MESA graduate student Chris Boyington presented his research "Balancing Narratives in the Balkans: Strategic Information Engagement in Serbian Media Environments" at the Strategic Multilayer Assessment (SMA) Conference at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. His paper presents findings from summer 2024 embedded research with the Balkan Security Network in Serbia, where he examined how competing information operations shape Serbian public opinion and geopolitical positioning. Through direct observation, media analysis, and interviews with Serbian journalists and government officials, Chris documented how Russian information operations exploit historical grievances and cultural ties to create anti-Western narratives that complicate Euro-Atlantic integration efforts.

His research identified a "dichotomy of perception" in Serbian public opinion, where emotional pro-Russian sentiment coexists with rational recognition of EU economic benefits, and highlighted successful counter-messaging strategies, including leveraging shared US-Serbian historical cooperation like Operation Halyard. The work demonstrates how strategic communication can create "revolutionary advantage" by addressing both emotional and rational dimensions of audiences in contested narrative environments, offering valuable insights for developing information resilience strategies in regions with complex geopolitical dynamics.