Strategic use of memes in communication

Information influence and strategic narrative

Narrative as interpretative structure (Lotman 2000, Barthes 1970, White 2003)

Strategic use of narrative create a context that organizes various information fragments and guides the meaning-making of the (social) media audience. This kind of narrative 2may be designed to elicit particular behavior by referring to historical stories in a complicated sort of interplay and entanglement“ (Miskimmon et al. 2017, 1)

Memes function as connecting links in establishing narrative coherence, binding different parts of the narrative together. 

Why do internet memes work well in information influence?

• They enable the dissemination of messages on a global scale (and within specific target regions) potentially very quickly and at low cost (Nieubuurt, 2021).
• Strategic actors can adapt and distribute meme templates, creating the impression that the message originates “from the people,” thereby enhancing the perception of authenticity (Johais & Meis, 2024).
• Ambiguity and ambivalence – initiating an active interpretation process (Madisson, Ventsel, 2021).
• Strategically disseminated memes often exploit confirmation bias to reinforce certain beliefs and attitudes, channeling support.
• They are often anonymous, allowing their creators and distributors to remain invisible, keeping the focus on the message itself (Nieubuurt, 2021).
• They can empower so-called ordinary users, creating a virtual community that supports (Ukraine’s) military effort (Johais & Meis, 2024).

Challenges related to internet memes:

• The ambiguity of memes can lead to interpretations opposite to the intended meaning and even resistance (Johais & Meis, 2024).
• Memes presented with humor can trivialize serious events, diverting attention from their significance and complexity (Mozolevska, 2024).
• The dehumanization of opponents through memes can deepen hostility and reinforce a simplified, black-and-white worldview (Johais & Meis, 2024).

Seminar questions Wiggins, B. E. (2019). Chapter 6. Audience. In. The discursive power of memes in digital culture. Ideology, semiotics, and intertextuality. Routledge (p. 100-114)

Why is the traditional concept of an audience insufficient for meme communication?

• Does the critique of a passive audience help us better understand why a particular information operation proves effective or not?
• What makes memes ambiguous, and does the intentional ambiguity of memes contradict their effectiveness in influencing an audience?
• What is micro-activism, and how can it be utilized in information influence?
• How do media narratives develop, what are their functions, and how do memes relate to them?
• Connection to previous lectures: How can the concept of the model reader help better understand meme communication?
• Connection to previous lectures: What should be considered when designing a meme for strategic communication purposes?

Relevant reading to understand the materials:

• Wiggins, B. E. (2019). The discursive power of memes in digital culture. Ideology, semiotics, and intertextuality. Routledge.
• Nissen, Thomas Elkjær 2015. The Weaponization of Social Media: Characteristics of Contemporary Conflicts. Copenhagen: Royal Danish Defence College.
• O’Loughlin, Ben; Miskimmon, Alister; Roselle, Laura 2017. Strategic Narratives: Methods and Ethics. In: Forging the World: Strategic Narratives and International Relations, (eds. A. Miskimmon; B. O’Loughlin; L. Roselle). Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. 23–55.
• Prøitz, Lin 2017. Visual social media and affectivity: the impact of the image of Alan Kurdi and young people’s response to the refugee crisis in Oslo and Sheffield. Information, Communication & Society.

Further reading to further develop the activity/understanding of the topic:

• Marino, G. (2015). Semiotics of spreadability A systematic approach to Internet memes and virality. Punctum, 1(1), 43-66.
• Lenhardt, C. (2016). “Free Peltier now!” The use of internet memes in American Indian activism. American Indian Culture and Research Journal 40(3), 67–84.