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In the world of modern warfare, actions are only half the battle. Perception and information are the rest.
With adversaries like Russia using advanced disinformation, NATO needs to counter these tactics without losing credibility or cohesion. For NATO, protecting allies means not only deploying troops but shaping how people understand and see those moves.
On this episode of Navigating Noise, I spoke with Jay Janzen, NATO’s Strategic Communications Director. Jay has spent over 30 years in strategic communications with NATO and the Canadian Armed Forces, and today, he’s at the forefront of NATO’s efforts to counter disinformation and influence perception. Below are my six key takeaways from our conversation. For the full discussion, watch the episode.
In NATO’s strategy, influencing how people interpret actions is just as critical as the actions themselves. Jay emphasized that NATO’s focus on the “cognitive dimension” means controlling how allies, adversaries, and the public see its moves.
"How people perceive what's happening… will ultimately determine strategic success or failure."
To face today’s challenges, NATO has evolved its public relations strategy. Moving beyond traditional PR, NATO now includes psychological operations and influence campaigns. It took a decade of effort, but Jay’s team has created a multi-layered communication approach that’s needed in modern conflicts.
“It took about 10 years to convince those nations that this needs to be invested in, it needs to be prioritized.”
Russia’s disinformation tactics exploit misunderstandings within NATO, aiming to create division. Jay shared that NATO constantly adjusts its communication strategy to counter these moves while staying unified and credible.
“Adversaries like Russia and others have exploited that lack of understanding deliberately to cause friction within the Alliance.”
NATO’s deterrence strategy has three layers: Denial (showing that attacks would fail), Punishment (outlining severe consequences), and Delegitimization (undermining adversaries’ motivations). Jay admitted that while this layered strategy is powerful, it’s not always simple.
“If we could convince their population that mobilization is a terrible thing… that might in some way deter Russia. But… deterring Russia by delegitimization is really tough because their leadership don’t seem to care.”
To keep up with today’s pace, NATO is using AI to better understand and respond to its audiences. This technology allows Jay’s team to build profiles, track patterns, and make quicker, data-driven decisions on communication.
“I would love to see an artificial audience built that we could put in a digital training environment… and then get realistic responses back.”
Jay explained NATO’s distinction between public affairs—clear, transparent communication—and psychological operations, which involve influencing adversaries covertly. NATO ensures that its own audiences receive truthful, credible messages while reserving psychological tactics for enemy forces.
“In military public affairs, it's always truthful and credible. Whereas in psychological operations, we might want to convince an adversary we’re going to attack from a different direction.”
Jay’s approach reminds us that while threats evolve, the basics of deterrence—honest communication and careful planning—are still key. NATO’s strategy shows that adapting these fundamentals to meet today’s challenges makes them stronger.
At Filter Labs, we work to give leaders the hard-to-access data they need to make smart, credible decisions. But as Jay shows, data only matters when it’s used to build trust and credibility.
Listen to the full episode with Jay Janzen for more on NATO’s evolving strategy.
