Information wars : how we lost the global battle against disinformation & what we can do about it / Richard Stengel.
Material type:
TextPublisher: New York : Atlantic Monthly Press, 2019Copyright date: ©2019Edition: First edition; First Grove Atlantic harcover editionDescription: 357 pages ; 24 cmContent type: - text
- unmediated
- volume
- 9780802147981
- 0802147984
- How we lost the global battle against disinformation and what we can do about it
- Information warfare
- Disinformation
- IS (Organization) -- In mass media
- Ukraine Conflict, 2014- -- Mass media and the war
- Terrorism in mass media
- Russia (Federation) -- Foreign relations -- 21st century
- Mass media and international relations
- Internet and international relations
- Social media -- Political aspects
- United States. Department of State -- Officials and employees
| Item type | Home library | Collection | Call number | Materials specified | Status | Date due | Barcode | Item holds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Adult Book
|
Main Library | NonFiction | 355.343 S825 | Available | 33111009548567 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
Disinformation is as old as humanity. When Satan told Eve nothing would happen if she bit the apple, that was disinformation. But the rise of social media has made disinformation even more pervasive and pernicious in our current era. In a disturbing turn of events, governments are increasingly using disinformation to create their own false narratives, and democracies are proving not to be very good at fighting it.
During the final three years of the Obama administration, Richard Stengel, the former editor of Time and an Under Secretary of State, was on the front lines of this new global information war. At the time, he was the single person in government tasked with unpacking, disproving, and combating both ISIS's messaging and Russian disinformation. Then, in 2016, as the presidential election unfolded, Stengel watched as Donald Trump used disinformation himself, weaponizing the grievances of Americans who felt left out by modernism. In fact, Stengel quickly came to see how all three players had used the same playbook: ISIS sought to make Islam great again; Putin tried to make Russia great again; and we all know about Trump.
In a narrative that is by turns dramatic and eye-opening, Information Wars walks readers through of this often frustrating battle. Stengel moves through Russia and Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and introduces characters from Putin to Hillary Clinton, John Kerry and Mohamed bin Salman to show how disinformation is impacting our global society. He illustrates how ISIS terrorized the world using social media, and how the Russians launched a tsunami of disinformation around the annexation of Crimea - a scheme that became the model for their interference with the 2016 presidential election. An urgent book for our times, Information Wars stresses that we must find a way to combat this ever growing threat to democracy.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 319-339) and index.
Welcome to State -- Getting There -- The Job -- Information War -- The Battle Is Engaged -- Disruption -- What to Do About Disinformation.
"In February of 2013, Richard Stengel, the former editor-in-chief of Time, joined the Obama administration as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Within days, two shocking events made world-wide headlines: ISIS executed American journalist James Foley on a graphic video seen by tens of millions, and Vladimir Putin's "little green men"--Russian special forces--invaded Crimea, amid a blizzard of Russian denials and false flags. What these events had in common besides their violent lawlessness is that they were the opening salvos in a new era of global information war, where countries and non-state actors use social media and disinformation to create their own narratives and undermine anyone who opposes them. Stengel was thrust onto the front lines of this battle as he was tasked with responding to the relentless weaponizing of information and grievance by ISIS, Russia, China, and others. He saw the scale of what he was up against and found himself hopelessly outgunned. Then, in 2016, the wars Stengel was fighting abroad came home during the presidential election, as "fake news" became a rallying cry and the Russians used the techniques they learned in Ukraine to influence the election here. Rarely has an accomplished journalist been not only a close observer but also a principal participant in the debates and decisions of American foreign policy. Stengel takes you behind the scenes in the ritualized world of diplomacy, from the daily 8:30 morning huddle with a restless John Kerry to a midnight sit-down in Saudi Arabia with the prince of darkness Mohammed bin Salman. The result is a rich account of a losing battle against trolls and bots--who are every bit as insidious as their names imply."-- Provided by publisher.
In February of 2013 Richard Stengel joined the Obama administration as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Within days ISIS executed American journalist James Foley on a graphic video seen by tens of millions, and Russian special forces invaded Crimea, amid a blizzard of Russian denials and false flags. These events were the opening salvos in a new era of global information war, where countries and non-state actors use social media and disinformation to create their own narratives and undermine anyone who opposes them. In 2016, during the presidential election, "fake news" became a rallying cry. Stengel takes you behind the scenes in the world of diplomacy, to examine our losing battle against trolls and bots. -- adapted from jacket