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This Is Not Propaganda

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This Is Not Propaganda
First edition (UK)
AuthorPeter Pomerantsev
SubjectPropaganda, Russian history
PublisherFaber & Faber (UK)
PublicAffairs (US)
Publication date
2019
Pages256
ISBN9781541762138

This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality is a 2019 book by Peter Pomerantsev about disinformation and propaganda, which covers such campaigns in multiple countries.[1]

Seve Bloomfield of The Guardian described the work as "Part memoir, part investigation, part cry for help".[2]

The work discusses digital propaganda and how it affects viewer's senses of normality. He observed how the manipulation of reality characterizing Russian politics was used in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and in the Brexit referendum. The book includes a discussion on Rodrigo Duterte.[3] The book also argues that destroying the idea of objective truth is a goal of various internet propaganda campaigns,[1] as well as destroying the trust in democracy,[4] and information overload meant to persuade people to put trust into dictatorial figures.[5] The end of the book gives suggestions on how to build journalistic and online practices to solidify a focus on facts.[6]

The book also describes activists who are attempting to counter the new propaganda techniques and restore faith in democracy.[7]

In observing the book, reviewer Scott McLemee argued that the proliferation of this style of propaganda is a form of globalization.[8]

Background

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Pomerantsev observed that propaganda practices in Russia began to be used in the west, spurring him to write this book.[9] According to Pomerantsev, the belief that access to information would increase knowledge of the truth was hindered by the new propaganda techniques.[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b Hughes, Ian (August 8, 2019). "This is Not Propaganda: How Putin, Trump and Bolsonaro use social media". The Irish Times. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  2. ^ Bloomfield, Steve (August 10, 2019). "This Is Not Propaganda by Peter Pomerantsev review – quietly frightening". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.
  3. ^ Adams, Tim (July 28, 2019). "This Is Not Propaganda by Peter Pomerantsev review – dispatches from the war on truth". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.
  4. ^ Ikenberry, G. John (October 15, 2019). "Capsule Review: This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality". Foreign Affairs. ISSN 0015-7120.
  5. ^ Smith, Douglas (October 10, 2019). "Dark Days Are Coming: On Peter Pomerantsev's 'This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality'". Los Angeles Review of Books. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  6. ^ Reich, Rebecca (August 6, 2019). "How the War Against Truth Went Global". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  7. ^ Marozzi, Justin (July 25, 2019). "Book of the week: This Is Not Propaganda by Peter Pomerantsev". Evening Standard. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  8. ^ McLemee, Scott (January 24, 2020). "Review of Peter Pomerantsev, 'This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality'". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  9. ^ Thornhill, John (August 30, 2019). "This is Not Propaganda — how the information revolution was hijacked". Financial Times. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  10. ^ Kalpokas, Ignas (October 7, 2019). "Book Review: This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality by Peter Pomerantsev". LSE Review of Books. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
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