False information is spreading rapidly. For Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister, free and trustworthy media are essential to counter foreign propaganda and disinformation. Pfister says it it is clear that Switzerland is also a target of foreign disinformation campaigns. Speaking on the sidelines of the Epiphany Conference organised by the Swiss Media Association, Pfister warned of politically motivated attempts to influence public opinion. “Active, politically driven efforts are under way in Switzerland with the aim of dividing society,” Pfister said. A divided society, he added, is more vulnerable and less capable of responding to threats. He cited Russian media outlets such as Pravda and Russia Today, as well as platforms like X and Telegram, as sources of false or misleading information. An ‘information war’ According to Pfister, pro-Russian actors used social media in May to spread a video filmed in Geneva that had been taken out of context. The footage was presented as ...
