PSYOPs are now a critical part of the U.S. military’s defense strategy. But, how did psychological operations evolve – and what happens when they go too far? In this chapter, we look at the origins of American military PSYOPs and examine how cultural figures – ranging from public relations pioneer Edward Bernays to the filmmakers behind the Kony 2012 viral video – have used media to shape geopolitics. 

Chapters

(01:07) - The Story of the ‘Invisible Children’ Project and The Lord’s Resistance Army

(09:40) - ‘Kony 2012’ Goes Viral 

(12:26) - A PSYOP to Take Down Joseph Kony

(14:48) - The PSYOPs of WWI & WWII

21:37) - The Ghost Army

(26:05) - ‘Propaganda’ The Rise of Edward Bernays 

(29:25) - White, Gray, and Black Propaganda

(33:04) - Operation Wandering Soul

(39:44) - The Cold War’s PSYOP ‘Master Plan’

(43:10) - Operation Mockingbird 

(46:46) - The CIA and The National Endowment for Democracy 

(56:06) - Edward Bernays and a Coup in Guatemala

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