The Topography of the New Information Environment - Technology, Humans, and Strategy in Unruly Times

This report is a narrative description of the emergence and development of the digital information environment. The report is structured around three themes: a) the information technological preconditions related to communication; b) the human being as a target audience for communication; and c) how military actors work with strategic communication. The purpose of the report is to provide the Swedish Armed Forces with a conceptual framework to further develop their communicative capabilities in the information environment. The specific aim of the report is to conceptualize the information environment, describe some of the fundamental pillars for operating in the information environment, and discuss how other actors have approached these challenges. The central conclusions from the report are: ? The development of military capabilities adapted to the digital information environment is highly complex, especially for liberal democratic and rights-based states to whom trust in the democratic institutions is imperative. ? The development of appropriate and effective capabilities necessitates an empirically grounded and continuously developing knowledge about the overlapping technical, human, strategic, and legal conditions of the information environment. ? The continued development of capabilities should be based on expertise, oversight, and transparency. Desired effects should moreover be measured against available resources and experiences from other actors.