Theresa May said “Information has been weaponized.”
Colin Habberton was talking about information and communications and weapons at the AFP Toronto Congress.
And how about this NYT article? “If Everything Can Be ‘Weaponized,’ What Should we Fear?”
SURPRISING SIDEBAR: So I’m reading the aforementioned NYT article. And 2 sentences in, the article refers to Milton Rokeach, social psychologist. Milt Rokeach?!!! He lived down the street from my family…on Lantern Hill Drive, East Lansing, Michigan. A family friend. Professor at Michigan State University, just like my dad. The Rokeach and Joyaux kids all went to school together.
I knew him as the dad down the street. And I knew he was a psychologist. But now I know he was a social psychologist and developed a very important values classification instrument, the Rokeach Value Survey (RVS). With 18 terminal and 18 instrumental values. Check it out! Really cool. And various attempts haven’t “beaten” Milt’s instrument. Sure looks good for philanthropy.
NOW BACK TO WEAPONIZING: Information has been weaponized. And wow is the internet and social media great for deploying the weapon! Bullying. Politics. Outrage. Manipulation.
At AFP Toronto Congress, Colin talked about “demilitarizing information.” How can we do this? Can we use information as a weapon for good? Check out Colin’s work.
Do some thinking on your own. Talk about this with your staff and with your board. And talk about this with some of your favorite marketing/communications people. Can we demilitarize information?
