Influence operations are not a new or even recent phenomenon, but in today’s digital age, it is spreading faster and farther than ever before. From the spread of Covid vaccine misinformation to Russia’s propaganda campaign against Ukraine, the urgency to combat influence operations, such as disinformation, is critical. All the while, authoritarian governments like Russia and China are at the forefront of this issue, strategically framing the global approach to align with their anti-democratic vision.        

Joining Doug this week is Alicia Wanless, director of the Partnership for Countering Influence Operations at Carnegie, to unpack her path-breaking research on the information environment. She has more than a decade of experience researching and analyzing propaganda and information warfare. In this episode, Alicia also discusses her work in helping to counter disinformation campaigns in Ukraine and how authoritarian countries are taking the lead in developing the global approach to disinformation. 

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1. Alicia Wanless. (2022, March 28). "One Strategy Democracies Should Use to Counter Disinformation." Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 
2. Jacob N. Shapiro and Alicia Wanless. (2021, December 28). "Why Are Authoritarians Framing International Approaches to Disinformation?" Lawfare.  
3. Alicia Wanless. (2021, September 22). "What's Working and What Isn't in Researching Influence Operations?" Lawfare.