need for traditional landline infrastructure. "We feel that there are some real opportunities here," said Jason Liebman, CEO and founder of Howcast, a website that offers how-to videos. (See the top 10 celebrity twitter feeds.)
Playing for Change
Quote:
Playing For Change is a movement to connect the world through music. Sign up for exclusive content, news and updates from hundreds of musicians and students around the globe at
http://playingforchange.com
This movement is Bono (from U2) using Bob Marley's work and incorporating artist from around the world.
One more...This is Audioslave playing in Cuba- look at the reaction of the crowd. When I see what others doing, it reminds me of the creativity and ingenuity of the OSS and others during WWII.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaaHX...eature=related
Just some indirect, non-military things to consider.
Social Media and Critical Thinking
GEN Dempsey,
Both the subject of your post, and that you posted it here, demonstrate the Army's commitment to the importance of leveraging collaboration, social media and Web 2.0 technologies.
A quick scan of the linked discussion thread at the Small Wars Journal clearly indicated anticipation and appreciation for the ability to observe, and perhaps even participate indirectly through providing questions, the upcoming Senior Leader Conference (SLC).
The remainder of my comments are not directly related to the SLC, rather this venue itself and my own personal observations.
I first saw your post a few hours after it was made, commenting to my colleagues that the TRADOC Commander posting on the CAC blogs was yet another indication of the Army's support for and embracement of collaboration. Returning to your post this afternoon, I was slightly surprised that no one else had taken the opportunity to respond and engage you. After all, how often does one get such an opportunity?
Notice I did not say "completely" surprised, but only "slightly" surprised. I attribute that lack of surprise to my experience observing Army Majors over the last eight years at CGSC (1 year as a student, followed by 7 years as an instructor). During that time, I personally noted a prevailing culture of "keep your head down & don't make waves." This is not only an anecdotal observation, but was supported by a custom designed critical thinking exercise I presented on more than a dozen occasions.
My decision to respond to your blog today prompted me to write up and document that exercise and the observed results. By no means is this the first time I shared the exercise, I frequently sent it to faculty members within my own department for their use if they chose to execute it. (Below my remarks I've provided links to the referenced presentation.)
I'm reminded of GEN Casey's remarks in June, via a video message, at the CGSC graduation. He explained how one of his former mentors taught him to carry an index card with one question:
-- When was the last time you allowed a subordinate to change your mind?
Upon hearing him say that, my ears perked up and I wrote it down. For what he said supported my own beliefs and the exercise I've been conducting for years. However, with all due respect to the CSA, I'd postulate that card needs to have a second question on it. And, perhaps, that second question may even be more pertinent and significant than the one he mentioned:
-- When was the last time a subordinate TRIED to change your mind?
I pose that question not as an indictment of any person's leadership style - certainly not that of the person holding the card or answering the question. Rather, I suggest that if the answer to my question is "rarely, if ever", there may be a prevailing cultural barrier preventing them from doing so.
V/R
Bob King
An Exercise in Critical Thinking - Thought Spray
Critical Thinking Exercise - Slideshare
Disclaimer: As I am no longer an Army CGSC instructor, I desire to make it clear that the above words are my own personal opinion, made on my own time and do not represent my current employer or sponsor.
IACP Center for Social Media
IACP Center for Social Media: Supporting the Needs of Law Enforcement Online
Quote:
In partnership with the
Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, the
IACP launched its
Center for Social Media in October 2010. The goal of the initiative is to build the capacity of law enforcement to use social media to prevent and solve crimes, strengthen police-community relations, and enhance services. IACP’s
Center for Social Media serves as a clearinghouse of information and no-cost resources to help law enforcement personnel develop or enhance their agency’s use of social media and integrate Web 2.0 tools into agency operations.
Al-Shabaab's use of modern media
Al-Shabaab has just begun to tweet heavily on its new twitter account. Details on my blog http://terrorisminafrica.com/2011/12...itter-account/
Al-Shabaab to Hold Online Q&A
Hat tip to London-based ICSR:
Quote:
Yesterday, the Somali Islamist militia al-Shabaab announced that it was taking questions from jihadi forum users for an ‘open meeting’ with its official spokesman, Sheikh Ali Dhere. The group will take questions via email and private forum messages until Saturday, at which point they will be answered by its spokesman in a video.
In a move which suggests a continuation of the burgeoning relationship between the Somali militia and al-Qaeda, the announcement by al-Shabaab’s al-Kataib Media Foundation was made through the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF), al-Qaeda’s main jihadi media centre.
Later comments:
Quote:
Al-Shabaab’s intentions appear to be to fill the vacuum in the production of English-language jihadi propaganda left by the deaths of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s (AQAP) Anwar al-Awlaki and Samir Khan, who were the chief producers of these types of materials. In recent months, the group has released a number of English-language materials formulated specifically to recruit and insight Muslims in the West.
Such a course of action or perceived action is likely to increase US concern with the group, although I remain unconvinced that Al-Shabaab has the capability to reach faraway targets unlike AQAP who had the "Underpants" bomber and the photocopier plot.
Social Media and Unconventional Warfare
Social Media and Unconventional Warfare
Entry Excerpt:
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Read the full post and make any comments at the SWJ Blog.
This forum is a feed only and is closed to user comments.
Social Media and the Arab Spring
Social Media and the Arab Spring
Entry Excerpt:
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Read the full post and make any comments at the SWJ Blog.
This forum is a feed only and is closed to user comments.
How Social Media is Changing Conflict Reporting
A short commentary by John McCubbin, with a profound opener:
Quote:
the events of this past week have firmly pushed all military operations into a new era of information management and exploitation......This past week we have seen what I believe is a new chapter in how information is created, captured, analysed and used during high profile conflict situations.
Context gives way to timing:
Quote:
At 1429 on 14th November a tweet appeared on the IDF’s Twittter account announcing that they were about to commence operations. Two minutes later they tweeted about the strike against Hamas leader Ahmed Al-Jabari. Within the hour, also on Twitter, the Palestinian Al Qassam Brigade had acknowledged his death and by 1905 that evening the IDF had posted video footage of the strike on their blog and YouTube.
Link:http://i-logue.com/how-social-media-...ict-reporting/
Even with the Arab Spring and the Syrian Civil War as other examples, I do have doubts whether social media can have impact in remote areas, like Mali, or where one protagonist takes active measures to degrade the network that supports sending data.
There is a main thread 'Social Media and Unconventional Warfare' an dthis may one day be merged there:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ad.php?t=15367