This is how effective propaganda works best generally. Find existing propagation lines (whether positive or negative), and gently encourage them. Much recent

This is how effective propaganda works best generally. Find existing propagation lines (whether positive or negative), and gently encourage them. Much recent online propaganda, particularly from Russia and China (though those are hardly the only actors) operates along these lines. Russia generally tries to stir up fracture points amongst its adversaries, China seeks more to distract through diversion (e.g., TikTok) though it also has active antagonistic campaigns. Another classic CIA tactic was not to seek out intelligence, but to plant it, through manufactured journalism. This came out in several 1970s US Congressional investigations of the Agency, by the Church Committee and others. See "CIA and the Media: Hearings before the Subcommittee on Oversight of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence" (1978): <https://archive.org/details/CIAMedia1978Hearings/page/n3/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/CIAMedia1978Hearings/page/n3/mod...> Carl Bernstein (of Watergate fame) wrote a multi-part series on this, which I've indexed here: <https://diaspora.glasswings.com/posts/cdec9a80ce3b0139a0df002590d8e506 https://diaspora.glasswings.com/posts/cdec9a80ce3b0139a0df00...> - “The CIA’s 3-Decade Effort to Mold the World’s Views” (1977-12-25) <https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/25/archives/the-cias-3decade-effort-to-mold-the-worlds-views-agency-network.html https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/25/archives/the-cias-3decade...> - “Worldwide Propaganda Network Built by the C.I.A.” (1977-12-26) <https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/26/archives/worldwide-propaganda-network-built-by-the-cia-a-worldwide-network.html https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/26/archives/worldwide-propag...> - “C.I.A. Established Many Links To Journalists in U.S. and Abroad” 1977-12-27) <https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/27/archives/cia-established-many-links-to-journalists-in-us-and-abroad-cias.html https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/27/archives/cia-established-...> - “Colby Acknowledges U.S. Press Picked Up Bogus C.I.A. Accounts” (1977-12-28) <https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/28/archives/colby-acknowledges-us-press-picked-up-bogus-cia-accounts-tells.html https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/28/archives/colby-acknowledg...> - “U.S. Correspondents Give Views on C.I.A.” (1977-12-29) <https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/29/archives/us-correspondents-give-views-on-cia-4-at-a-house-hearing-say-any.html https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/29/archives/us-correspondent...> - “Ex‐Envoy Says Risk of Exposure Negated C.I.A. Propaganda Value” (1977-12-30) <https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/30/archives/exenvoy-says-risk-of-exposure-negated-cia-propaganda-value.html https://www.nytimes.com/1977/12/30/archives/exenvoy-says-ris...>