Digital Disinformation in Central Asia

The United States Government invests billions of dollars to advance economic development and civil society in post-Soviet Central Asia. Despite this commitment, public perception of the U.S. in these countries is in decline.

Schar School Associate Professor Eric McGlinchey, with funding from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Minerva Research Initiative, will lead a team to explore this erosion of U.S. soft power in Central Asia.

McGlinchey’s three-year project will investigate the factors contributing to negative perceptions of the U.S. in some Muslim-majority countries. Working with Research Professor Marlene Laruelle from George Washington University, McGlinchey will employ a multi-method research design to examine how Russian and Chinese messaging, ideologically extremist propaganda, and U.S. foreign policy all potentially shape Central Asian perceptions of the U.S. Government. 

“There is a critical need for the U.S. government to understand the changing determinants of soft power,” explains McGlinchey. “Not only will this project establish the first ever baseline of U.S. favorability perceptions in Central Asia, but the model also could be replicated to assess favorability perceptions around the world.”

Social media disinformation, according to a recent study by the World Economic Forum, is one of the core threats to global civil society. 

“Solutions are needed to counteract the trend of massive digital disinformation, and those solutions must be consistent with American values,” McGlinchey elaborates. “We hope this study will inform the conversation, and be of immediate use to government analysts and academic researchers alike.”

The project will also provide hands-on research experience for doctoral students, both at George Mason University and at George Washington University. 

“The project is still in its nascent stage, and already I have learned so much about conducting social science research and how it is used by practitioners,” says third year Schar School doctoral student Keunwon Song, who is pursuing his PhD in public policy. “I look forward to seeing how the research develops.”

Throughout the course of the project the team will hold workshops with scholars as well as U.S. Government analysts and policy makers to discuss research results.