Information and its Reliability in the Digital Reality

Abstract

The latest scenarios involving multi-modal messaging, and the multi-faceted and dynamic nature of online communication, act as barriers to finding reliable information. Digital technologies and artificial intelligence, given the large-scale and uncontrolled dissemination of information in real time, create fertile ground for disinformation, fake news, false information, various kinds of hoaxes and manipulation used for political and commercial propaganda. Disinformation, which employs complex manipulative narratives and social engineering techniques, poses a threat to society as a whole, given its political, social and psychological dimensions. By polarising society, it can give rise to anti-democratic and populist movements and cause serious damage to democracy. The aim of this study is to examine information and disinformation as tools of propaganda, a form of information warfare and a means of ideological struggle. The specific nature of the subject matter necessitated the use of an interdisciplinary methodology, incorporating approaches from political science, sociology and mass communication theory. The methods employed in this study include observation, document analysis, comparison, analysis and synthesis. The study covers the period from the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s war against Ukraine and the war between Israel and Hamas, up to the present day – the war between the US and Israel against Iran. The theoretical significance of the work lies in the systematisation and synthesis of expert assessments and academic articles on the subject of false information, fake news and disinformation. The current priority is to devise effective measures to combat the spread of disinformation online, develop a fact-checking system, and establish the credibility of information sources. In conclusion, the paper argues for the need to establish independent international media outlets to disseminate unbiased information on digital platforms.