Perception Management: IO's Stepchild?

Over the past decade, information operations (IO) have become a central feature of America's way of war. The Department of Defense's (DOD) focus on technology has left perception management (PM), defined as actions taken to influence foreign audiences’ perceptions and behaviors, as IO's second-class citizen. This article postulates that in today's media environment and with adversaries skillfully using propaganda to skirt America's will, perception management is key to military success. The author offers possible improvements for strengthening Dodd's PM capabilities and approaches.