Dear Colleagues, I hope you are all keeping well and looking forward to the break. I am just writing to share news of two new publications from me, both on the role of hacking in silencing journalism and spreading false narratives. Hacking is far more than just a security issue. It chills free speech. And increasingly it’s impacting journalists, NGO’s, even academics like me. I learned this too well last year when I found myself in the middle of a ‘deep state’ conspiracy theory after after my efforts to inform journalism on disinformation spreading during the Bucha massacre were hacked by Russian intelligence. Suddenly, not only did a foreign intelligence operation have our emails, but I was the focus of the falsehoods I was seeing spread across the internet. Now the Russian hackers behind these attacks have been sanctioned by the UK and US governments and the US State Department has offered a reward of $10M for information on them. Hacking of journalism has serious consequences, I have written about the implications of this and what should be done. You can read the full - and extraordinary - story in my article this week for Index on Censorship: 'Hacking is far more than a security issue. It chills free speech <https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2023/12/hacking-is-far-more-than-a-security-issue-it-chills-free-speech/>'. Drawing on my own experience, I reflect on the role played by these Russian hackers in silencing authoritarianism’s critics and the role this plays in feeding a crisis of distrust and closing down freedom of expression. I also have a scholarly book chapter which examines the subject of hacking more generally in relation to journalism and policy. “Hack Attacks: How Cyber Intimidation and Conspiracy Theories Drive the Spiral of ‘Secrecy Hacking’” in Routledge Companion on Freedom of Expression and Censorship <https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Companion-to-Freedom-of-Expression-and-Censorship/Steel-Petley/p/book/9780367205348>, which you can order now, the collection is edited by Julian Petley and John Steel. Thank you for taking the time to read these and please consider sharing through your usual channels. I appreciate all your support and interest. Warmly, Emma -- Dr Emma L Briant Owner: Maven of Persuasion LLC Associate Professor at Monash University Fellow at Bard College, Human Rights Project Associate at University of Cambridge, Center for Financial Reporting & Accountability Speaking agent: Chartwell Speakers <https://www.chartwellspeakers.com/speaker/emma-briant/> Book agent: Inkwell Management <https://inkwellmanagement.com/> Author of: *Propaganda and Counter-Terrorism: Strategies for Global Change *from Manchester University Press Co-Author of: *Bad News for Refugees* with Prof. Greg Philo and Dr. Pauline Donald from Pluto Press. Support my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/emmalbriant Website: www.emma-briant.co.uk Sign up for my Newsletter <http://emma-briant.co.uk/sign-up-for-important-updates/>! Follow me on Mastodon @emmalbriant@mastodon.online Follow me on Twitter @emmalbriant "I thought yesterday was the first day of the rest of my life but it turns out today is." - Steve Martin “Women are like teabags . We don’t know our true strength until we are in hot water.” - Unknown