US strategic communication to counter foreign propaganda

After the Cold War, countering strategic communications by foreign actors declined as a US foreign policy priority. The 9/11 attacks, however, reignited the need for the USA to respond to the propaganda of third parties such as Al-Qaida and, more recently, ISIL/Da'esh.

Various US government departments and agencies use both traditional and digital tools to approach susceptible audiences – by exposing the disinformation of third parties or by presenting a different perspective of events.

The Obama administration has revamped its counter-extremist communications over recent years, and the US State Department has launched a new Global Engagement Center to synchronise messaging to foreign audiences.

Meanwhile, the growing role of state-led media campaigns targeting foreign audiences by countries such as Russia has boosted calls for the USA to upgrade its public diplomacy efforts to adapt to new challenges.

At the same time, government action is challenged by the difficulties of inter-agency coordination as well as by legal protections limiting the use of strategic communications within the USA.

Author: Naja Bentzen with Lucas Leblanc

Carnegie Europe: Strategic Europe, 13.01.17: Eroding U.S. Deterrence http://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/67675

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