ABSTRACT
The notion of ‘information warfare’ is assessed as well as the option of applying the term ‘hybrid war’ instead of Cold War. Whatever term is used, the current confrontation is characterised by a global informational struggle, in which various media are mobilised, blacklists drawn up and various condemnatory procedures applied. Much of this is counterproductive and threatens the quality of democracy in the West and feeds into authoritarian practices in Russia. The counter-disinformation complex is highly politicised, reducing the scope for balanced analysis and exacerbating the threats that it is designed to counter. The various propaganda strategies of Cold War I have been revived. This results in ‘blowback’, where Cold War neo-journalistic practices undermine the integrity of liberal democracies and where the very concept of ‘truth’ is contested.
