Disinformation: A Primer in Russian Active Measures and Influence Campaigns Panel I

Russia conducted an active measures campaign against the 2016 U.S. elections. The American public, indeed all democratic societies, need to understand that malign actors are using old techniques with new platforms to undermine democratic institutions. The efforts by Russia to discredit the U.S. and weaken the West are not new. These efforts are in fact a part of Russian, and the previous Soviet Union, intelligence efforts. The U.S. has been a target of Russian information warfare, propaganda, and cyber campaigns and still is. Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, ordered a deliberate campaign carefully constructed to undermine the 2016 elections. First, Russia struck at our political institutions by electronically breaking into the headquarters of one of our political parties and stealing vast amounts of information. Russian operatives also hacked emails to steal personal messages and other information from individuals ranging from Clinton Campaign Manager John Podesta to former Secretary of State Colin Powell. This stolen information was then weaponized. Second, Russia continually sought to diminish and undermine our trust in the American media by blurring our faith in what is true and what is not. Russian propaganda outlets like RT and Sputnik successfully produced and peddled disinformation to American audiences in pursuit of Moscow's preferred outcome. This Russian propaganda on steroids was designed to poison the national conversation in America.