Strategic humor and post-truth public diplomacy

This paper explores how states and proxy actors use humor as part of their public diplomacy. I make two principal arguments. First, I formulate the concept of strategic humor—the use of humor by state and proxy actors to promote narratives that advance state interests through wider outreach and/or persuasion. This study focuses on contested events, which involve competing narratives from various actors, uncertainty around responsibility or outcomes, and controversy around an actor’s image or international reputation. Strategic humor frames contested events to the advantage of a particular actor, maximizes the appeal and outreach of the message, and makes use of digital media environments. Second, I argue that the rapid increase in the use of humorous content to explain foreign policy issues to publics stimulates the emergence of a posttruth public diplomacy, reliant on outreach and popularity mechanisms, fictitious representations, emotive messaging, and exploitation of uncertainty. This paper will review several cases of how Russia uses humor strategically in public diplomacy and external broadcasting to reject accusations of propaganda and interference and mock western sanctions. Additionally, I will question the persuasive potential and limitations of strategic humor. The paper offers insight into how strategic humor is used as a public diplomacy tool to advance state interests, deflect criticism, legitimate policy, and challenge the narratives of others.