Propaganda, Russia, & The World Informat

Prerequisite: Instructor-Managed Waitlist. Propaganda, Russia and the World Information War is a highly current guide to propaganda and disinformation, the geopolitical impact of information, and how false, weaponized narratives threaten the world's news and information environment. 

The course teaches how propaganda and disinformation work, the most effective ways to counter them, and the effects of artificial intelligence. The course draws many of its examples from information operations by Russia, but also considers disinformation by state and private actors worldwide. This includes covert information operations by Western governments, including in the current Ukraine war.

The course also discusses information at a more philosophical and sociological level. How do we receive and process information? Can there actually be more than one truth? We also consider how even well-intentioned media, academics, and government officials can unwittingly be sources of misinformation by falling into common analytical traps.

The course is aimed at students building skills in geopolitical analysis, Russian affairs or public persuasion; those who expect to be called on to counteract propaganda and disinformation; and those who will need to produce consistently reliable information and analysis for governments, militaries, news organizations, NGOs or businesses.