50 Years of Election Interference: Are Pre-Internet Techniques Still Pertinent In a Post-Internet World?
Location
Sydnor Performance Hall
Access Type
Open Access
Start Date
4-17-2024 3:30 PM
End Date
4-17-2024 3:45 PM
College
Lynchburg College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Political Science
Keywords
Propaganda, Election Interference, Chile 1973, United States 2016, Russia, Disinformation, Misinformation, Information Warfare, Destabilization, Intelligence Studies, International Relations
Abstract
The introduction of the internet, while influential on intelligence as a whole, has had no impact on the methods of propaganda used in efforts to destabilize elections, only on the methods of delivery. Previous studies have been done into pre- and post-internet propaganda techniques individually, demonstrating the influence of each in the specific time period it was used. I will be building on this research to compare the effectiveness and influence of propaganda and information warfare used to weaken the political stability of a foreign state. In addition, this presentation will be comparing the two cases of the U.S. interference in Chile in 1973 to Russian interference in the U.S. in 2016, in order to demonstrate the differences between pre- and post-internet propaganda techniques. My initial findings have indicated that the method of delivery has changed significantly from the use of posters, flyers, and radio, to the use of social media, bots, and television. It has also demonstrated that the methods used remained similar, with foreign countries sponsoring political organizations, influencing and dividing the media, and attempting to cause fear and doubt about a presidential candidate and their platform.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. David Richards
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50 Years of Election Interference: Are Pre-Internet Techniques Still Pertinent In a Post-Internet World?
Sydnor Performance Hall
The introduction of the internet, while influential on intelligence as a whole, has had no impact on the methods of propaganda used in efforts to destabilize elections, only on the methods of delivery. Previous studies have been done into pre- and post-internet propaganda techniques individually, demonstrating the influence of each in the specific time period it was used. I will be building on this research to compare the effectiveness and influence of propaganda and information warfare used to weaken the political stability of a foreign state. In addition, this presentation will be comparing the two cases of the U.S. interference in Chile in 1973 to Russian interference in the U.S. in 2016, in order to demonstrate the differences between pre- and post-internet propaganda techniques. My initial findings have indicated that the method of delivery has changed significantly from the use of posters, flyers, and radio, to the use of social media, bots, and television. It has also demonstrated that the methods used remained similar, with foreign countries sponsoring political organizations, influencing and dividing the media, and attempting to cause fear and doubt about a presidential candidate and their platform.