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Policy Paper Kremlin's Information War: Why Georgia Should Develop State Policy on Countering Propaganda

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Policy Paper Kremlin's Information War: Why Georgia Should Develop State Policy on Countering Propaganda Policy Paper 22 August, 2016 Kremlin’s Information War: Why Georgia Should Develop State Policy on Countering Propaganda 1| IDFI – Kremlin’s Information War against Georgia Contents Abstract ....................................................................................... 4 Introduction ................................................................................. 5 Context: Information as a Weapon ....................................... 5 Why is Propaganda a Problem ................................................ 6 Methodology and Limitations .................................................. 6 Definition of Terms ...................................................................... 7 Goals and Characteristics of Kremlin Propaganda ................ 8 Content General Characteristics of Kremlin Propaganda .............. 8 Goals of Kremlin Propaganda in Georgia ............................ 8 Main Messages of Kremlin Propaganda in Georgia ......... 9 Kremlin Propaganda Channels in Georgia ............................... 9 Goals and Characteristics of Media Organizations ................................................................... 9 Russian Media on Georgian Television .............................. 10 Kremlin Propaganda Non-Governmental Organizations ....................................... 10 Political Parties............................................................................ 11 Kremlin Propaganda Georgian Orthodox Church .................................................... 12 Channels in Georgia Results of Kremlin Propaganda .................................................. 12 Results of Kremlin Changing Public Attitudes ...................................................... 12 Ethnic Minorities - the Most Vulnerable Group against Propaganda Propaganda .................................................................................. 13 Propaganda Result Case Study - Referendum on The Georgian Defining Marriage ...................................................................... 14 Government’s Policy towards Kremlin The Georgian Government’s Policy towards Kremlin Propaganda Propaganda ...................................................................................... 15 Communication Strategy of the Government of Georgia in the sphere of EU Integration Recommendations ............................ 16 Department of Strategic Communication ......................... 16 State Security and Crisis Management Council.............. 16 Policy Paper was State Security Service of Georgia ........................................ 17 prepared by: Conclusion ......................................................................................... 17 Recommendations ......................................................................... 18 Levan Avalishvili Bibliography ..................................................................................... 20 Giorgi Lomtadze Alexander Kevkhishvili Peer-Reviewer: Nodar Tangiashvili 2| IDFI – Kremlin’s Information War against Georgia List of Acronyms EC European Commission EI-LAT European Initiative - Liberal Academy Tbilisi GNCC Georgian National Communications Commission GPB Georgian Public Broadcaster GRASS Georgia’s Reforms Associates NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization MDF Media Development Foundation NDI National Democratic Institute OPT Russian TV Channel 1 NNLE Non-entrepreneurial (Non-commercial) Legal Entity US United States SSSG State Security Service of Georgia 3| IDFI – Kremlin’s Information War against Georgia Abstract The Russian Federation has been ramping up its use of propaganda as an effective weapon for achieving its political goals in foreign countries. Georgia is no exception. Even though Kremlin has a long history of employing propaganda to secure its interests, its sophistication and scale have substantially increased in recent years. As western countries are already working on countermeasures, the Georgian government must also recognize this growing problem and develop its own policy. 4| IDFI – Kremlin’s Information War against Georgia have become a priority for the Kremlin Introduction in recent years.3 This policy paper reviews the The importance of information war is characteristics of Kremlin propaganda recognized at the highest level of in Georgia, its results, main messages government in the Russian Federation: and their impact on Georgian society, distributors of Kremlin propaganda, and 1. On February 27, 2013, the the Georgian government's current newspaper “Военно-промышленный approach to this problem. курьер” published an article by the Chief of General Staff of Russian The document aims to highlight the Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, risks and challenges that accompany which outlines the various means of Kremlin information war and the achieving Kremlin's geopolitical necessity to develop and implement a goals. Often referred to as ‘The state policy to counter it. Gerasimov Doctrine’, the article states that information and The policy paper contains psychological war hold the most recommendations on specific measures importance in modern warfare.4 the Georgian government can take to counter the Kremlin's information war. 2. Information war holds a central role in the Russian military doctrine as Context: Information as a Weapon well, according to which, the Kremlin uses information war to pursue its After the collapse of the Soviet Union, interests in foreign countries.5 the influence of the Russian Federation on post-Soviet countries gradually The use of information war by the weakened. After the so-called ‘Color Kremlin is not a new phenomenon and Revolutions’, three countries in Russia's is based on the experience ‘near abroad’ – Ukraine, Georgia and accumulated and methods developed Moldova – started striving towards the by the Soviet Union during the Cold European and North Atlantic space.1 War. The EU and NATO foreign policy of However, unlike Soviet propaganda, promoting democracy in post-Soviet information operations employed by the states and creating a ‘circle of friends’ 2 Kremlin are characterized by an around Europe is perceived by the unprecedented scale and active use of 6 Kremlin as a direct threat to its modern technology. geopolitical interests. In order to spread its propaganda, the In order to strengthen its positions, the Kremlin employs a wide network of Kremlin is engaged in a hybrid war. In distributors, which includes politicians, addition to military force, it makes research institutes, journalists, non- active use of economic, financial, governmental organizations, business political and informational tools as and social groups both in Russia and in 7 weapons for achieving its geopolitical target countries. goals. Among these tools are information war and propaganda, which 1 M. Laruelle, “The Russian World: Russia's Soft Power and Geopolitical 4 А, Герасимов, “Военно-промышленный курьер”, № 8 (476), 27 Imagination”, Center of Global Interests, May 2015. февраля - 5 марта 2013, p. 2, http://vpk- 2 R. Prodi, “A Wider Europe - A Proximity Policy as the key to stability”, news.ru/sites/default/files/pdf/VPK_08_476.pdf European Commission (EC), Speech / 02/619, 5-6 December 2002. 5 E. Lucas & P. Pomeranzev, op. cit., p. 5. 3 E. Lucas & P. Pomeranzev, “Winning the Information war: Techniques 6 Ibid., p. 10. and Counter-Strategies to Russian Propaganda in Central and Eastern 7 V. Vojtíšková et. al, “The Bear in Sheep's Clothing: Russia's Government- Europe”, Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), August 2016, p. 1. Funded Organisations in the EU”, Wilfred Martens Centre for European Studies (Martens Centre), July 2016, p. 11. 5| IDFI – Kremlin’s Information War against Georgia The methods of distributing propaganda integration will weaken and the are also diverse (television, radio, print number of people supporting media, online media, social networks). rapprochement with Russia will Especially noteworthy are the increase. This will endanger innovative methods of propagating Georgia’s security and Euro-Atlantic information. integration. Western nations have gradually become 2. A country with hostile intentions aware of the threat posed by the towards Georgia will have the ability information war and have begun to to influence its political agenda. This react to the information operations will endanger Georgia’s sovereignty. directed at them. 3. As a result of disinformation Georgian voters will become less The reality and the threat of information informed, preventing them from war became especially evident in 2014, making decisions based on facts. In when the Russian Federation conducted this way, a foreign country will large scale information operations weaken democracy in Georgia and against Ukraine in addition to its open be able to affect the outcome of and covert military actions.8 elections. This will also decrease public trust in government and Propaganda is an important component 9 political institutions, reducing their of the Kremlin information war. In legitimacy. Georgia, the Kremlin propaganda picked up its pace in 2013 when a 4. Xenophobia and hatred (ethnic and number of internet based TV channels, religious) will increase, civic unity print publications, websites, non- will weaken and social and political governmental organizations and integration of ethnic minorities will political groups started distributing anti- become more difficult. Western messages. The sheer scale of Kremlin information Why is Propaganda a Problem war leaves only the government with enough tools and
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