Officials advised to get ‘edgy’ to counter Russian-style fake news
GOVERNMENT officials have been ordered to counter disinformation by recruiting “friendly influencers” and using “edgy narratives” amid the increasing concern over the online threat posed by Russia.
The “RESIST Counter Disinformation Toolkit”, sent to all government departments, warns that “fake news has the power to undermine public safety, undermine trust, damage our economic prosperity and our global influence” and “undermine the integrity of government”.
It urges officials to monitor narratives relating to their policy or department and to take immediate action if the false information “has the potential to affect national security and has a high likelihood of making headlines”.
First released in March, at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the guide from the Government Communication Service was updated just two days after a damning report by MPS on the all-party Commons intelligence and security committee.
The committee’s report found that Britain “was clearly a target for Russia’s disinformation campaigns and political influence operations” and that led to criticism that the Government was too slow to act.
The latest advice for communication teams, policy officers, senior managers and special advisers warns that those trying to spread disinformation will often use fabricated images, multiple social media accounts, bots and trolls to try to make their lies seem convincing and the subject of intense debate.
It tells officials that they should “expose” those lies by enlisting the help of “friendly influencers” who “can be a valuable means of building bridges to sceptical audiences, particularly if they are seen as an objective source of credible information”.
The guide advises that the response should be consistent but also “edgy”, stating: “Disinformation narratives often have an impact because they are sensational and attention-grabbing. Your communications will need to be edgy and interesting enough to compete.
“You should consider stepping outside the usual ‘tick box’ government responses and creating an approach, or a narrative, that will carry in a crowded information space.”
Those trying to spread disinformation, the guide states, may be doing so for economic reasons. They may also be hackers acting either simply because they can or to discredit others.
It also says a “hostile state” could be attempting to “undermine national prosperity and security” using techniques, including “espionage and ‘kompromat’ [compromising material]”.
The guide uses the poisoning in Salisbury of Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, as an example of a “high” risk disinformation campaign in which “early warnings from digital media” allowed ministers to take action.