Description
This paper argues the illiberal targeting of journalism with apparently liberal means is a security issue. The discrediting of journalists with disordered information (dis/mis/mal information) and lawfare (spurious criminal and civil allegation) serves to undermine their reputations and deter others from following suit. This can be done within a domestic setting to maintain control on the news media and as a foreign policy tool of reputation management and/or covert action. This study takes a critical theoretical approach to argue that apparently liberal tools – freedom of expression and the rule of law – can be used as means to undermine trust in “news” and repress or deter the production of journalism as a form of speaking truth unto power. This paper tests the framework outlined by applying it to obvious cases such as Turkey and Russia – and less obvious instances within the ostensibly liberal democratic sphere – the UK, Malta. The framework makes a further case for considering political context alongside content of “disinformation” broadly defined because it presents threats to “liberal” democracy and security. It uses interview data and discourse analysis to argue that the security threat posed by the undermining of news and journalism is considerable and applies to the mainstream or legacy media as much as its social and online counterpart which has been the focus of literature to date.
