The December 2, 2017 print edition of the Economist ran a
short article “Happy Bunny” which you can find at: https://www.economist.com/news/china/21731828-communist-partys-publicists-can-afford-relax-bit-how-private-sector-helping-china
(which is also the photo source). The article addresses how Chinese state media
is working with the private sector to liven up their propaganda.
Given the often wooden and stoic nature the PRC’s state
propaganda, it’s no wonder they decided to outsource some of their efforts. Of
course cooperation between the government and the private sector takes on
different dynamics then in other countries.
Private sector in the US comes in many flavors. The most
obvious are the entertainment juggernauts in movies and TV (broadcast and
streaming). Cooperation and interaction between the entertainment industry and
the federal government peaked during WWII.
At this point in time (as evidenced by last night’s Golden
Globe Awards see: http://bit.ly/2CTuNdu)
the entertainment industry appears to be righting the wrongs of past years and
striving for independence.
The other aspect of the private sector is of course are defense
contractors. The US has had mixed results by outsourcing PSYOP to commercial
entities. The media is quick to publicize government contracts for influence
operations and generally opines that the millions of dollars spent on these
contracts was a waste of money.
The PRC’s efforts are certainly a proof of concept that
working with the private sector can help improve the effectiveness of influence
operations.
Well said.
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