Open Political Science, volume 4, issue 1, pages 238-257

Reenvisioning Russian Propaganda: Media Decentralization and the Use of Social Networks as a Means to Government Continuity

Publication typeJournal Article
Publication date2021-01-01
SJR
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ISSN25438042
Microbiology
Abstract

Abstract: Russia’s social scene has been anything but stable. Through economic turbulence and social unrest by political opposition, Navalny being only the most recent figure in a long list, Russia, under Putin’s leadership, has shown that it can persist when faced with hardship. How does the regime do this? This article argues that its robust propaganda machine is the answer to this question. I provide three arguments to support this thesis. First, I will present how information is produced and disseminated. Second, Russian propaganda, used for branding itself, attempts to influence foreign just as much as domestic audiences. Finally, using private proxies to peddle a positive message on Twitter will be analyzed. Russias propaganda machine threatens liberalism in the West. This article hopes to add to the conversation as first, recognizing the threat, and second, providing information for combatting the regime.

Sladden J., Beauchamp-Mustafaga N., Matthews L., Harold S., Demus A., Casey A., Mazarr M.
2019-09-05 citations by CoLab: 21
Miazhevich G.
2018-02-23 citations by CoLab: 38 Abstract  
The article examines Russia’s international multinational broadcaster RT (formerly Russia Today), which was launched in 2005 with the direct support of the Russian government. RT promotes a distinct ‘counter-hegemonic’ brand of broadcasting. This article goes beyond RT’s branding to explore the broadcaster’s nation branding of Russia. It considers the range of strategies used by RT, placing these within RT’s change of mission – from ‘informing others about events and life in Russia’ to comprising those ‘who question more’. By analysing RT’s coverage of the Republic of Crimea in 2016, and using a framing approach, the article explores RT’s branding of Russia and the online audience’s engagement with this within the contemporary transnational, convergent media environment. This article forms part of the Theorizing Media in Nation Branding special issue.
Matthews M., Paul C.
2017-05-16 citations by CoLab: 106 Abstract  
S ince its 2008 incursion into Georgia (if not before), there has been a remarkable evolution in Russia’s approach to propaganda. This new approach was on full display during the country’s 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula. It continues to be demonstrated in support of ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Syria and in pursuit of nefarious and long-term goals in Russia’s “near abroad” and against NATO allies. In some ways, the current Russian approach to propaganda builds on Soviet Cold War–era techniques, with an emphasis on obfuscation and on getting targets to act in the interests of the propagandist without realizing that they have done so.1 In other ways, it is completely new and driven by the characteristics of the contemporary information environment. Russia has taken advantage of technology and available media in ways that would have been inconceivable during the Cold War. Its tools and channels now include the Internet, social media, and the evolving landscape of professional and amateur journalism and media outlets. We characterize the contemporary Russian model for propaganda as “the firehose of falsehood” because of two of its distinctive features: high numbers of channels and messages and a shameless willingness to disseminate partial truths or outright fictions. In the words of one observer, “[N]ew Russian propaganda entertains, confuses and overwhelms the audience.”2 Contemporary Russian propaganda has at least two other distinctive features. It is also rapid, continuous, and repetitive, and it lacks commitment to consistency. Interestingly, several of these features run directly counter to the conventional wisdom on effective influence and communication from government or defense sources, which traditionally emphasize the importance of truth, credibility, and the avoidance of contradiction.3 Despite ignoring these traditional principles, Russia seems to have enjoyed some success under its contemporary propaganda model, either through more direct persuasion and The Russian “Firehose of Falsehood” Propaganda Model
Simons G.
2011-06-01 citations by CoLab: 19 Abstract  
The way in which international relations are being conducted in the 21st century is evolving from the earlier reliance on government to government communications and the use of hard power in order to achieve policy objectives. Currently there is a rush by countries around the world to build up their soft power potential and use attraction as a persuasion and means to attain their goals, Russia being one of these countries. This article focuses on a number of different PR programmes and events run as a means of trying to shift the national reputation and image to a more positive one. The actors and events described are viewed mostly through the lens of public diplomacy, government to people communication. I track a number of the different PR programmes that have been run through mass media and PR agencies. The aim is to gain an insight into the wider picture of Russia’s attempts to rebrand itself, and the successes and obstacles along the way.
Krajčovič P.
2022-10-29 citations by CoLab: 0 Abstract  
The popularity of social media has significantly contributed to its widespread use by different age groups of users, including children and seniors. In the online environment, especially on social media, users can encounter many threats, mainly fake news and disinformation. Although fake news and disinformation have been around for a long time in the Internet environment, the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, as well as other crises, have highlighted the dangers of their spread through the Internet, especially on social media, their impact on individuals, on the economy, and on society. This chapter discussed the main risks, but also the opportunities provided by social media during the last crises. It brings closer the change in media behavior and the use of social media during COVID-19 and the military conflict in Ukraine, the shift of paradigm in using social media, as well as the possible methods to fight disinformation.
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