Syria: The Misplaced Focus on 'Misinformation'

A talking point that has been promoted by the Syrian government on more than one occasion is that the government is being subject to a massive disinformation and defamation campaign. This talking point has been amplified by some analysts and pundits. In the words of pro-government pundit Michael Arizanti:

“At this very moment, no country on earth is more targeted by disinformation, fake news, and propaganda than Syria. In just the past few months alone, more than 3 million articles have been churned out worldwide to smear and defame the new Syrian government. Make no mistake: Syria is under full-scale assault in the global information war! Powerful states like Israel pour hundreds of millions of dollars into propaganda and lobbying networks, deliberately silencing Syria’s progress and drowning its voice in lies. For a nation shattered by war and left economically weakened, countering this machine is nearly impossible!”

However, I would argue that this focus on ‘misinformation’ is misplaced. False and misleading information, amplified on social media channels and sometimes clearly promoted , can be found on any number of topics, but the existence of such misinformation does not necessarily detract from broader truths and realities.