BIBLIOGRAPHY
We have compiled a number of hyper-linked resources (journal articles, case studies, reports, evaluations,
policy papers, investigative news articles, and other online resources) we feel would be helpful for peacebuilding, humanitarian protection, and development practitioners. These resources can be used for
introductions into key issues that characterize “weaponization of social media” phenomena in contexts of
concern to international NGOs, UN agencies, and international organizations (IOs). They represent a broad
landscape of practitioners, organizations, and initiatives working on these issues, across multiple domains
and disciplines perhaps not familiar to peace-building and humanitarian practitioners.
Information Operations and Hybrid Warfare (with focus on
Syria and Ukraine)
Asmolov, Gregory. “The Disconnective Power of Disinformation Campaigns,” “Contentious Narratives:
Digital Technology and the Attack on Liberal Democratic Norms” Journal of International Affairs Vol. 71, No.
1.5 (2018). Available here.
Brooking, Emerson T., and P.W. Singer. “War Goes Viral: How social media is being weaponized across the
world.” The Atlantic (November 2016). Available here.
Calabresi, Massimo. “Inside Russia’s Social Media War on America.” Time Magazine (May 2017). Available
here.
CB Insights. “Memes that Kill: The Future of Information Warfare.” Research Briefs (May 2018). Available
here.
Congressional Research Service (CRS). Information Warfare: Issues for Congress (March, 2018) Available
here.
Dias, Nic. “The Era of Whatsapp Propaganda Is Upon Us: The future of fake news is messaging apps, not
social media. And it’s going to be even worse.” Foreign Policy (August 2017). Available here.
DFRLab staff. “#SyriaHoax, Part Two: Kremlin Targets White Helmets.” Digital Forensics Research Lab
(February 2018). Available here.
DiResta, Renee; Dr. Kris Shaffer; Becky Ruppel; David Sullivan; Robert Matney; Ryan Fox; Jonathan
Albright; and Ben Johnson. “The Tactics & Tropes of the Internet Research Agency,” New Knowledge
(December 2018). Available here.
DiResta, Renee; John Little; Jonathan Morgan; Lisa Maria Neudert; and Ben Nimmo. “The Bots That Are
Changing Politics: A taxonomy of politibots, a swelling force in global elections that cannot be ignored.”
MOTHERBOARD (November 2017). Available here.
Earle, Sam. “Trolls, Bots and Fake News: The Mysterious World of Social Media Manipulation.” Newsweek
(October 2017). Available here.
MERCY CORPS
The Weaponization of Social Media: How social media can spark violence and what can be done about it
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