The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast

This week on the Active Measures Newsletter Podcast, Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson search the tea-leaves left behind by DOGE cuts to try to understand the grand-strategy and intention behind gutting American soft-power and threatening NATO allies. Then, they turn their attention back overseas for a reminder that America's adversaries continue to operate political warfare campaigns despite America's unilateral disarmament.  Finally, they look at the potential for AI-created deepfakes to undermine public confidence in what we know and the danger of search engines to respond to our own biases.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Active Measures Newsletter Podcast, hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson dissect a raft of moves by the U.S. government that can't be explained as either accident or intentional act, but paint a picture of a strategic realignment with Russia. They also discuss a new report from CSIS about foreign governments targeting corporations with mal-information, while China increasingly employs so-called "Gray Zone" tactics.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson welcome Matt Armstrong, a former member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors that oversaw the U.S. government's international media, for a discussion of the late breaking moves by the Trump administration to shutter America's overseas broadcasting and the impact those closures might have on international audiences, American alliances, and the ambitions of America's adversaries.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Active Measures Newsletter Podcast, hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson tackle news that the Secretary of Defense has instructed U.S. Cyber Command to cease planning for offensive cyber operations against Russia; an American think-tank reports on disinformation in every American state; AI can help audiences resist disinformation; while one American scholar notes that right-wing populist information campaigns have the hallmarks of improv; capped off with a couple of articles on losing the current information fight for all the wrong reasons.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the aftermath of his party's election victory, Christian Democrat leader Friedrich Merz charted a course for Germany in a Europe that must be independent of the United States, telling an interviewer that the pre-election  “intervention from Washington was no less drastic, dramatic, and ultimately no less outrageous, than the intervention that we have seen from Moscow,”--a reference to forays by Elon Musk and Vice President J.D. Vance into German politics. In this week's Active Measures Newsletter Podcast, hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson examine the German election, the impact of Elon Musk on politics from Berlin to Washington, and the latest reporting on Russian hybrid warfare.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hosts dive into the alarming shifts in U.S. foreign policy under the Trump administration, highlighting unilateral disarmament that threatens American influence. They scrutinize significant funding cuts to USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy, questioning the implications for global democracy. The conversation extends to the erosion of long-standing alliances and the dangers of executive overreach, stressing the urgent need to address the vulnerabilities of American democracy amidst rising authoritarianism.

On this week's Active Measures Newsletter Podcast, Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson discuss the pattern that emerges when you look at the divisive issues being injected into diverse Western media environments--including Canada, Switzerland, and Germany--where a looming election in February is liberal-democracy's next test against a familiar pattern of ethno-nationalist grievance and promises of national renewal.  They also discuss the Chinese AI phenom DeepSeek and its penchant for pro-Beijing disinformation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's episode of the Active Measures Newsletter Podcast, hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson reflect on recent reporting on Russian interference in the German and Romanian elections, the threat of AI-enabled individualized information campaigns, and the growing specter of tech billionaires operating in the information space in the same way we typically think of nation-states.  Ultimately, the two hosts consider a couple of recent proposals for fighting back--including to approach disinformation as an "organized crime."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The hosts dive into China's strategic use of social media influencers to sway Taiwan, raising concerns about geopolitical tensions. They explore Russia's blend of hybrid warfare and marketing tactics, revealing the complexities of information warfare. A significant shift in Facebook's moderation approach is discussed, emphasizing the risks of misinformation. Ultimately, the conversation questions the effectiveness of traditional fact-checking methods, advocating for a narrative-driven approach to combat the disinformation crisis.

Discover the intricate web of hybrid warfare tactics as experts discuss Russia's election meddling and infrastructure assaults on NATO. Dive into the challenges Germany faces with upcoming elections and Russian disinformation efforts. Explore the alarming influence of billionaires in shaping political narratives and its historical implications. Learn about the U.S. Treasury's latest sanctions against election interference and the role of AI in spreading misinformation. The podcast offers a critical look at navigating these complex threats to democracy.