CENS WORKSHOP ON DRUMS 2023: THE EVOLVING LANDSCAPE OF DRUMS

On 30 and 31 October 2023, the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) conducted its annual DRUMS (Distortions, Rumours, Untruths, Misinformation and Smears) workshop with the theme “The Evolving Landscape of DRUMS”. This was the eighth DRUMS workshop that CENS has organised since 2017, including the three closed-door webinars during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fifteen international and local speakers covered topics on the evolution of disinformation and misinformation, safeguarding electoral integrity, strategic communications, sophisticated generative AI tools, counter DRUMS measures, and information, media & health literacy. Over 180 persons from government agencies, academia, and non-government organisations (NGOs) attended the workshop and participated actively in the Questions and Answers (Q&A) and syndicate discussion sessions.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) and the Information Manipulation and Interference (IMI) from within respective countries featured prominently throughout the panels. The keynote speaker introduced how NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) challenges disinformation and hostile information. A common taxonomy, such as the concept of FIMI, would be a good potential way to identify and share lessons across organizations.

Panel 1 speakers pointed out that strengthening public trust in institutions and safeguarding electoral integrity remain key priorities, as distrust in electoral processes and media can contribute to the spread of propaganda. Panel 2 speakers discussed the ways in which governments can support agencies and civil society in reinforcing and improving resilience, a constructivist approach for strategic communications, as well as developing countermeasures against full scale information warfare. Panel 3 speakers elaborated on the role of generative AI in influencing the adaptation of fact-checking and reshaping journalism both economically and editorially. Collaboration between governance bodies and tech experts are required to safeguard the integrity of information.

Panel 4 speakers noted that adopting counter-DRUMS measures as rhetorical strategies to discredit media scrutiny, attack opponents, and challenge dissident perspectives represent a common political trend on a global scale. Panel 5 speakers underscored the importance of information, media, and health literacy, elaborated by Singapore’s public education, survey findings from Japan, as well as from a journalist perspective. It was also noted that the emergence of open-source tools for journalists and fact-checkers has the potential to contribute to a more informed and discerning public.

The 2023 edition of DRUMS received very positive feedback on every aspect, including design and organisation of panels, selection of speakers and topics, operation, and administrative matters. Future editions might consider inviting more Asian (pro-east) speakers for holding a more balanced view, focusing more on political insights and (proposed) solutions, and including (more) speakers from social media and/or big tech companies.

This report summarises key points from the speakers’ presentations. Key takeaways from the Q&A and syndicate discussion sessions are included at the end of each panel.