The National Security Archives have just published a declassified document of the Pentagon in which the approach of the United States with regard to the world media context is redefined.

The main principle of «Information Operations Roadmap», signed by Donald Rumsfeld in 2003, is that there’s no limit to the information warfare for, in the future, «operations devoted to propaganda, Psyops, are consumed by the American public and vice versa». Thus, the plan includes numerous military activities going from «the adversary’s manipulation» to the attack against the enemy’s communication networks.

The priority is «to combat Internet» and be prepared for the virtual war. According to the document, the Department of Defence should create a centre for this purpose.
«We should improve our electromagnetic capacity of attack and communication networks. In order to dominate an information centre in a combat, our troops must know the electromagnetic spectrum with the capacity to attack». (3.Executive Summary - A. Conclusions)

The use of Psyops, a military branch specialized in psychological operations, is frequently mentioned: «Great efforts must be made to characterize the potential audience of the adversary and, specially, that of those who have the power to make decisions and their priorities. If these efforts are not made, the launching of effective PSYOPS’ themes and messages aimed at changing the behaviour of the adversary won’t be possible». (3.Executive Summary - A. Conclusions)

Even when the United States has always admitted propaganda, no government had authorized the media intoxication of its own voters: the document specifies that «the Psyops messages will be usually spread by the media of larger audiences, including the American public».