If you’ve seen a video that portrays the decline of London – whether it's lawlessness, grime, or the influence of Islamic governance – you were likely the recipient of an ongoing disinformation campaign to discredit the city. Research into this disinformation campaign found that there were more than 15,000 posts on X in Japanese peddling this exact message, and the rise of AI-generated videos is further amplifying these hostile narratives.

Earlier this year, the Mayor of London announced a £7 million campaign to promote London and to fight back against the tide of disinformation. Rose Wangen-Jones, Managing Director – Marketing, Destination & Commercial for London & Partners, and Alexander Harlow, Senior Comms and Marketing Lead for the Greater London Authority, sat down with us to explain how the city is adopting a collaborative, place-led approach to defending and strengthening London’s brand.

London’s been the target of a long-term disinformation campaign. Can you give us a quick overview of what this has looked like? 

London is regularly voted the number one city in the world and is a recognised leader in finance, tech, education, sport and culture. Tourism contributes more than £41bn to the capital’s economy each year and accounts for more than a quarter of all tourism jobs across the country. Time Out named London as the best city in the world for culture due to the capital’s free world-class museums, evolving cultural spaces, and a standout year-round cultural programme. Earlier this year, London received the prestigious 2026 World City Prize, widely regarded as the Nobel Prize for cities, recognising the capital's exceptional achievements in urban development, innovation, and strategic leadership.

But a flood of disinformation is being peddled online against the capital from all across the world. Harmful and false narratives are being spread widely across social media in what has become a money-making industry, with organised extremist groups and state actors attempting to create division and damage confidence in London. Often they have sought to portray London as dangerous or crime-ridden and pushed racist, Islamophobic, and anti-Semitic narratives.

A challenge like this requires ongoing management. What interventions are you taking to tackle this influx of dis- and misinformation? 

Our approach is multifaceted. A key part of it is training and building our internal capabilities so that we’re better able to identify disinformation and better prepared to respond. Another core part of the approach is to tell the truth in an engaging and compelling way, counteracting the lies that are being spread. This is why we are investing in a new international campaign that will promote London’s world-leading reputation and encourage tourism and investment.

Algorithms have been shown time and again to prioritise outrage, often at the expense of the truth. In the face of this, how are you structuring your counter-narrative? 

This is a challenge for anyone working in communications across any channel. We’ve got to make the truth engaging. All the facts are on our side, but we have to make sure we tell our story in a way that also resonates with people emotionally.

Stories travel faster than facts. That’s why we need to tell London’s story more confidently and more clearly than ever before. It’s not just about rebutting misinformation and disinformation. It’s also about putting forward a full picture of the city we live, work and play in every day. Which is why, as part of our marketing efforts, we are working to bring more connection to the voices already advocating for London around the world – corporates, universities, cultural institutions, sports clubs, political leaders, innovators, influencers, and everyone who cares about our city’s global reputation. Together, this group, which we call ‘Team London’, holds real power to shape how the world sees us.

This is a long-term initiative, but where are you finding early success? And what made it successful? 

We have already had early successes, including sustained work with organisations such as the Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office, ensuring Ambassadors and Embassy teams are given the facts about London. We also had real success at the Cambridge Disinformation Conference, raising public awareness about the issue. We published research that showed what was happening online, which helped ensure that stakeholders, partners and the media all understood the scale of our shared problem.

We’re also encouraged by the many independent voices that are speaking out as well, including reporting from the BBC, Guardian, Economist, and research from King’s College, Demos, and others.

What role do place teams have in supporting individuals navigating a hostile information environment? 

Everyone has a role, especially people involved in communications. Place teams know the truth of their areas that they represent – better than anyone else. They can find those human stories and compelling insights that lead to emotionally impactful stories.

Place teams are a core part of Team London, with the ability to spread those positive and authentic stories far and wide.

Do you have any advice for other city or nation brand teams looking to tackle dis- or misinformation? 

You’re not alone in facing this issue. Success comes from working with different groups across national, city-level, and local community teams.

Marketing alone is unlikely to solve the issue. A more effective response is likely to combine targeted communications with training, stronger internal capabilities and, crucially, the support of credible advocates for your city or nation. By sharing positive, authentic stories, these voices can help protect and strengthen your brand and reputation through challenging times.

Thank you for sharing this with us. We look forward to learning more at the City Nation Place Global conference this November.

Rose and Alexander will be joined at City Nation Place Global by Nicole Valentinuzzi, Director of External Relations for the Greater London Authority, to share strategies for tackling dis- and misinformation. Find out more here.