13 October 2026
New Article from Asst. Prof. Dr. İlknur Gümüş
The study titled ''New Communication Practices at the Intersection of Digital Diplomacy and Propaganda: Slopaganda Strategies Built with Lego Figures'', prepared by Asst. Prof. Dr. İlknur Gümüş, one of the academicians of our department, on digital diplomacy and new generation propaganda methods, has been published in TRT Akademi, one of the prestigious academic journals. Addressing the international information wars that have completely transformed with the rapid rise of artificial intelligence technologies, this new article sheds a strong light on the manipulation strategies of the digital age by focusing on the concept of "slopaganda".
The research deeply analyzes the AI-supported animations produced by the Iranian digital media "Explosive Media", which are constructed with the aesthetics of Lego figures. In her study, Dr. Gümüş uses Roland Barthes's semiotic analysis approach to reveal how the fine line between modern digital diplomacy and propaganda is blurred in this new media format. The findings show that the gamified contents presented with Lego aesthetics simplify complex political conflicts, arouse strong emotional responses in the audience, and spread radical ideological discourses in an easily consumable way. Produced in low quality but high volume, these slopaganda contents play an active role in the construction of polarizing myths by manipulating social media algorithms.
Emphasizing that the symbols constructed over the good-evil dichotomy distance traditional digital diplomacy from a rational ground and transform it into an ideological sphere, Dr. Gümüş points out that digital media literacy and urgent legal regulations are of vital importance against these new generation information wars. You can review this valuable study in detail, which brings an innovative perspective to the fields of communication, public relations, and digital diplomacy.
To access and read the full article, click here.
Emphasizing that the symbols constructed over the good-evil dichotomy distance traditional digital diplomacy from a rational ground and transform it into an ideological sphere, Dr. Gümüş points out that digital media literacy and urgent legal regulations are of vital importance against these new generation information wars. You can review this valuable study in detail, which brings an innovative perspective to the fields of communication, public relations, and digital diplomacy.
To access and read the full article, click here.