From News to Noise: Weaponization of Information, Social Media, and Security Dynamics in Pakistan

Abstract

This study investigates the process of change from traditional information dissemination to a new dynamic of information “noise” in Pakistan, where misinformation, disinformation and strategically designed narratives have become weaponised. An exploratory study of the nature of political communication and how it is changing with social media platforms in order to understand the effect of social media on security dynamics is conducted. The results point to information weaponization that is done via polarized framing, via emotional amplification, via coordinated digital campaigns, and via hybrid information warfare approaches that involve state and non-state actors. The study's overall findings are that Pakistan's digital information environment is now a battleground in which truth may become a secondary concern and narrative prevails.

Keywords: News, Noise, Weaponization, Information, Social Media, Security Dynamics, Pakistan