Participatory Propaganda in Seven Simple Steps

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the hostile divisions that are growing today in the
U.S.
Indeed, in its recent report on information
operations, Facebook noted:
“We have observed many actions by fake
account operators that could only be performed
by people with language skills and a basic
knowledge of the political situation in the
target countries, suggesting a higher level of
coordination and forethought.” 140
And while the example used to illustrate the
model of participatory propaganda stems from an
arguably far-right campaign, this does not preclude
its adoption on the left. Granted, populist views,
which can occur on both the left and right side
of the political spectrum, are likely to be the best
suited to this format – but it will not stop others
from trying.
There is a major caveat that needs to be
considered before implementing participatory
propaganda, however. If the campaign using
these techniques claims a moral high ground
over the opposition, then any proof that might be
revealed about audience manipulation can easily
be used to discredit the campaign. For example,
any documentation that shows they used botnets,
fake news, or astroturfing, can all be used to attack
the legitimacy of the campaign. So, if you stand on
the side of liberty, and transparency, these sorts of
“dark arts tricks” put that messaging and work at
risk – which is one of the reasons why Clinton was
so easy to attack.