Swiss defence minister highlights media’s role in combating disinformation

Defence Minister Martin Pfister (centre) listens to a presentation at the Swiss Media's Epiphany Conference. The slide says: "85% of the population sees social media as a main source of fake news". Keystone/Gaëtan Bally

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 evidence that Switzerland was descending into chaos and had abandoned its neutrality. The posts were viewed more than two million times in a short period.

Martin Pfister emphasised the importance of resilience against fake news. Keystone/Gaetan Bally

“We must do everything we can to prepare for this information war,” Pfister said.

However, as an open and democratic society, Switzerland faces a dilemma. “We cannot respond with state propaganda or censorship,” he noted. Instead, the country relies on citizens who are able to recognise attempts at manipulation. “That is part of Swiss culture, and we want to preserve it.”

This places responsibility not only on individuals, but also on the state, society and the media. Education is crucial, Pfister said, to help people assess information critically. At the same time, media outlets must be able to operate freely.

Artificial intelligence increases the challenge

Patrik Müller, editorial director of CH Media, broadly shares Pfister’s assessment. “The problem is serious – and it will become even more serious with artificial intelligence,” he warned.

AI tools make manipulation and disinformation easier, increasing the demands on journalistic media. This requires more in-depth research, clearer contextualisation and systematic debunking of false claims.

Media researcher Mark Eisenegger from the University of Zurich also sees growing concern. “Surveys show that many people in Switzerland are worried about disinformation,” he says.

Trustworthy media as a safeguard

Despite these concerns, studies suggest that the Swiss population is less susceptible to propaganda and disinformation than people in comparable countries.

“This is linked to Switzerland’s still relatively robust media system,” Eisenegger explains, pointing to strong public broadcasting and high-quality private media. In addition, Switzerland’s small-scale social structure means that people often know who is behind a message, reinforcing social accountability.

On one point, Pfister, media executives and researchers agree: the fight against propaganda, fake news and disinformation depends on the continued existence of free, independent and trustworthy media.

Translated from German using AI/amva/ts

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