Authoritarian rule poses a growing threat to global freedom. Around the world, tyrants are becoming increasingly adept at co-opting or circumventing institutions and norms that support basic liberties, redefining national identity to promote hatred and violence, and distorting political discourse. The press’s role in covering these dangers requires a clear understanding of the interlocking components of the authoritarian playbook. This briefing will help journalists not only understand the tactics, but also distinguish between normal political jockeying and genuine authoritarian moves.
A common pitfall is to focus on formal political institutions while paying insufficient attention to how autocrats reshape informal ones. This can lead to the flawed assumption that business, civil society, and religious groups are independent actors motivated by concern for human rights or the public interest and willing to check authoritarian excesses, when in fact they may be collaborating with a regime and may not even recognize it as such.
Another dangerous misperception is to underestimate the value of a leader’s ability (or lack thereof) to prioritise subordinate wellbeing and morale. If people believe their leaders do not care about them, they will not invest time in offering feedback on how things might be done differently or be willing to sacrifice their own interests for the greater good of the organisation. This leads to a vicious cycle of low morale, mistrust, and stagnation. The ability to strike a balance between control and morale is the key to effective autocratic leadership.
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