Messaging Soleimani's killing: the communication vulnerabilities of authoritarian states
The capacity of authoritarian states to manipulate narratives and undermine the authority of western democracies is increasingly emphasized in International Relations research. Far less scrutiny has been paid to the ways in which the media environment creates communication vulnerabilities for these same repressive states. We address this research gap through a case-study of Persian-language commentary on the targeted assassination of Qasem Soleimani—a crescendo in the conflict between Iran and the United States. We examine how commentators on the two popular satellite channels interpreted Soleimani's killing and subsequent developments, and specifically, whether they rallied around the Iranian flag. The research method employed is qualitative media content analysis. The investigation reveals that the Islamic Republic did not benefit from a significant surge in patriotism among Iranian commentators; in fact, some openly applauded the attack. It was only when President Trump threatened to bomb Iranian cultural sites that the commentators rallied around the flag. The Islamic Republic faced a two-front narrative battle as communication attacks from within the national community intensified the information war with the US. The article concludes that authoritarian states are at a disadvantage when they require communication strategies beyond disinformation and distortion.
Disputing the narrative of the general's assassination
Climate, Peace, and Security in Yemen
Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheet: Yemen
Climate, Peace and Security Fact Sheet: Yemen
Yemen is facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world due to a combination of prolonged conflict, economic crisis and recurrent climate change-related natural hazards. These hazards include temperature increases, rising sea levels and changing patterns in rainfall, causing floods, droughts, reduced water availability and soil degradation. Climate change exacerbates vulnerabilities, threatens livelihoods and influences existing conflicts.
International Human Rights Law and Islamic Law: A Synthesis of Revelation and Reason in Saudi Arabia Legal Regime
At this seminar Dawood Adesola Hamzah will present his book on international law and Muslim states, with a focus on Saudi Arabia.
Czech and Norwegian Perspectives on New Security Threats in relation to Russian War on Ukraine (CZECHNORSEC)
This project will examine how the war in Ukraine is about to change security perceptions in the Czech Republic and Norway....
Minoo Koefoed
Minoo Koefoed has a PhD in Peace and Development Research from the School of Global Studies at Gothenburg University in Sweden, with a research pr...
Understanding the roots of Kurdish resilience to violent extremism in Iraq
“Whenever you bribe a journalist, you provoke another”