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RUSI Journal

The RUSI Journal is a leading journal on defence and security. First published in 1857, it brings together scholars, decision-makers and practitioners in a unique forum that combines academic rigour with policy relevance.

January 2020, Vol: 165 No: 1

Robert Mueller walking in front of reporters, journalists and camerapersons. Courtesy of PA Images/Carol Guzy

The Strategic Logic of State and Non-State Malign ‘Influence Activities’

RUSI Journal, 21 February 2020, No: 1

Haroro J Ingram

Malign actors are exploiting weak points in modern democratic governance.

Tags: Cyber, Domestic Security, Information, Technology
New York skyline with two beams of light representing the World Trade Center towers

The Challenge of Conspiracy Theories for Strategic Communications

RUSI Journal, 12 March 2020, No: 1

Donald Holbrook

Facts are often ineffective tools to combat conspiracy theories.

Tags: Information
Still image from an Islamic State propaganda video, showing militants firing a light machine gun at sunset during a firefight on the west bank of the River Tigris in Salaheddin province, Iraq, 28 June 2016. Handout provided by PA Images

Redefining ‘Propaganda’: The Media Strategy of the Islamic State

RUSI Journal, 17 March 2020, No: 1

Charlie Winter

The Islamic State was very selective when choosing to employ deception.

Tags: Information, Terrorism, Middle East and North Africa
Presidents Putin and Assad sitting around a table with military officials. Courtesy of Kremlin.ru

‘Information War’ as the Russian Conceptualisation of Strategic Communications

RUSI Journal, 18 March 2020, No: 1

Ofer Fridman

Military and non-military tools form part of Russian information warfare.

Tags: Russia, Defence Policy, Information, Europe
High-rise buildings in the foreground with low density buildings and forest behind. Courtesy of Fibonacci Blue/Flickr

The Ecology of Extremists’ Communications: Messaging Effectiveness, Social Environments and Individual Attributes

RUSI Journal, 16 March 2020, No: 1

Nafees Hamid

Radicalisation is often more effectively achieved in small groups than through mass messaging.

Tags: Information, Terrorism
Crowd of people along the edge of the River Thames during the day.

Reading the Mood: Atmospherics and Counterterrorism

RUSI Journal, 11 March 2020, No: 1

Claire Yorke

Detecting the public mood in response to major events is a difficult, but important, step in developing strategic communications.

Tags: Information, Terrorism
Sajid Javid pointing to reporters (not pictured) at a press conference with the London Eye in the background. Courtesy of PA Images/Stefan Rousseau

Beyond Prevention: The Role of Strategic Communications Across the Four Pillars of Counterterrorism Strategy

RUSI Journal, 21 February 2020, No: 1

Andrew Glazzard and Alastair Reed

Strategic communications is a valuable addition to counterterrorism policy.

Tags: UK Counter-terrorism, Tackling Extremism, UK, Domestic Security, Information, National Security, Terrorism, Europe
A street market with many clothes for sale and some people walking on a road. Courtesy of US Ninara/Flickr

Preventive Communication: Emerging Lessons from Participative Approaches to Countering Violent Extremism in Kenya

RUSI Journal, 11 March 2020, No: 1

Matt Freear and Andrew Glazzard

Effective approaches to preventing and countering violent extremism should emphasise the agency of those at risk.

Tags: Terrorism, Africa
A memorial set on an urban street with a few people in the background. Courtesy of Evan Nesterak / Wikimedia Commons

Routing the Extreme Right: Challenges for Social Media Platforms

RUSI Journal, 28 February 2020, No: 1

Maura Conway

Tackling content produced by the extreme right is a persistent challenge for social media companies.

Tags: Cyber, Tackling Extremism, Technology, Terrorism
Crowd at night carrying torches. Courtesy of NurPhoto/PA Images

There and Back Again: How White Nationalist Ephemera Travels Between Online and Offline Spaces

RUSI Journal, 11 March 2020, No: 1

J M Berger, Kateira Aryaeinejad and Seán Looney

Racist content often moves between online and offline spaces in sophisticated ways.

Tags: United States, Americas, Information
The front view of the Imam Ali Mosque in Iraq before its destruction. Courtesy of US Navy/Arlo K Abrahamson

Lying to Win: The Islamic State Media Department’s Role in Deception Efforts

RUSI Journal, 9 March 2020, No: 1

Craig Whiteside

The Islamic State's media arm used deception infrequently.

Tags: Counterinsurgency, Information, Technology, Terrorism

Book Review: Brexit in History: Sovereignty or European Union?

RUSI Journal, 16 March 2020, No: 1

Stefan Auer

Stefan Auer reviews Brexit in History: Sovereignty or a European Union?, by Beatrice Heuser.

Tags: European Union, UK, International Institutions, Europe

God’s Spies: The Stasi’s Cold War Espionage Campaign Inside the Church

RUSI Journal, 17 March 2020, No: 1

Gill Bennett

Gill Bennett reviews God’s Spies: The Stasi’s Cold War Espionage Campaign Inside the Church, by Elisabeth Braw.

Tags: History, Intelligence, Europe

Book Review: Bytes, Bombs and Spies: The Strategic Dimensions of Offensive Cyber Operations

RUSI Journal, 16 March 2020, No: 1

Lev Topor

Lev Topor reviews Bytes, Bombs and Spies: The Strategic Dimensions of Offensive Cyber Operations, edited by Herbert Lin and Amy Zegart.

Tags: Cyber, Technology

Book Review: This is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality

RUSI Journal, 16 March 2020, No: 1

Tom Ascott

Tom Ascott reviews This is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality, by Peter Pomerantsev.

Tags: Information

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Contacts

Emma De Angelis
Director of Publications/Editor, RUSI Journal +44 (0)20 7747 2615

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Information for prospective authors wishing to contribute to the RUSI Journal and other RUSI publications.