Understanding the central place of the media in engagements and warfare, during the Second World War (1939–1945), Adolf Hitler, the then Chancellor of Germany, appointed Joseph Goebbels (1897–1945) as Minister of Propaganda to control the flow of information. That era popularised the term “propaganda” in modern political communication.
The media has always played a great role in shaping society. As a matter of fact, one of the major agents of socialisation is the media.
Since the recent attacks and counterattacks in the Persian Gulf, there has been a wave of new social media platforms on Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Threads, and even lesser-known platforms, driving narratives from all parties involved in the conflict.
This is a lesson to war mongers: battles are not won only on the battlefield, but also on shortwave frequencies, satellite stations, threads, reels, posts, feeds, and internet status updates.
In many countries, the media is considered a component of national security. Several international security agencies reportedly run local media operations in countries with weak regulatory frameworks, sometimes through proxy ownership by nationals of those countries. This is often part of broader counterintelligence strategies.
The sophistication and precision of these online media platforms in the ongoing Persian Gulf conflict suggest that some may have been strategically positioned long before hostilities escalated. International actors now declassify what would ordinarily be classified military materials, packaging them in ways that resemble productions on platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.
Nigeria, as a country, should harness the enormous online content ecosystem for national security advancement. Government should not always confront activists or media critics. As a matter of fact, they can be engaged constructively in the national interest and for the common good. Criticism is a core component of democracy; citizens are not zombies.
One observation about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is that several of his critics during the 2023 elections have, over time, become some of his vocal supporters ahead of 2027. Students of politics may wish to understudy his strategic approach. He is widely regarded by supporters as a master strategist.
The fulcrum of the South African foreign service, historically, has included former student union leaders who once opposed the government of their time. Countries that harness dissenting but talented voices often perform better on the international stage.
It is often said that you do not choose the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); rather, it chooses you. The CIA is known to recruit top-performing students from American universities based on merit. Connections are less important than cognitive intelligence, emotional intelligence, resilience, problem-solving ability, and survival skills.
In modern geopolitical realities, intelligence gathering, strategic communication, and information dominance have become as important as conventional military strength. The media war is, in many cases, as consequential as the physical war.
About the Author
Douglas Ogbankwa, Esq., is the Convener of the Security Situation Room.
