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Glossary of geopolitics and news verification terms

The short answer

This glossary gives short, plain definitions of the terms you meet when following world events and checking the news, from sovereignty, sanctions and chokepoint to provenance, framing and disinformation. Each term has its own link, so you can share a single definition. Entries describe common usage and avoid taking sides.

Written by the 7Analytica team · Last reviewed 3 November 2026

How to use this glossary

The entries are listed alphabetically below. Each one has its own link, which you can copy to share a single definition. Where a longer explanation exists, it is in the guides: geopolitics for beginners covers the political terms, and how to trace a news claim to its source covers the verification terms.

Definitions describe common usage. Some of these words are used differently by different organisations and writers, and a few, such as sphere of influence, are themselves disputed. Where that is so, the entry says so.

Terms A to Z

A B C D E F G H I M N O P S V W

A

Alliance #: A formal or informal agreement between states to cooperate, usually on security. Some alliances include a promise of mutual defence. Others cover training, intelligence sharing or trade.

B

Balance of power #: The idea that stability is more likely when power is spread among several states, so that none can dominate the rest.
Border dispute #: A disagreement about where a boundary lies, who controls a territory or how a boundary should be managed. Careful reporting names who claims what.
Buffer state #: A smaller state lying between larger rivals, which reduces direct contact between them.

C

Chokepoint #: A narrow passage, such as a strait, canal or mountain pass, through which a large share of trade or energy must travel. A disruption there can have wide effects.
Citation chain #: The trail of "according to" links running from one report back to earlier ones, ideally ending at a primary source.
Confirmation bias #: The tendency to look for, favour and remember information that agrees with what you already believe.
Corroboration #: Support for a claim from an independent source. Repeats of the same source do not corroborate it.

D

Deepfake #: Audio, image or video generated or altered with artificial intelligence so that it shows someone saying or doing something they did not.
Disinformation #: False or misleading information created or shared on purpose to deceive or harm.

E

Echo chamber #: An environment, often online, in which people mostly meet views like their own. This can strengthen those views and hide others.

F

Fact-checking #: Checking a specific claim against evidence and publishing the findings. It differs from tracing where a claim began, although the two work together.
Framing #: The choice of which facts to stress and how to describe them, which guides how readers interpret an event.

G

Geolocation #: Working out where a photograph or video was taken by matching features in it, such as buildings, roads and landscape, to maps and satellite imagery.
Geopolitical risk #: The chance that political events or tensions between states, such as conflict, sanctions or border disputes, disrupt people, trade or operations.
Geopolitics #: The study of how geography, resources and power influence the actions of states and their relations with each other.

H

Hard power #: Influence exercised through force or payment, such as military strength or economic pressure.

I

Information intelligence #: The work of turning raw information into understanding by verifying it, linking related pieces and adding context.
Intelligence cycle #: A common model of intelligence work in stages: direction, collection, processing, analysis, sharing and feedback. Organisations name the stages differently.

M

Malinformation #: Genuine information used to cause harm, for example by publishing private details to harass someone.
Media bias #: A consistent pattern in how stories are chosen, worded and sourced that favours one view over others.
Media literacy #: The skills of finding, evaluating and creating information responsibly, including asking who made a message and why.
Media monitoring #: Tracking where and how often a subject is mentioned across news and social media, often to measure volume and tone.
Misinformation #: False or misleading information shared without intent to harm, usually by people who believe it or have not checked it.
Multilateralism #: Handling international problems through groups of states and institutions rather than through one state acting alone.

N

Narrative #: The larger story told with individual claims, explaining why something happened, who is responsible and what it means.
Non-state actor #: A group other than a government that shapes events, such as a company, an armed group or an international organisation.

O

OSINT #: Open-source intelligence: intelligence produced from lawfully accessible public information, such as news, records, maps and imagery.

P

Primary source #: The thing itself rather than a description of it, such as an official notice, a court filing, a dataset, an original recording or a firsthand witness.
Propaganda #: Information, often selective or misleading, spread to promote a cause or shape opinion rather than to inform. The word describes purpose, not truth, and propaganda can include accurate facts.
Provenance #: The origin and history of a piece of information: where it first appeared, who handled it and how it changed along the way.

S

Sanctions #: Penalties applied by governments or international bodies to a state, company or person to press for a change of behaviour, such as trade limits, banking restrictions, travel bans or asset freezes.
Secondary source #: A source that reports on or interprets primary sources, such as a news report or a textbook.
Soft power #: Influence exercised through attraction rather than force, by means of culture, education, values and example.
Sovereignty #: A state's supreme authority over its territory and people, and its right to decide for itself without outside control.
Sphere of influence #: A region where one major power has unusual sway over other states' decisions without formally controlling them. The idea is contested.

V

Verification #: Checking that information is accurate and is what it claims to be, including its origin, date, place and authenticity.

W

Wire service #: A news agency that supplies reports to many outlets, which often publish its text with little change. Several matching stories can therefore share one origin.

Key takeaways

The glossary covers three families of terms: political ideas, verification methods and information problems.
Entries are short and neutral, and each has its own link.
Several terms are used differently by different writers, so check how a source defines them.

Common questions

What is the difference between misinformation and disinformation?

Misinformation is false information shared without intent to harm. Disinformation is false information created or shared on purpose to deceive or harm. The difference is the intent behind it.

What does OSINT stand for?

OSINT stands for open-source intelligence. It is intelligence produced from lawfully accessible public information such as news, public records, maps and satellite imagery, which is collected, verified and analysed to answer a question.

What is provenance in news?

Provenance is the origin and history of a piece of information: where it first appeared, who passed it on and how it changed. Knowing it helps you tell an original report from a repeat.

What is a primary source?

A primary source is the thing itself rather than a description of it, such as an official notice, a court filing, a dataset, an original recording or a firsthand witness. Reports about these are secondary sources.

Where 7Analytica fits

7Analytica is being built around these ideas: provenance, corroboration, framing and the difference between an original report and a repeat. It is planned to describe the evidence and leave the conclusion to you. The MVP is in development, and a launch is targeted for late 2026.

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