Winter 2018

The Disinformation Age

Modern media-consumers are the civilians in a messaging warzone, where nefarious aims and “fake news” (actual or claimed) battle with verified reporting and facts. From the newsroom of *The New York Times* to a jail cell in Azerbaijan, these are stories of ramifications and responses in our disinformation age.

in this issue:

The Disinformation Vaccination

– Nina Jankowicz

While many have woken up to the realities of Russian disinformation, responding to Moscow and censuring social media cannot be the end of the story. Instead, the U.S. should take a long, hard look in the mirror and invest in its own citizens.

'Fake News' from Washington Echoes in a Baku Jail Cell

– Alex Raufoglu

For a journalist struggling to survive in an authoritarian society, President Trump’s “fake news” rebuke is bitingly ironic – and translates into real-life danger. Here is an exclusive telling of Mehman Aliyev’s story.

The Story of Propaganda in 12 Images

– The Wilson Quarterly

Putin's Postmodern War with the West

– Patryk Babiracki

It may not look like war, but perhaps it should. Russia’s interference in American democracy proves that popular conception of the term needs to be updated – and failure to do so could increase U.S. susceptibility.

For Ukraine’s Wartime Fact-Checkers, the Battle Rages On

– Lydia Tomkiw

From the fabricated crucifixion of a toddler to claims of fascist rule, Russia’s war in Ukraine continues not only on the battlefield, but in the information sphere. So, too, does the work of StopFake, a team that has seen Moscow develop the tools it has exported westward.

In Colombia, a WhatsApp Campaign against *Posverdad*

– Pablo Medina Uribe

Tendrils of disinformation, extending through a popular social media platform, impacted one of the most crucial votes in Colombia’s history. In response, one news organization decided to fight disinformation by appropriating the same app that spread it.