The Architects of Narrative Evolution: Actor Interventions Across the SAGES Framework in Information Campaigns

TL;DR

This paper expands the SAGES framework to analyze how various actors strategically influence digital narratives across five stages, with case studies demonstrating intervention effects in real-world conflicts.

Contribution

It introduces an actor-oriented expansion of the SAGES framework, detailing intervention points in narrative evolution and providing practical analysis tools for influence operations.

Findings

Actor interventions can significantly alter narrative trajectories.

Case studies reveal effective countermeasures against manipulation campaigns.

The expanded framework aids in understanding and mitigating influence operations.

Abstract

Narratives in digital spaces are not merely organic phenomena. They are strategically shaped by a range of actors to influence public perception, behavior, and sociopolitical outcomes. This paper offers an actor-oriented expansion of the SAGES Framework, a five-stage model that traces the evolution of narratives from digital inception to real-world impact: Seeding, Amplification, Galvanization, Expansion, and Stickiness. This framework maps how adversarial and constructive actors intervene at each stage to accelerate, redirect, or counter narrative trajectories. Through comparative case studies of the 2021 Myanmar military coup and the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war, we show how narrative manipulation campaigns unfold and how targeted interventions can mitigate their effects. The SAGES framework contributes a practical lens for analyzing influence operations and developing countermeasures in an era of contested information ecosystems.