The culture of communications is changing at a rapid pace, driven by the power of internet and social networks. The digital communication environment, with its remarkable advantages and opportunities, also provides opportunities to different actors for conducting malicious influencing activities, divide societies, erode the democratic values and sow distrust in our institutions. Users are encouraged to create personal echo-chambers at the expense of information pluralism and to move away from reliable and credible news reporting and sound journalist analyses.
This interdisciplinary course, framed under the CRESCEnt project (Mind the Gap in media coverage and strategic communication in case of security threats), co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, addresses the challenge of building awareness and developing resilience to disinformation, fake news, and hostile information influencing campaigns.
The MOOC aims to increase the key knowledge and competences of institutional spokespersons and journalists (including young professionals in journalism and related disciplines/areas) in the field of security and defense, and in relation to strategic communication and news reporting on security threats.
The course is developed in collaboration between: “Mihai Viteazul” National Intelligence Academy (MVNIA) – Romania, Ciberimaginario Research Group of the University Rey Juan Carlos– Spain, Kentro Meleton Asfaleias (KEMEA), Center For Security Studies – Greece and Ministry of Internal Affairs, Directorate for Information and Public Relations (MAI-DIRP) – Romania.
What you are going to learn
- Understand the 21st security threat landscape and the role of the cyber/information as security dimension.
- Analyze the key concepts related with communication processes: disinformation, misinformation, propaganda, covert influencing, digital active measures, strategic communication, hybrid threats.
- Acquire competencies and analytic tools in order to evaluate information sources and contents, and critically address the consumption of information in traditional media and social media channels.
- Plan strategic communication campaigns with a particular focus in tackling security threats.
- Understand the importance of sound and responsible journalist practices, and of bridging the gap between media professionals and institutional strategic communicators in case of security threats, for addressing the challenge of fakes news and deliberate disinformation activities.
Requirements
A previous knowledge of communication studies (disinformation, propaganda, media literacy, and fake news) just as in the field of security/ law enforcement is recommended to take advantage of the course.
However, it can be followed by anyone with an interest in the subject of strategic communication.
The course is specifically designed for institutional spokespersons, students in communication and journalism and young journalists and opinion leaders that take part in accredited media communication flows during major security events.
