How Effective Is Russia's Disinformation Offensive?

Clifford D. May, Washington Times: Russia’s disinformation offensive

Just so there’s no confusion: This column is not about Americans conspiring or colluding or coordinating with Russians. That’s a separate controversy about which I don’t have a lot to say at this moment.

What this column is about: Dezinformatsiya, the Russian word that gave birth, in the 1980s, to the English neologism “disinformation.” Understand that disinformation is not a synonym for misinformation. The later implies information that happens to be wrong. The former implies an attempt to deceive public opinion for strategic purposes.

For decades, thousands of Soviet propagandists and espionage agents disseminated tons of dezinformatsiya around the world. Today, using social media, sophisticated tech platforms and cyber weapons, the Russian government, headed by Vladimir Putin, is running a dezinformatsiya offensive beyond Joseph Stalin’s wildest dreams.

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WNU Editor: Is it because of Russia that Progressives call their opponents neo-Nazis, or the alt-right calling their opponents Antifa thugs .... not really. U.S. political groups, mass media, interest groups .... they have been pushing their own agendas and opinions for as long as I can remember .... and long before bots, trolling farms, cyber weapons, and social media were around. It is just that it is now fashionable to blame all of this on someone else .... and the poster child today is Russia, and maybe tomorrow it will be China. Both countries have huge media empires, and they are always sending out their message and point of view 24/7 .... much to the ire of many in the West and elsewhere. But all is not lost. The best weapon against a disinformation campaign is to tell the truth .... and be consistent in that messaging. And while this may not persuade those who have already made up their mind .... the key is to be at peace with yourself, and being openly honest in expressing your point of view is a start.