The war for Ukraine: reputational security and media disruption

This essay looks at the Ukraine crisis and war of 2022 through the prism of two of the author’s recent analytical concepts: Reputational Security and Media Disruption. The first is a refinement of Soft Power which emphasizes the negative experiences of countries which fail to develop an adequate international reputation. The second refers to the problems in the international system associated with the coming of a hitherto unknown mass medium which is able to sway global audiences beyond the extent associated with established platforms. The essay notes how the idea for both phenomena emerged from the Ukraine crisis of 2014. It goes on to chart the generally successful attempts by Ukraine and its western allies to plug the gaps evident in 2014 and argues that the contrastingly strong performance of Ukraine in the west in 2022 shows that public diplomacy can both build reputational security and counter media disruption. Key elements of Ukraine’s effort include the star appeal of Volodymyr Zelensky. Evidence of effectiveness include the spontaneous withdrawal of western businesses from Russia following the invasion. The essay notes the limits on Ukraine’s reputational security including its lack of traction in the Global South: a phenomenon which conversely shows the enduring reputational strength of Russia. The essay concludes by arguing that the Ukraine war contains an agenda for further study with an emphasis on both Reputational Security and Media Disruption.