LiveJournal and Russian Disinformation: The Rise of Epistemic Sabotage

(Hardback)

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In this book, J.J. Sylvia IV examines LiveJournal, a blogging platform site, as a case study of how social media platforms can be weaponized by authoritarian regimes as a way to disrupt knowledge systems and destabilize democracies.

LiveJournal and Russian Disinformation examines the platform's role in the Kremlin's broader information warfare strategy in Russia, demonstrating how epistemic sabotage became central to the Kremlin's efforts to manipulate truth. This transformation matters not only for understanding the challenges within Russia, Sylvia posits, but also for addressing global challenges in navigating truth and democracy in the 21st century.


As fascism is on the rise globally, and social media is one of the tools being wielded by anti-democratic governments to divide citizens in democratic countries across the globe, the reach afforded by the internet allows disinformation efforts to reach a far greater audience now than ever before. This shift in quantity brings with it new risks that must be considered and faced down, and Sylvia argues that by better understanding LiveJournal as an early battle in this new digital arena, we can document the tactics at play and identify just what is at stake.

Author Bio

J.J. Sylvia IV is Associate Professor of Communications Media in the School of Arts and Sciences at Fitchburg State University, USA.