From Warfare to Imagefare

What is it about?

Conflicts in the 21st century differ from past conflicts based on two central factors: the level of asymmetry and disparity between the actors taking part in the conflict and the amount of foreign media coverage that a conflict receives. This paper aims to develop a new theoretical perspective on the implications of these two factors on how the involved states manage a conflict.

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Why is it important?

We argue that unlike the conflicts with achievements determined in a battlespace in which the main tool for overpowering is warfare, in conflicts with achievement determined in the information space, the actors should first and foremost consider image concerns and use imagefare. “Imagefare” – the use of image as a guiding principle or a substitute for traditional military means to achieve political objectives – is argued to be the main tool for better facing adversaries in the information space.