Perception Management

Perception management is a term originated by the US military. The US Department of Defense (DOD) gives this definition:

Actions to convey and/or deny selected information and indicators to foreign audiences to influence their emotions, motives, and objective reasoning as well as to intelligence systems and leaders at all to influence official estimates, ultimately resulting in foreign behaviors and official actions favorable to the originator’s objectives. In various ways, perception management combines truth projection, operations security, cover and deception, and psychological operations.^[1]

The phrase “perception management” has often functioned as a “euphemism” for “an aspect of information warfare.” A scholar in the field notes a distinction between “perception management” and public diplomacy, which “does not, as a rule, involve falsehood and deception, whereas these are important ingredients of perception management; the purpose is to get the other side to believe what one wishes it to believe, whatever the truth may be.”^[2]

Perception management was also known as public diplomacy in the Ronald Reagan era; however, some people also argue perception management is now an accepted part of international strategic influence.

Perception management occurred as the Iraq war began. Word leaked out that a new Pentagon Office of Strategic Influence was gearing up to sway leaders and public sentiment by disseminating false stories. Facing public censure, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld publicly denounced and supposedly disbanded it. But, a few months later, he quietly funded a private consultant to develop another version. The apparent goal was to go beyond traditional information warfare with a new “perception management” campaign designed to “win the war of ideas” – in this case, against those classified as a terrorists.

The phrase “perception management” is filtering into common use as a synonym for “persuasion.” Public relations firms now offer “perception management” as one of their services. Similarly, public officials who are being accused of shading the truth are now frequently charged with engaging in “perception management” when disseminating information to media or to the general public.

Although perception management operations are typically carried out within the international arena between governments, and between governments and citizens, use of perception management techniques have become part of mainstream information management systems in many ways that do not concern military campaigns or government relations with citizenry. Businesses may even contract with other businesses to conduct perception management for them, or they may conduct it in-house with their public relations staff.

As Stan Moore has written, “Just because truth has been omitted, does not mean that truth is not true. Just because reality has not been perceived, does not mean that it is not real.”^{[citation needed]}

There are nine strategies for perception management. These include: 1. Preparation – Having clear goals and knowing the ideal position you want people to hold. 2. Credibility – Make sure all of your information is consistent, often using prejudices or expectations to increase credibility. 3. Multichannel support – Have multiple arguments and fabricated facts to reinforce your information. 4. Centralized control – Employing entities such as propaganda ministries or bureaus. 5. Security – The nature of the deception campaign is known by few. 6. Flexibility – The deception campaign adapts and changes over time as needs change. 7. Coordination – The organization or propaganda ministry is organized in a hierarchical pattern in order to maintain consistent and synchronized distribution of information. 8. Concealment – Contradicting information is destroyed. 9. Untruthful statements – Fabricate the truth.^[3]

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