Psyops

Psyops are strategic communication methods designed to manipulate audiences to bring about a result favored by the party performing the psyops. For example, the U.S. (their military, in particular) is well known for conducting psyops globally to influence others' (including individuals, groups, and governments) reasoning, emotions, etc., to align with their objectives (often as an alternative to brute force).

Small- and large-scale U.S. psyops

People may perform small- and large-scale psyops. A small-scale example is when a U.S. spy manipulates a citizen from another country with high-security clearance to coax them into turning over sensitive government documents. A large-scale example is when the U.S. attempts to "educate" citizens in another country through leaflets, online campaigns, etc., about the negatives of a political candidate to influence the citizens to vote for a different candidate that aligns better with U.S. values (with hopes of a more prosperous future between the two countries).

Other instances of psyops

Many other governments besides the U.S. engage in psyops (e.g., Russia interfering with the 2016 U.S. Presidential election). Also, news agencies (and other entities that disseminate information) may also perform (or be accused of) conducting psyops. You will likely see people identify and complain about psyops online, especially in news articles, forums or chatrooms, and social media (especially Twitter and Reddit).