Intelligence Squared Why Do Authoritarians Want To Control The News? With Martin Moore
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Nov 28, 2025 Martin Moore, a senior lecturer in political communications and director at King's College London, explores the global battle over news control. He reveals how authoritarian regimes manipulate media to shape narratives and propagate false realities. From China's Great Firewall to Hungary's media takeover, he showcases various strategies governments employ to dominate public perception. Moore also discusses the emergence of online influencers and the importance of truth-seeking initiatives that combat misinformation. This insightful discussion unpacks the precarious relationship between media and power.
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States Reclaim Narrative Power
- Governments are fighting back against platform-driven information chaos to regain narrative control.
- Martin Moore argues many states now actively shape news to regain political power.
News As The Engine Of Narrative Dominance
- Controlling news lets governments enforce a strategic narrative that makes facts fit a larger story.
- Moore warns that dominating most news moves regimes toward authoritarian public spheres.
How Strategic Narratives Work
- Strategic narratives structure facts into a familiar story with heroes, villains and a teleology.
- Moore shows Russia frames Ukraine as a moral struggle to make events fit a prebuilt storyline.
