Testing the Importance of Information Control: How Does Russia React When Pressured in the Information Environment?
Abstract:
Applying big data and sentiment analysis to TASS reporting and 15 years of Russian Foreign Ministry documents, this paper tests the importance Moscow places on information control. By comparing the Russian government’s responses to four categories of foreign policy tools— diplomatic, information, military, and economic (the DIME construct)—this research finds that Russia reacts far more negatively to information tools than to military, diplomatic, or economic tools. The broader findings demonstrate the efficacy of information as a tool for pressuring au- thoritarian states, and provide democratic states an option for responding to influence or cyber campaigns launched by authoritarian, state-level peers.
AUTHORS
New Jersey City University Jersey City,
United States
Dr. Scott Fisher is an assistant professor at New Jersey City University (NJCU) in New Jersey. His research focuses on international security, information warfare, and open-source intelligence. Prior to his PhD studies at Rutgers University, he received an MA in Security Studies from Georgetown University and an MA in Korean and International Studies from Seoul National University. In the past he has worked as a crisis management analyst for the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon and deployed to Iraq as a Department of Defense civilian.
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Journal of Information Warfare
The definitive publication for the best and latest research and analysis on information warfare, information operations, and cyber crime. Available in traditional hard copy or online.
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