In this book, Peter Pomerantsev recounts his experiences working in the Russian TV industry, where he encountered a world of professional killers, Kremlin puppet-masters, suicidal supermodels, and oligarch revolutionaries. The book is a kaleidoscopic series of anecdotes and vignettes that reveal the corruption, decadence, and rapid changes in post-Soviet Russia. Pomerantsev's observations highlight the subtle yet powerful form of dictatorship that has emerged under the Putin regime, challenging the West with its unique blend of illusion, glamor, and authoritarian control.
In 'This Is Not Propaganda,' Peter Pomerantsev delves into the world of disinformation and propaganda, exploring how these tactics have been used to shape reality and undermine democracy. The book blends reportage, family history, and intellectual adventure, taking readers from Russia to the Philippines, Ukraine, and the United States. Pomerantsev meets various figures, including Twitter revolutionaries, pop-up populists, and 'behavioral change' salesmen, to understand the mechanisms of modern propaganda. He argues that the manipulation of truth is a global issue, not limited to Russia, and that it affects individuals' deepest thoughts and feelings. The book also discusses efforts to counter these propaganda techniques and restore faith in democracy and factual information.
Peter Pomerantsev is the journalist, author and academic who specialises in disinformation and the more covert mass communication techniques of our geopolitical age. His latest book is How to Win an Information War: The Propagandist Who Outwitted Hitler, which looks at the Second World War and the career of journalist Sefton Delmer, whose work for the British government contributed to the vital information war waged against Germany and the Nazis. Joining Pomerantsev in conversation for this episode is Mark Galeotti, expert on Russia and an honorary professor at University College London. Galeotti's latest book is The Weaponisation of Everything.
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