You all know and love debunking. But have you heard of pre-bunking?

One approach is so-called “pre-bunking” - the targeted presentation of other perspectives and fact-based information. This involves being proactive instead of just reacting. In other words, not just trying to refute disinformation after the fact.

seen-this-one

Check out the big brain on Mr. Osintguy. I spent way too much time looking at their sponsors. You can find the funniest shit in their mission statements:

PulseOfEurope: Defend the heart of Europe – with your vote. vote

iac Berlin: Understanding and developing relational approaches in the field of philanthropy yud-rational

Relational approaches are increasingly recognized for their potential to support sustainable solutions and to nurture greater resilience while navigating complex challenges.

The good Lobby: We democratise lobbying not-good

Toguna Leadership:

What do we see as the art of leading people? To be an invested sparring partner as those we lead wrestle with the most fundamental questions, we all bring to work and life: Does my contribution matter? Do I belong (here)? Will I stay relevant and have a future (here)? agony-limitless

Front Europjeski: Literally just "European Front", I guess Eastern Front was too on the nose? freedom-and-democracy

  • Erika3sis [she/her, xe/xem]
    ·
    7 months ago

    if "de-bunking" is "to remove bunkum by discrediting it" then surely "pre-bunking" is "to fill with bunkum in advance"

  • Awoo [she/her]
    ·
    7 months ago

    Get small tidbits of information into people early so that when you drop huge propaganda on people later they believe it without question.

    This works best with the ludicrously absurd. You can make up some complete and utter bullshit that's entirely unverifiable, just absurd stories, then later on these absurd stories you've done earlier actually make your absurd propaganda seem plausible because it's the place where all the absurd whacky shit you heard about earlier happens.

    Places like /r/anormaldayinrussia for example helped to make a lot of the absurd stories and propaganda that has come out sound plausible. It pre-bunked people.

  • QueerCommie [she/her, fae/faer]
    ·
    7 months ago

    You could say “prebunking” is what happened back when I listened to a ton of “anti-communist arguments debunked” stuff before I’d even heard the arguments.

  • itappearsthat
    ·
    7 months ago

    I've heard of a related thing where people will propagate easily-debunkable info claiming "Russia/China/BadCountry is saying this" along with a debunk of it. So falsely setting out that BadCountry is "lying" about some issue so if BadCountry later publishes credible things they can undermine it with "well they already lied about it here".

    For example, publishing a badly-photoshopped photo of the USS Eisenhower with a crater on its deck saying it came from China, and then pointing out the bad photoshop.

  • kristina [she/her]
    ·
    7 months ago

    Is Pre-bunking a euphemism for getting ready to sleep with and cuddle your dad in a nice bunkbed

  • Evilphd666 [he/him, comrade/them]
    ·
    edit-2
    7 months ago

    It's a form of brainwashing called "innoculation theory"

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inoculation_theory

    Or how to create rabid defense force any time your side is challenged. Russiagate was a massive innoculation theory practice. Critical of NATO? Well you must be a Russian bot!

    • trompete [he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      7 months ago

      Well that's interesting. I was merely thinking they want more funding for their own (very much pro-active) disinformation, which they've already been doing the whole time. Basically a rebrand.