This course will help in understanding the power, theory, strategy, tactics, and effects of information wars being waged by nation-states such as Russia and by extremist organizations. We will examine various historical and contemporary case studies of information operations by American adversaries that are used to have political, social, military, and economic influence, in the United States and around the world. Drawing on the professor's background in national security and foreign policy communications, including combating violent extremist propaganda, the course will delve further into the strategy and tactics used in various contexts to demonstrate how disinformation can be employed. Become engaged in this subject through a variety of practical discussions to learn about the effects of disinformation and the need for a coordinated effort (by government, nongovernmental organizations, the media, and social media companies) to combat disinformation.
Continuing Education Units (CEU) : 1

You'll walk away with

• The ability to differentiate between methodologies used by state and nonstate actors in employing disinformation in a variety of contexts
• An understanding of new technological trends on the horizon, such as deepfakes, that will be employed by state and nonstate actors to influence specific groups of people
• Knowledge of a variety of methods used to combat disinformation
• An understanding of the use and power of storytelling in influencing audiences
• A better idea of the role of the US government and corporations in fighting disinformation
• Knowledge of ethical implications of the deployment of disinformation

Ideal for

• People working or interested in working in global governmental affairs, especially around issues of counterterrorism and public diplomacy
• Students who want to know more about disinformation utilized by state and nonstate actors