Russia's Strategy for Perception Management through Public Diplomacy and Influence Operations: The Canadian Case

This article argues that official Russian global media platforms such as Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik News, as well as Kremlin-friendly news outlets, represent the overt face of Russia's global information ecology. The article discusses how such platforms fit into a framework for public diplomacy that has less-restrictive conceptual boundaries, and examines the intersection of public diplomacy with other dimensions of a nation-state's operations for international influence. The article avers that a broader understanding of Russia's international communication practices permits the inclusion of so-called 'sharp' practices as part of the strategic communications component of public diplomacy. It examines the case study of a Canadian foreign minister's family history, illustrating Russia's approach to international perception management through public diplomacy.