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The Utilization of Information Operations Coupled with Agenda THE UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION OPERATIONS COUPLED WITH AGENDA SETTING AND INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION IN THE PREVENTION OF GENOCIDE, MASS ATROCITIES AND OR MASS KILLINGS A Thesis presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School University of Missouri In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by JOSEPH R. CRANFIELD, II Dr. Margaret Duffy & Dr. Esther Thorson, Thesis Supervisors DECEMBER 2011 The undersigned, appointed by the Dean of Graduate School, have examined the thesis entitled THE UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION OPERATIONS COUPLED WITH AGENDA SETTING AND INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION IN THE PREVENTION OF GENOCIDE, MASS ATROCITIES AND OR MASS KILLINGS Presented by Joseph R. Cranfield, II A candidate for the degree of Master of Arts And hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. __________________________________________________ Professor Margaret Duffy __________________________________________________ Professor Esther Thorson __________________________________________________ Professor Daryl Moen __________________________________________________ Professor Mitchell McKinney DEDICATIONS First and foremost, this research is dedicated to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who continue to engage the enemy in the Global War on Terrorism and other peacekeeping and humanitarian aid operations around the world. This study is also dedicated to the families who have lost loved ones to genocide, mass atrocities and or mass killings. May the memories of your loved ones and your individual stories continue to inspire society to do everything humanly possible to seek prevention. I would like to personally thank the “Super 8” Cohort from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) – Chris Dodds, Joe Harrison, Vic Herbin, Andrew “Doc” Kim, Kevin Reneau, J.R. Reynolds, and Stephen Wisniew. You all have been an outstanding group of scholars to work with over the last year during this aggressive Master’s degree program. Your input to our professional discussions and various explorations while at CGSC, Mizzou, and in Poland have been immensely beneficial to my personal and academic growth and the most rewarding element of this program. I consider each of you a friend for life. Last but surely not least, I would like to thank my loving wife Rebecca who after almost three years of marriage has endured three Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves – Georgia, Kansas and Alaska, my two deployments to Afghanistan, pregnancy and the birth of our son. Rebecca, you and Joseph are the light of my life. Any and all success that I have managed to achieve over the last year while working on this degree has been due to your unconditional love, support, and sacrifice. Your patience and understanding has not gone unnoticed and I love you both with all my heart. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would first like to thank the leadership, administration and cadre at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College for allowing me the opportunity to broaden my educational experience and pursue a Master’s degree while simultaneously completing requirements for Military Education Level-4 (MEL-4). Next, I would like to thank several people from the School of Journalism and other departments at the University of Missouri. To Sarah Smith-Frigerio – Senior Academic Advisor, I thank you for your dedication and commitment to me and the rest of the “Super 8” Cohort. Obtaining my second Master’s degree would not have been possible without your perpetual efforts throughout this process. To Dr. Margaret Duffy – Chair and Associate Professor of Strategic Communications and Dr. Esther Thorson – Dean of Graduate Studies/Research and Professor of Strategic Communications, I thank both of you for agreeing to take this journey with me and serving as my thesis committee chairs. Your guidance, commitment to my personal success and patience during this process has been unparalleled. Thank you both for providing purpose, direction and motivation during a very demanding but self-rewarding academic program. To Dr. Daryl Moen – Professor of Journalism Studies and Dr. Mitchell McKinney – Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor of Communications, I am extremely grateful to both of you for your input and service on my thesis committee. Your professional and academic insights were first rate and I sincerely appreciate both of your efforts. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ ii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ...............................................................................................v LIST OF ACRONYMS ..................................................................................................... vi ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................1 Research Question Defined……………………………………………………….. 2 Purpose Statement.................................................................................................... 4 Objective Defined………………………………………………………………… 6 2. LITERATURE REVIEW..........................................................................................8 Information Operations as a Weapon System – Concept Introduced…………….. 8 Information Operations as a Weapon System – Concept Defined………………. 10 Agenda-Setting & Convergence Theory as Theoretical Approaches – Theory Defined………………………………………………………………………..13 Agenda-Setting & Convergence Theory as Foundations for IO………………….29 Information Operations for Conflict Resolution in Iraq - Theory Applied……….34 3. METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................40 Case Studies………………………………………………………………………40 Data Collection…………………………………………………………………...43 Units of Analysis and Research Goals…………………………………...……….44 4. FINDINGS ..............................................................................................................46 Rwanda Data Analysis……………………………………………………..……. 50 iii East Timor Data Analysis……………………………………………………...... 53 Bosnia Data Analysis…………………………………………………………..... 57 Summary of Findings………………………………………………………..…... 59 5. DISSCUSSION .......................................................................................................62 Limitations…………………………………………………………...………….. 65 Applied Conclusion….....…………………………………………………………66 APPENDIX 1. RWANDA DATA SOURCES ................................................................................70 2. EAST TIMOR DATA SOURCES ..........................................................................72 3. BOSNIA DATA SOURCES.………………………...……………………….......74 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................75 iv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Rwanda Data Sources and Frequency. 49 2. East Timor Data Sources and Frequency. 53 3. Bosnia Data Sources and Frequency. 56 4. Predominant and Secondary Agenda Setting Themes by Case Study. 60 v LIST OF ACRONYMS BCT – Brigade Combat Team MOS – Military Occupation Specialty CA – Civil Affairs MISO – Military Information Support Operations CG – Commanding General NGOs – Non-governmental CGSC – Command and General Staff Organizations College OPSEC – Operational Security CNO – Cyber Network Operations OH – Out-group Homogeneity CNOs – Chief Networking Officers PA – Public Affairs COAs – Courses of Action PCS – Permanent Change of Station COIN – Counter Insurgency PSYOP – Physiological Operations DoD – Department of Defense RTLM – Radio Télévision Libre des EW – Electronic Warfare Mille Collines FA – Functional Area SOF – Special Operations Forces FAO – Foreign Area Officer TOC – Tactical Operations Center GWOT – Global War on Terrorism TRADOC – Training & Doctrine IO – Information Operations Command IW – Information Warfare TTPs – Tactics, Techniques & Procedures MEL-4 – Military Education Level-4 UN – United Nations vi THE UTILIZATION OF INFORMATION OPERATIONS COUPLED WITH AGENDA SETTING AND INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION IN THE PREVENTION OF GENOCIDE, MASS ATROCITIES AND OR MASS KILLINGS Joseph R. Cranfield, II Dr. Margaret Duffy & Dr. Esther Thorson, Thesis Supervisors ABSTRACT Over the last 10-years, the focus of the U.S. Army has been on Counter- Insurgency (COIN) operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, the writing is on the wall that military involvement in both locations will soon come to an end. Historically, when the Army is not involved in combat operations, it transitions to peacekeeping and humanitarian aid roles in various countries around the world. This raises the question as to whether the Army’s training and force structure is sufficiently postured to handle such crises. This qualitative research will examine the kinds of arguments that are made by perpetrators and supporters of genocidal acts aimed at specific groups of people. More specifically, this study will analyze pro-genocide messages used by the media during the Rwanda, East Timor and Bosnia genocides. Using qualitative content analysis it will identify the types of messages that have been used to cause hate against others and develop a categorized list of those messages and their antithesis. Additionally, it will encourage senior civilian and military leaders as well as the U.S. Army Information Operations (IO) proponent to
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