Russian disinformation campaigns like these are now hitting the world stage, even reaching as far as Australia. Their aim, as ever, is to shift US public opinion on Ukraine and help Russia continue its unjustified, unjust war in Ukraine. The Russian government employs these tactics with intent. These distract from its military campaign against civilian targets and suspected war crimes. With global pressure on Russia mounting, it is more important than ever to understand these disinformation campaigns.
The Russian strategy overwhelms audiences with horrific stories. This strategy directly fosters an atmosphere where misinformation is able to flourish. Past examples illustrate how powerful this strategy can be. For instance, in 2014 Russian state TV aired a made up story that a three-year-old boy was crucified by Ukrainian troops in the Donbas region during the Ukraine conflict. This narrative was rather rapidly debunked by various independent Russian media outlets, including the respected outlet Novaya Gazeta.
Notably, Novaya Gazeta, a prominent independent newspaper in Russia, has identified and countered over 18,000 instances of Russian disinformation within the past decade. Out of these cases, some 600 erroneously branded Ukraine as a ‘Nazi’ or ‘Fascist’ state. Dr. Robert Horvath is an expert on Russian politics. He goes on to pinpoint five key red flags that characterize the disinformation narrative we’re seeing around Ukraine.
“A major red flag is the designation of the leaders of the Ukrainian government as sympathizers with Nazism, despite the fact that members of Zelenskyy’s Jewish family died during the Holocaust. Another red flag I think is the idea that ethnic Russians in Ukraine were oppressed and needed to be liberated.” – Dr Robert Horvath
This deliberate distortion of fact is meant to sow doubt and create rifts between viewers. The Australian federal government has responded to the threat of these constant campaigns of disinformation. It has done a great job of engaging with the national intelligence community to combat them. A recent Senate inquiry looked into Australia’s aid to Ukraine. It highlighted deplorable issues with the local media’s tracking of information that feeds into these narratives. The investigation underlined that Russia hasn’t been punished enough for its propaganda – the “fake news” – assault.
“It is clear that Russia is not being held to account for its dissemination of propaganda.”
Perhaps most importantly, the inquiry highlighted that journalists trying to provide balanced perspectives on issues are often unwittingly perpetuating misinformation.
“Journalists who might not be very familiar with the topic might be looking for two sides of the story out of the best intentions. But what happens is that you achieve a false balance between someone who is a victim and someone who is an oppressor.”
This phenomenon can cause some innocent but serious misrepresentations of the realities on the ground in Ukraine. Eyewitness accounts from people such as Evgeny Feldman show just how powerful narratives are with the ability to influence mindsets and behavior.
“The Russian government is kind of trying to overload people with these terrible stories, hoping that some will stick. When I was on the separatist side of the frontline, I met a guy who actually went to fight because he heard that story about this boy who was tortured.” – Evgeny Feldman
Even researchers know that those who specialize in disinformation have researched Western journalism’s foundational principles in order to undermine them, often with deadly success. Smart cities Patrick Boehler ably describes this disturbing trend, particularly how these tactics undermine real journalistic intent.
“The actors that have specialised in disinformation have really, really studied how journalism works, the way Western-style journalism is performed, and looked at ways on how to disrupt it.” – Patrick Boehler
The sea of information is dynamic and ever-evolving. To counter the far-reaching effects that disinformation campaigns can have, it is critical for both governments and media organizations to remain vigilant. The Russian disinformation affair should be a wake-up call to all journalists about the need for robust fact-checking and responsible reporting.
