Controlled opposition according to the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion

I beg you to note that among those making attacks upon us will also be organs established by us, but they will attack exclusively points that we have predetermined to alter. —Protocol 12:3

Literature and journalism are two of the most important educative forces, and therefore our government will become proprietor of the majority journals. This will neutralize the injurious influence of the privately-owned press and will put us in possession of the tremendous influence upon the public mind…. If we give permit for ten journals, we shall ourselves found thirty, and so on the same proportion. This, however, must in no wise be suspected by the public. For which reason all journals published by us will be of the most opposite, in appearance, tendencies and opinions, thereby creating confidence in us and bringing over to us our quite unsuspicious opponents, who will thus fall into our trap and be rendered harmless. —Protocol 12:8 

In the front rank will stand organs of an official character. They will always stand guard over our interests, and, therefore, their influence will be comparatively insignificant. In the second rank will be the semi-official organs, whose part it will be to attract the tepid and indifferent. In the third rank, we shall set up our own, to all appearance, opposition, which, in at least one of its organs, will present what looks like the very antipodes to us. Our real opponents at heart will accept this simulated opposition as their own and will show us their cards. —Protocol 12:9

All our newspapers will be of all possible complexions—aristocratic, republican, revolutionary, even anarchical—for so long, of course, as the constitution exists…. Like the Indian idol Vishnu they will have a hundred hands, and every one of them will have a finger on any one of the public opinions as required. When a pulse quickens, these hands will lead opinion in the direction of our aims, for an excited patient loses all power of judgment and easily yields to suggestion. Those fools who will think they are repeating the opinion of a newspaper of their own camp will be repeating our opinion or any opinion that seems desirable for us. In the vain belief that they are following the organ of their party, they will in fact follow the flag that we hang out for them. —Protocol 12:12 

In order to direct our newspaper militia in this sense, we must take special and minute care in organizing this matter. Under the title of central department of the press, we shall institute literary gatherings at which our agents will, without attracting attention, issue the orders and watchwords of the day. By discussing controverting, but always superficially, without touching the essence of the matter, our organs will carry on a sham fight fusillade with the official newspapers solely for the purpose of giving occasion for us to express ourselves more fully than could well be done from the outset in official announcements, whenever, of course, that is to our advantage. —Protocol 12:13

These attacks upon us will also serve another purpose; namely, that our subjects will be convinced of the existence of full freedom of speech and so give our agents an occasion to affirm that all organs that oppose us are empty babblers, since they are incapable of finding any substantial objections to our orders. —Protocol 12:14 

Methods of organization like these, imperceptible to the public eye but absolutely sure, are the best calculated to succeed in bringing the attention and the confidence of the public to the side of our government. Thanks to such methods, we shall be in a position as from time to time may be required, to excite or to tranquillise the public mind on political questions, to persuade or to confuse, printing now truth, now lies, facts or their contradictions, according as they may be well or ill received, always very cautiously feeling our ground before stepping upon it…. We shall have a sure triumph over our opponents since they will not have at their disposition organs of the press in which they can give full and final expression to their views owing to the aforesaid methods of dealing with the press. We shall not even need to refute them, except very superficially. —Protocol 12:15 

Trial shots like these, fired by us in the third rank of our press, in case of need, will be energetically refuted by us in our semi-official organs. —Protocol 12:16