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PODCAST

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast

The Pell Center at Salve Regina University

From the Pell Center at Salve Regina University and the creators of the Active Measures Newsletter, a weekly dive into the latest trends in political warfare, influence, and information campaigns.

government politics

All Episodes

27:54

Iranian Influence Campaigns with "Jane" from Graphika

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2026/04/25

Iran’s digital influence campaigns didn’t start with the current war, and they won’t stop when it ends, says “Jane,” an analyst from the intelligence firm Graphika who asked us not to use her real name. In fact, last year’s 12-Day War and the current conflict show all the hallmarks of Iran’s international information campaigns, running the gamut from traditional propaganda to hacktivism and AI-generated content, sometimes with international amplification

en-US

29:43

Iran's Lego War with David Gilbert

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2026/04/18

Iran is winning the meme war. It may seem like a silly metric, but it cuts to the quick of the nature of conflict. Iranian use of AI generated Lego-movies has shown the power and potential for new technology to reshape the modern battlefield—especially where it matters, in the minds of audiences around the world. David Gilbert from WIRED joins us after having spoken directly with the creators of the pro-Iranian content that has gone viral with its mix of Lego-styled animations and catchy rap

en-US

36:18

Russia, Telegram, and Indications of Growing...

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2026/04/11

Telegram, the Russian-built social media platform, played a critical role in the Kremlin’s ability to make its case about the war in Ukraine. But Anna Varfolomeeva of the Cognitive Security Institute notes changes in the relationship between the Kremlin and Telegram—changes that may be motivated by concerns over Telegram’s potential to be used as a tool of mass mobilization inside Russia during a period of economic, political, and military challenges for Moscow. Hosts Jim Ludes and

en-US

30:29

AI-Generated Personas in Politics with Effie Webb

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2026/04/04

"His" name is Danny Bones. He's a far-right, AI-generated persona who raps about England, tradition, and the assault on what he values by immigrants, the deep state, and journalists, among others. Effie Webb broke the story for the Bureau of Investigative Journalism about how the anonymous collective behind Danny Bones was hired by a new, far-right British political party and employed their content in a recent by-election. In addition, hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson break down the Trump

en-US

33:00

From HIV to COVID-19: Russian Exploitation of Public...

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2026/03/28

That last generation of Cold War kids probably heard it in high school: HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, it was said, was created by the U.S. government. Some would go further, claiming it was done to target black Americans or members of the LGBTQ community. We know, now, the claim was the fruit of a massively successful hoax by Soviet intelligence that turned a rumor into a scientific controversy. Hosts Mark Jacobson and Jim Ludes trace the history of "Operation Denver," as it was called, and the

en-US

30:06

"Well, Actually. . . ." News Verification with the...

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2026/03/21

Malinformation is a feature of modern life we all deal with, whether it’s a claim by an American politician, something we confront on social media, or a covert campaign waged by a foreign government. Fortunately, there are tools we can all use and resources we can all access to check facts and help us all in our search for ground truth. Melissa Goldin is a news verification reporter for the Associate Press. She joins us this week to talk about the work she does, the methodology she employs,

en-US

35:15

"Freedom is Coming" with Reuters' Simon Lewis and...

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2026/03/14

The U.S. State Department has plans for an online portal designed to bypass European social media content bans. With a tagline “Freedom is Coming,” the plan plainly pits the U.S. government in opposition to European laws. Simon Lewis and Humeyra Pamuk of Reuters broke this story in February and in this episode of the podcast trace the as-yet-to-be-launched website to a three part-ambition: promoting free speech; boosting far-right political parties in Europe; and protecting American

en-US

31:12

Disinformation and the War with Iran with Sofia...

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2026/03/07

Truth is the first casualty of war, and the sheer volume of digital disinformation coming out of the war with Iran only proves the point. News Guard’s Sofia Rubinson and Isis Blachez review the phony images and videos claiming Iranian battlefield successes not borne out by the evidence. In addition, hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson discuss other reporting on emerging themes in Spanish language disinformation ahead of the U.S. midterm elections before turning their attention to the power of

en-US

6:05

Special Edition: Benjamin Franklin and the Dawn of...

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2026/02/28

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, we examine Benjamin Franklin’s 1782 disinformation operation during the peace negotiations with Britain. As American diplomats sought formal recognition of independence following Yorktown, Franklin produced a fabricated supplement to the Boston Independent Chronicle, printed in France but designed to appear authentic, alleging British officials had encouraged atrocities by their Native American allies. The forged document aimed

en-US

38:48

The Noise War with J.J. Green

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2026/02/21

“Flood the zone.” That’s the strategy advice of domestic political operatives and hostile foreign intelligence services. Veteran national security journalist J.J. Green stands in the midst of the ensuing storm with a new handbook, The Noise War, to help reporters, citizens, educators, and students spot disinformation, manage their information diet, and remain engaged in the life of the republic. Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also highlight new reporting on a U.S. government

en-US

35:18

The New Era of Digital Repression with Steven...

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2026/02/14

As anti-government protests in Iran ratcheted-up in the waning days of 2025, the Iranian government cracked-down harshly, using physical violence against their own people and shutting down the internet in the country. Steven Feldstein and Shreya Joshi of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace put Iran’s actions in a broader global context of digital-repression where regimes fight the population by controlling the flow of information. Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also discuss the

en-US

35:00

Inauthentic 'Fan Pages' with Shawn Eib and Eric Nelson

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2026/02/07

Somebody is growing a network of pages across social media targeting professional sports franchises in the United States and the star athletes they employ with rage bait, spam, and AI slop that undermines the multi-billion dollar sports industry. This week, hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson discuss the operation of these networks with Shawn Eib and Eric Nelson of Alethea, the private firm whose research identified their presence. Also on the docket: informal information networks in Venezuela and one

en-US

34:08

Migrant Warfare with Karen-Anna Eggen & Jyri Lavikainen

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2026/01/31

Before it became a Europe-wide phenomenon, Russia's use of migration as a weapon was a test-case stressing the borders between Russia and its two arctic neighbors: Norway and Finland. On this week's episode of the podcast, Karen-Anna Eggen (Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies) and Jyri Lavikainen (Finnish Institute for International Affairs) share their research detailing Russia's efforts to weaponize human migration. Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also review new reporting on the potential

en-US

12:00

Special Edition: Russia's Support for American...

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2026/01/24

"Russia is our friend?" It was a strange refrain for tiki-torch wielding protesters in 2017, but it exposed the reality that for some American white-nationalists, Russian leader Vladimir Putin is a role model as the last defender of white Christendom. In this special edition of the podcast, host Jim Ludes reviews the American separatism Russia encouraged in 2016, the Putin regime's ties to American extremists, and its political, ideological, and geo-strategic goal: eviscerating American power.See

en-US

30:30

Protecting America's Elections with RI Secretary of...

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2026/01/17

Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg Amore discusses the threat of foreign malign influence to American elections, Trump administration cuts to federal programs to support local election officials, and the enduring value of civics education and critical thinking in an era of ubiquitous disinformation. Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also highlight continued, bipartisan Congressional support for U.S. international broadcasting and the real-time case study of what happens when the United States

en-US

34:36

Alliance Strategic Communications with Janis Sarts

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2026/01/10

On the first episode of the new year, Janis Sarts, Director of the NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence discusses the current information challenges facing the North Atlantic alliance, Russia's current use of these tools, and the transition from an ecosystem dominated by social media platforms to one dominated by artificial intelligence. Hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson also highlight disinformation spilling out of the U.S. strike in Venezuela and the actions of the Trump

en-US

9:17

Special Edition: The U.S. Response to the East German...

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2026/01/03

In June of 1953, civil disturbances hit East Germany--and the Eisenhower administration faced a choice: make good on the rhetoric of 'liberation' or adopt a more restrained approach. According to host Jim Ludes, President Eisenhower and his team adopted the latter approach, restraint, seeking to exploit the uprisings for advantage in the Cold War without encouraging anyone to take needless risks or discrediting the protests themselves by endorsing them from Washington.See omnystudio.com/listener for

en-US

8:15

Special Edition: Edward Bernays and "The Engineering...

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2025/12/27

In this special edition of the podcast, host Mark Jacobson revisits the classic work of Edward Bernays whose 1928 book, Propaganda, argued that democracy required managed perception and was effective precisely because it bypasses conscious reasoning. Bernays wrote at a time when newspapers were the dominant form of communication, when radio and film were still nascent, but the clear implications of his work for our current world of algorithmically controlled media are numerous.See

en-US

32:22

2025: A Year in Active Measures with Jim Ludes and...

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2025/12/20

It's been a dynamic year of growth for the Active Measures Newsletter Podcast. With great guests and a ton of news, each week we've had more to talk about than time to do it. So as the year winds down, hosts Mark Jacobson and Jim Ludes name their "final four"--the biggest stories from the Active Measures Newsletter in 2025. Artificial Intelligence, Sabotage in Europe, America’s Unilateral Disarmament, and more contend for the biggest story of the year. Mark and Jim have their pick. What's

en-US

36:04

A Matter of Trust with L. Gordon Crovitz

The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast ·

2025/12/13

“They’re burning all the witches,” sang Taylor Swift on the album “reputation,” a lyric with meaning about modern-day witch hunts, cancel culture, and, in fact, disinformation. In this week’s episode of The Active Measures Newsletter Podcast, hosts Jim Ludes and Mark Jacobson break down the recent attack on Taylor Swift’s actual reputation and the self-harm done to America’s reputation by its new national security strategy. Then, they welcome L. Gordon

en-US

83 results

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