Abstract

The twenty-first century has witnessed a profound transformation in the relationship between information, political power, governance, and national security. Information has evolved from a supporting component of political activity into a strategic domain capable of influencing public opinion, electoral outcomes, policy decisions, social cohesion, international relations, and national security. Governments, political actors, media organizations, technology platforms, corporations, civil society groups, and transnational networks now compete not only through traditional political mechanisms but also through the construction, dissemination, amplification, and contestation of narratives within increasingly complex information ecosystems.