  This paper presents a theoretical model of an autocrat who controls the media
in an attempt to persuade society of his competence. We base our analysis on a
Bayesian persuasion framework in which citizens have heterogeneous preferences
and beliefs about the autocrat. We characterize the autocrat's information
manipulation strategy when society is monolithic and when it is divided. When
the preferences and beliefs in society are more diverse, the autocrat engages
in less information manipulation. Our findings thus suggest that the diversity
of attitudes and opinions can act as a bulwark against information manipulation
by hostile actors.
