Propaganda in Contemporary Russia and Egypt

At a recent event, three speakers explored the dynamics of mis/disinformation in Russia and Egypt today.

Peter Pomerantsev and Michael Weiss began by presenting their recent report on the “weaponization of information” in Russia, focusing on how the Kremlin has (re)mastered the art of propaganda for a 21st century context. In the report, the authors discuss Putin’s use of old and new tactics to manipulate not only domestic public opinion, but also opinion in Europe and the United States.

Rabab El Mahdi followed with a discussion of how Egypt has proceeded from revolution to counter-revolution, and how the ancien régime has been able to reverse the nominal gains of the 2011 uprising. Rabab detailed how the state and business, through orchestrated efforts, use the media, the legal establishment, and the security apparatus to create a dominant narrative about the uprising to shape public understanding.

Listen to the entire event above.