Authoritarian regimes from Moscow to Beijing fear losing control of their own information eco-systems—more than military exercises, more than economic sanctions, and more than diplomatic isolation.  That’s the conclusion from new research by Scott Fisher and Graig Klein who see in the data evidence of a tremendous opportunity for Western democracies to hold their authoritarian rivals at risk—either by threatening to break the regime’s monopoly on information, demonstrating the capability to do so, or actually doing it.  Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also discuss the recent surge in Russian hybrid warfare in Europe and the latest analysis of the migrant crisis at Ceuta, Spain.

Authoritarian regimes from Moscow to Beijing fear losing control of their own information eco-systems&mdash;more than military exercises, more than economic sanctions, and more than diplomatic isolation.&nbsp; That&rsquo;s the conclusion from new research by Scott Fisher and Graig Klein who see in the data evidence of a tremendous opportunity for Western democracies to hold their authoritarian rivals at risk&mdash;either by threatening to break the regime&rsquo;s monopoly on information, demonstrating the capability to do so, or actually doing it.&nbsp; Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also discuss the recent surge in Russian hybrid warfare in Europe and the latest analysis of the migrant crisis at Ceuta, Spain.

From the Pell Center at Salve Regina University and the creators of the Active Measures Newsletter, a weekly dive into the latest trends in political warfare, influence, and information campaigns. 

From the Pell Center at Salve Regina University and the creators of the Active Measures Newsletter, a weekly dive into the latest trends in political warfare, influence, and information campaigns.

A weekly dive into the headlines in the Active Measures Newsletter from the Pell Center at Salve Regina University.

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast

Authoritarian regimes from Moscow to Beijing fear losing control of their own information eco-systems—more than military exercises, more than economic sanctions, and more than diplomatic isolation.  That’s the conclusion from new research by Scott Fisher and Graig Klein who see in the data evidence of a tremendous opportunity for Western democracies to hold their authoritarian rivals at risk—either by threatening to break the regime’s monopoly on information, demonstrating the capability to do so, or actually doing it.  Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also discuss the recent surge in Russian hybrid warfare in Europe and the latest analysis of the migrant crisis at Ceuta, Spain.

What Really Scares Authoritarians with Scott Fisher and Graig Klein

Russia and Ukraine are fighting more than battles on Ukrainian soil, they are fighting a war for minds, and other governments are still playing catch-up. Thomas Kent of the American Foreign Policy Council explains how Ukraine turned a chaotic communications system into a wartime information powerhouse, appealed to Speaker Mike Johnson’s Baptist roots to unlock U.S. aid, and built an international campaign around kidnapped Ukrainian children to drive an International Criminal Court indictment against Putin and his children’s affairs commissioner. Kent explains why humor, truth, and a clear narrative can be just as powerful as military hardware when you’re trying to rally allies and sustain morale. On the other side, Russia’s most effective messaging may not be about "Nazis" or other false claims - it’s the darker, more persuasive message that Russia is unbeatable and that stopping it could trigger World War III.  Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also discuss DCI John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow and mark the 100th episode of the podcast.

Russia and Ukraine are fighting more than battles on Ukrainian soil, they are fighting a war for minds, and other governments are still playing catch-up. Thomas Kent of the American Foreign Policy Council explains how Ukraine turned a chaotic communications system into a wartime information powerhouse, appealed to Speaker Mike Johnson&rsquo;s Baptist roots to unlock U.S. aid, and built an international campaign around kidnapped Ukrainian children to drive an International Criminal Court indictment against Putin and his children&rsquo;s affairs commissioner. Kent explains why humor, truth, and a clear narrative can be just as powerful as military hardware when you&rsquo;re trying to rally allies and sustain morale. On the other side, Russia&rsquo;s most effective messaging may not be about "Nazis" or other false claims - it&rsquo;s the darker, more persuasive message that Russia is unbeatable and that stopping it could trigger World War III.&nbsp; Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also discuss DCI John Ratcliffe&rsquo;s visit to Moscow and mark the 100th episode of the podcast.

Thomas Kent discusses the strategic use of information warfare in the Ukraine conflict, analyzing tactics, successes, and lessons for Western nations. He highlights the importance of narrative, truth, and strategic communication in modern warfare.

The Propaganda Manual of the Ukraine War with Thomas Kent

AI disinformation is no longer just about deepfakes. It is now about poisoned search results, chatbot hallucinations, meme-driven propaganda, and a fast-growing economy built to exploit chaos. Sam Stockwell and Broderick McDonald from the Alan Turing Institute unpack the new playbook - and why the next information war may be won before the truth even has a chance to catch up.  Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also discuss evidence of Russian and American voices in the up-coming Alberta independence referendum as well as a new example of information laundering from the current war with Iran.

AI disinformation is no longer just about deepfakes. It is now about poisoned search results, chatbot hallucinations, meme-driven propaganda, and a fast-growing economy built to exploit chaos. Sam Stockwell and Broderick McDonald from the Alan Turing Institute unpack the new playbook - and why the next information war may be won before the truth even has a chance to catch up.&nbsp; Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also discuss evidence of Russian and American voices in the up-coming Alberta independence referendum as well as a new example of information laundering from the current war with Iran.

EPISODE DESCRIPTION - Ready to publish AI disinformation is no longer just about deepfakes. It is now about poisoned search results, chatbot hallucinations, meme-driven propaganda, and a fast-growing economy built to exploit chaos. Sam Stockwell and Broderick McDonald unpack the new playbook - and why the next information war may be won before the truth even has a chance to catch up. Together, they break down the AI Disinformation Incident Repository, an open dataset tracking real-world cases where AI is used to manipulate information during terrorist attacks, riots, wars, and other crisis events. Sam explains how the repository works, why incidents are increasing, and how journalists, fact-checkers, and researchers are documenting the spread of synthetic images, edited footage, and AI-generated claims in real time. Broderick widens the lens, arguing that the real threat is an epistemic crisis - one that reaches beyond deepfakes into the training data, retrieval pipelines, and systems people rely on to decide what is true. You'll discover: Why AI-generated misinformation does not need to be believable to be effective How false content can go viral at 3x the rate of manual disinformation Why crisis moments like Southport, Belfast, and the Iran conflict create perfect conditions for manipulation How foreign-linked, domestic, and financially motivated actors now overlap Why "shadow influencers" are turning outrage into income How chatbots can be poisoned by fake or misleading source material Why transparency around model weighting and data hygiene matters now more than ever The conversation also explores how state and non-state actors are using AI to flood the information environment with content designed for both human audiences and machine ingestion. From fake news articles meant to corrupt LLM outputs to AI-generated videos that do not need to look real in order to shape perception, this episode shows how the battle over truth has changed. If you care about national security, media literacy, AI safety, or simply understanding why it is getting harder to tell what is real online, this is essential listening. The tools are changing fast, the tactics are adapting even faster, and the consequences are reaching far beyond the feed.

The AI Disinformation Incident Repository with Sam Stockwell and Broderick McDonald

TikTok is a potent tool for the Chinese Communist Party’s psychological warfare against the United States. In this conversation, the Hudson Institute’s Michael Sobolik highlights how TikTok's algorithm can shape public opinion in the U.S., particularly among younger audiences, and raises concerns about national security. The discussion also covers the potential for crisis scenarios where the CCP could manipulate information during conflicts, such as a hypothetical situation involving Taiwan.  Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also discuss other reporting about Russian actors trying to rhetorically divide Germany, again, while China has become active in exploiting the emerging divide over America’s future AI infrastructure.

TikTok is a potent tool for the Chinese Communist Party&rsquo;s psychological warfare against the United States. In this conversation, the Hudson Institute&rsquo;s Michael Sobolik highlights how TikTok's algorithm can shape public opinion in the U.S., particularly among younger audiences, and raises concerns about national security. The discussion also covers the potential for crisis scenarios where the CCP could manipulate information during conflicts, such as a hypothetical situation involving Taiwan.&nbsp; Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also discuss other reporting about Russian actors trying to rhetorically divide Germany, again, while China has become active in exploiting the emerging divide over America&rsquo;s future AI infrastructure.

The TikTok algorithm's continued control by ByteDance poses national security risks. Public opinion on Israel-Palestine has shifted due to TikTok's influence. Crisis scenarios could see TikTok used to manipulate American perceptions. Social media platforms run experiments that can affect user behavior. The CCP could use TikTok to spread pro-China narratives during conflicts. U.S. leaders must effectively communicate the importance of Taiwan. Influencers on TikTok hold more credibility than the CCP. Foreign policy challenges are exacerbated by domestic political divisions. Mixed messaging from U.S. officials undermines the seriousness of the threat.

What Really Scares Authoritarians with Scott Fisher and Graig Klein

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