Publications

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Regional Security Program // Kristína Šefčíková, Natália Tkáčová, Prague Security Studies Institute / 31 May 2024

PSSI Perspectives #34: Obchod so strachom na Slovensku

Slovenský informačný priestor je čoraz viac zaplavovaný dezinformáciami a manipuláciami. Veľkou motiváciou pre šírenie problematického obsahu môže byť vidina zisku. V tejto súvislosti sa často používa aj označenie obchod so strachom. Obchodníci so strachom sa vo svojej komunikácii spoliehajú na dezinformácie, ktoré v ľuďoch vyvolávajú silné emócie ako strach alebo nenávisť. Tieto praktiky využívajú ako skratku k čo najväčšej pozornosti – klikom –, a čo je hlavné, peniazom. Ich ciele sú ale často spojené s politickými ambíciami a túžbou po pozornosti.

PSSI Perspective

Regional Security Program // Kristína Šefčíková, Prague Security Studies Institute / 30 May 2024

PSSI Perspectives #33: Kdo jsou obchodníci se strachem a proč si na ně dávat pozor?

Stále častěji se v médiích setkáváme s pojmem obchodníci se strachem. Jde o lidi, kterým jde o finanční zisk a pro dosažení svého cíle se nebojí využívat dezinformace. Jejich cíle se také běžně spojují s politickými ambicemi nebo touhou po pozornosti. Ve své komunikaci se proto spoléhají na dezinformace a zavádějící praktiky, které v lidech vyvolávají silné emoce, především strach a nenávist. Tyto praktiky využívají jako zkratku k co největší pozornosti, klikům – a co je hlavní, k penězům.
Globsec

Projekt GLOBSEC Trends poskytuje výsledky rozsáhlého průzkumu veřejného mínění ve střední a východní Evropě. Účelem průzkumu je zmapovat kolektivní společenské postoje a pohledy na širokou škálu témat, zejména geopolitického charakteru, včetně Evropské unie a NATO, jakož i probíhající války na Ukrajině a vnímání demokracie.

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Given the recent EU raid on the Warsaw and Rotterdam offices of the Chinese security equipment manufacturer Nuctech, PSSI has issued a Flash Traffic report recommending capital markets sanctions against its parent company, Tsinghua Tongfang (SS.600100). Download the Flash Traffic report below.

Snímek obrazovky 2024-04-18 v 12.50.04

This analysis seeks to identify key stakeholders involved in the public debate around the Istanbul Convention and its framing. The analytical report provides practical communication recommendations with the aim of fostering a more balanced public debate about the Istanbul Convention. The outputs are based on semi-structured expert interviews with the government's Human Rights Commissioner, a representative of the media, the non-governmental sector and a legal expert. The analysis is available in both English and Czech. 

SHEIN

Economic & Financial Statecraft Program // Elias Sköld, Nico Mastrangelo, Emma Sage / 6 Mar 2024

Suppliers in Chains: SHEIN’s Troubling IPO

PSSI’s newest Perspective takes on the proposed IPO of SHEIN, the fast-fashion giant faced with a litany of allegations. We find that SHEIN has either concealed its practices or willfully misled consumers and lawmakers in the U.S. and EU regarding its record on human rights, workers' rights, environmental damage, consumer product toxicity levels, and customs regulations. It has been demonstrably and repeatedly linked to forced labor from the Xinjiang Province in China, faces a multitude of criminal allegations, and has demonstrated a repeated failure to protect workers and consumers. 

 

Snímek obrazovky 2024-01-31 v 7.51.24

PSSI's research reveals a regulatory crisis in global finance: American investment funds have been funneled into Chinese companies which bolster and support Iran’s rogue activities. This report highlights 40 such companies, which cumulatively enjoy U.S.-based investments valued at over $6 billion. This alarming relationship, driven by major U.S. asset managers like Vanguard, State Street, and Dimensional, demonstrates how Western funds are inadvertently supporting Iran's role as a principal state sponsor of terror. 
 

Disinformation on Telegram
In the evolving landscape of the Czech disinformation space, the organizational and financial dimensions of disinformation actors have emerged as critical yet underexplored facets. Traditional approaches to combating disinformation have predominantly focused on media monitoring and analysis, leaving a void in understanding how these actors operate, collaborate, and sustain their activities financially. This knowledge is pivotal in devising effective policies and civic outreach initiatives aimed at mitigating the adverse societal impacts of disinformation.
 
Assesment of Strategic Communication Structures and Capabilities in the Czech Republic

The primary goals of strategic communication comprise from both an informative role for domestic and international audiences regarding the nation’s values, identity, capabilities, and actions, as well as a strategic security aspect to monitor, analyze, and respond to international political developments to enhance the nation’s position and avert potentially destabilizing actions from adversaries.

Assesment of Slovak Strategic Communication Structures and Capabilities

Slovakia finds itself grappling with a number of consecutive crises that extend beyond the bounds of the health system, geopolitics, and energy issues. The overarching political instability in the region, compounded by the enduring challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ukraine war, and energy concerns, was exacerbated by an internal political crisis that led to the fall of the Slovak government in December 2022 and subsequent snap election that took place recently. The political instability, accompanied by decades-long corruption, created a corrosive effect of alarmingly low trust in government institutions, media, and even democracy. These issues have created a particularly challenging environment for strategic communication. As a consequence, the impact of governmental communication on its priority issue areas has, so far, been minimal, despite the development of strategic communication units and initiatives under a national conceptual framework.