The article examines two theories of authoritarian propaganda using North Korea as a case study, focusing on the leadership transition from Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un. Employing a "text as data" method with statistical tests, the researchers analyze nearly 135,000 articles from North Korean press between 1997 and 2018 to understand autocratic regimes' communication strategies.The study finds that the DPRK altered its propaganda messaging significantly during the transition, emphasizing national accomplishments and the personality cult of Kim Jong Un.
Boussalisa, Constantine, Alexander Dukalskis, and Johannes Gerschewskic. "Why It Matters What Autocrats Say: Assessing Competing Theories of Propaganda." Problems of Post-Communism 70, no.3 (2023): 241-252.