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US 'Psyops' Propaganda Plan May Backfire, Damaging Credibility, Analysts Warn
🇨🇳 China /Conflict & Security

US 'Psyops' Propaganda Plan May Backfire, Damaging Credibility, Analysts Warn

From South China Morning Post · (1d ago) English Critical tone

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A reported US plan to have embassies collaborate with the military's "psyops" department to improve the US image could backfire, analysts warn.
  • The strategy involves using propaganda to counter "anti-American propaganda," a tactic the US has previously condemned.
  • Analysts suggest this approach may damage US credibility rather than enhance it.

The United States appears to be resorting to tactics it once criticized, as reports surface of a plan to leverage embassies and the military's psychological operations (psyops) unit to bolster America's global image. Analysts express concern that this strategy, described as using "propaganda to fight the truth," could prove counterproductive. The March 30 cable, obtained by The Guardian, reportedly instructs US embassies and consulates to coordinate campaigns and partner with the military's psyops department to counter "anti-American propaganda." This move is particularly noteworthy given the US's past condemnations of such methods. The plan also includes recruiting local influencers to make US-funded narratives seem organic, a strategy that raises questions about transparency and authenticity. The potential for this 'psyop' push to backfire and damage US credibility is a significant concern, suggesting a potential misstep in its global public relations efforts.

propaganda to fight the truth

— Tad StoermerA historian and former lecturer at Johns Hopkins University, describing the US strategy.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by South China Morning Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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