NEWSWATCH: “A Powerful Russian Weapon: The Spread of False Stories” – New York Times

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The New York Times addresses concerns about Russian disinformation campaigns, including Russia’s reputed involvement with a rash of misleading material on social media disrupting NATO-related debate in Sweden.

With a vigorous national debate underway on whether Sweden should enter a military partnership with NATO, officials in Stockholm suddenly encountered an unsettling problem: a flood of distorted and outright false information on social media, confusing public perceptions …. The claims were alarming: If Sweden, a non-NATO member, signed the deal, the alliance would stockpile secret nuclear weapons on Swedish soil; NATO could attack Russia from Sweden without government approval; NATO soldiers, immune from prosecution, could rape Swedish women without fear of criminal charges. … all false, but the disinformation had begun spilling into the traditional news media …. numerous analysts and experts in American and European intelligence point to Russia as the prime suspect ….

Russia is said to be weaponizing information, including through forgeries, with one goal being to influence European opinion.

The weaponization of information is not some project devised by a Kremlin policy expert but is an integral part of Russian military doctrine ….
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A prime Kremlin target is Europe ….
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In Sweden recently, that has meant a series of bizarre forged letters and news articles about NATO and linked to Russia.

At least one figure involved with Russian media and communications, specifically linked to Sputnik news, is said to be open about the goals, while disparaging Western media in the process.

Whatever the method or message, Russia clearly wants to win any information war, as Dmitry Kiselyev, Russia’s most famous television anchor and the director of the organization that runs Sputnik, made clear recently.

… Kiselyev said the age of neutral journalism was over. ‘If we do propaganda, then you do propaganda, too,’ he said, directing his message to Western journalists.

Click here for New York Times: “A Powerful Russian Weapon: The Spread of False Stories”

 

 

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