The mantras of geostrategic communication in a hyperconnected world

As we move into the second quarter of the year, the global media and communication landscape is undergoing profound changes, disruptions with innovations and unprecedented change in the use of technology.

- CHAITANYA K. PRASAD

Across domains, this evolving ecosystem is presenting new challenges to practitioners and commentators in the realm of strategic communication and its outreach. Audiences around the world are witnessing, often with astonishment, the sheer complexity, depth, and diversity that modern communication now incorporates.

The latest phenomenon capturing attention is the AI-generated 'Ghibli Effect', a digital trend that reflects a broader transformation in how narratives are being created, produced, consumed, and designed.

We are increasingly becoming subjects, not just consumers, of algorithms, data interpretation, overbranding, and even overexposure.

This leads us to the moot question: how deep is the impact of such trends and tools on the domain of geostrategic communication?

Can aesthetic or digital trends like the Ghibli Effect influence new diplomatic languages, soft power strategies, or even modes of engagement between nations and institutions?

At first glance, these cultural trends might seem disconnected from traditional diplomacy, yet they hold the potential to reshape the way nations interact, individuals understand foreign policy, and institutions align with global influence.

In today's interconnected world, communication is not just a tool of diplomacy; the proliferation of real-time information and the scale at which it is absorbed have made it increasingly difficult to establish a unified geopolitical narrative.

The multiplicity of news streams, each vying to be 'Breaking,' creates an environment where reactions become fragmented and short-lived.

In such a scenario, formulating a focused communication response becomes almost impossible.