Accessibility Tools

  • Content scaling 100%
  • Font size 100%
  • Line height 100%
  • Letter spacing 100%

Irreversibly complicated

Explaining the ‘information ecosystem’
by
May 2022, no. 442

Facts and Other Lies: Welcome to the disinformation age by Ed Coper

Allen & Unwin, $32.99 pb, 400 pp

Irreversibly complicated

Explaining the ‘information ecosystem’
by
May 2022, no. 442

On 9 March 2022, Russian forces at war in Ukraine bombed a maternity hospital in the city of Mariupol, killing three and injuring seventeen. In a confused response to international condemnation, Russia denied responsibility, designating these denunciations ‘information terrorism’ and ‘fake news’. 

Russia does not accept that its military incursion into Ukraine is a war. The West, according to Russia, is operating a coordinated economic and information war against it. Facing this scourge of ‘disinformation’, Russia amends its law, criminalising ‘fake news’ about the war in Ukraine under penalty of up to fifteen years in prison. On 3 March, Russia commenced mandatory national lessons for schoolchildren, teaching them to distinguish between true, Russian news, and fake news. The line between disinformation and fact is blurred.

David Ferrell reviews 'Facts and Other Lies: Welcome to the disinformation age' by Ed Coper

Facts and Other Lies: Welcome to the disinformation age

by Ed Coper

Allen & Unwin, $32.99 pb, 400 pp

You May Also Like

Leave a comment

If you are an ABR subscriber, you will need to sign in to post a comment.

If you have forgotten your sign in details, or if you receive an error message when trying to submit your comment, please email your comment (and the name of the article to which it relates) to ABR Comments. We will review your comment and, subject to approval, we will post it under your name.

Please note that all comments must be approved by ABR and comply with our Terms & Conditions.