Thursday 31 March 2022

information wars in america, russia and ukraine

The 'Information wars' have been going on for some time:

Jay Doubleyou: information wars

Especially information about what's been happening in Russia and Ukraine:

Jay Doubleyou: europe's troublemakers: journalism and the ukraine: tetiana chornovol

Jay Doubleyou: english language media as propaganda in the ukraine

Here's the latest:

IN AMERICA:

Fox News is the most popular TV news station in the US:

2022 State of the Union Ratings: Fox News Is Most-Watched, ABC Is No. 1 Among Adults 25-54

One of their top journalists has defended the actions of the US government:

Fox News Defense Reporter Challenges War Comments on Air | Entertainment News | US News

But she is not the top show on the top broadcaster:

Top Cable News Shows of 2021: Tucker Carlson Tonight Is No. 1 in All Measurements For First Time Ever

Tucker Carlson posted this piece online after airing his comments on his show:

Tucker Carlson: Someone needs to explain why there are dangerous biological weapons in Ukraine | Fox News

This is part of the information wars, as said by Tucker Carson:

’U.S. bioweapons labs in Ukraine’ claim is Russian disinformation
“Bioweapon labs in Ukraine prove US criminal activity, diplomat says”
— headline of Tass news article, quoting Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, the morning of March 9
“Under oath in an open committee hearing, Toria Nuland just confirmed that the Russian disinformation they’ve been telling us for days is a lie and a conspiracy theory and crazy and immoral to believe is, in fact, totally and completely true.”
— Tucker Carlson, remarks on his Fox News show, the evening of March 9
Russian disinformation often begins with a speck of fact, which is then twisted into a full-blown conspiracy theory. The technique makes it easier to spread and take root among the country’s supporters. Note how quickly the party line uttered by the Russian Foreign Ministry was embraced by Carlson.

’U.S. bioweapons labs in Ukraine’ claim is Russian disinformation - The Washington Post

Other journalists in the US are not impressed by his stance:

Calmes: Tucker Carlson backs Putin as colleagues die in Ukraine - Los Angeles Times

IN RUSSIA:

The news machine in Russia is very impressed with Tucker Carson, however:

Leaked Kremlin Memo to Russian Media: It Is “Essential” to Feature Tucker Carlson

On March 3, as Russian military forces bombed Ukrainian cities as part of Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of his neighbor, the Kremlin sent out talking points to state-friendly media outlets with a request: Use more Tucker Carlson

“It is essential to use as much as possible fragments of broadcasts of the popular Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who sharply criticizes the actions of the United States [and] NATO, their negative role in unleashing the conflict in Ukraine, [and] the defiantly provocative behavior from the leadership of the Western countries and NATO towards the Russian Federation and towards President Putin, personally,” advises the 12-page document written in Russian. It sums up Carlson’s position: “Russia is only protecting its interests and security.” The memo includes a quote from Carlson: “And how would the US behave if such a situation developed in neighboring Mexico or Canada?”
The document—titled “For Media and Commentators (recommendations for coverage of events as of 03.03)”—was produced, according to its metadata, at a Russian government agency called the Department of Information and Telecommunications Support, which is part of the Russian security apparatus.

Leaked Kremlin Memo to Russian Media: It Is “Essential” to Feature Tucker Carlson – Mother Jones

This is part of the Russian state's attempt to create a particular narrative:

Ukraine: Watching the war on Russian TV - a whole different story - BBC News

The War That Russians Do Not See | The New Yorker

Inside the High-Stakes Fight to Control the Narrative on Ukraine | The New Yorker

Russia tightens grip on media amid Ukraine war | Russia-Ukraine war News | Al Jazeera

Seven tips for spotting disinformation on the Russia-Ukraine war
Here are seven disinformation trends Grossman and her team have observed related to the Russia-Ukraine war, along with her tips for seeing through them.
1. Hacked accounts
2. Fabricated claims and false flags
3. Old media circulating out of its original context
4. Manipulated images
5. Unverified reports
6. Fraud
7. Pro-Kremlin narratives

Seven tips for spotting disinformation on the Russia-Ukraine war | Stanford News

Some journalists in Russia are trying to point this out:

Russian journalist Marina Ovsyannikova fined after anti-war protest during state-run newscast - CBS News

And the last independent newspaper has closed:

Nobel Peace Prize-winner's paper closes amid Russia pressure - ABC News

Russia's top independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta forced to suspend publication over Ukraine war - CBS News

Ukraine war: Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov’s paper closes amid Russian pressure | South China Morning Post

IN UKRAINE:

The attack on Ukraine has been justified by the Russian government as 'denazification':

Why Vladimir Putin Invokes Nazis to Justify His Invasion of Ukraine - The New York Times

Putin wants de-Nazification but how much is Ukraine Nazified? - News Analysis News

How Putin's 'denazification' claim distorts history, according to scholars : NPR

The antisemitism animating Putin’s claim to ‘denazify’ Ukraine | Jason Stanley | The Guardian

Yes, there are neo-Nazis in Ukraine:

Beyond Putin’s Propaganda, the Far Right Is a Major Problem in Ukraine - Lefteast

Azov movement analysis: A far-right battalion has a key role in Ukraine's resistance. Its neo-Nazi history has been exploited by Putin - CNN

But there are neo-Nazis in pretty much every country - including Russia:

CIDOB - “Russia for Russians!”

Russian warlord who led Neo-Nazi 'Sparta' mob shot dead during battle in eastern Ukraine | Daily Mail Online

Putin’s fascists: the Russian state's long history of cultivating homegrown neo-Nazis

The attack on Ukraine has also been justified by the Russian government as a defence of the two 'republics' in the east of the country - as related by Al Jazeera:

Donetsk and Luhansk: What you should know about the ‘republics’
Neo-Stalinism
A 13.5 metre-tall statue of Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin still dominates the main square in Donetsk, the capital of the eponymous breakaway region in southeastern Ukraine.
And the constitution adopted by Lenin’s successor, Josef Stalin, has been restored by the Moscow-backed separatist leaders of Donetsk and neighbouring Luhansk after they broke away from the central government in 2014.
This constitution prescribes the death penalty for a number of crimes, making the separatist “People’s Republics” – and authoritarian Belarus nearby – Europe’s only homes to capital punishment.
After almost eight years of existence, the “republics” are understood to have evolved into totalitarian, North Korea-like statelets.
It is near impossible for foreigners to enter the areas. Ukrainians can only visit if they have relatives in Donetsk and Luhansk, and would have to cross into Russia first, which takes about 30 hours and costs $100 – a journey that also involves bribing officials at times. Residents need a Soviet-era residency registration. 
“It looks like the 1930s in the Soviet Union, a classic gulag,” Stanislav Aseyev, a publicist who was kidnapped in 2017 in Donetsk and was sentenced by a separatist “court” to 15 years in jail for “espionage”, told Al Jazeera.

Donetsk and Luhansk: What you should know about the ‘republics’ | Russia-Ukraine war News | Al Jazeera

Indeed, Stalin is everywhere:

Inside the 'Donetsk People's Republic': balaclavas, Stalin flags and razorwire | Ukraine | The Guardian

But this goes back a long time:

Why the Mass Killings? Stalin and the Donbas in the Great Terror | Lvivcenter

Meanwhile, in the information wars:

Telegram: The digital battlefront between Russia and Ukraine
For weeks, Russia’s military assault on Ukraine has been complemented by full-fledged information warfare. The Kremlin has propagandised Russian state media, and is trying to control the narrative online too.
We’ve seen a bombardment of “imposter content" circulating – including fake news reports and deepfake videos – while Ukranians and the rest of the world have scrambled to find ways to tell the real story of the invasion.... 
The instant messaging app Telegram has surfaced as one of the most important channels through which to do so. But what is it about Telegram that has millions flocking to it amid the chaos?

It seems Telegram finds itself between a rock and a hard place. It’s limited, by design, in how much it can filter content. Yet despite the social and enforcement challenges, it continues to be a lifeline for those resisting the Russian invasion. (The Conversation)

Telegram: The digital battlefront between Russia and Ukraine – POLITICO

Why Telegram became the go-to app for Ukrainians amid war with Russia

Finally, the BBC's weekly Media Show has taken us into the 'information wars':

The Information War in Ukraine
Released On: 02 Mar 2022
Alongside fighting in Ukraine, an "information war" is playing out. While Western media on the ground are describing a brutal war, Russian media offers a very different narrative. Journalists are not even allowed to describe the situation in Ukraine as a "war". So how will the latest crackdown on independent Russian media affect what people in the country see? And what does that mean for the future of this conflict? 
Guests: Ivan Kolpakov, Editor-in-Chief at Meduza; Olga Malchevska, Journalist at the BBC Ukrainian service; Professor Samuel Greene, Director of the Russia Institute at King’s College, London; Luke Harding, Senior International Correspondent at The Guardian; Roland Oliphant, Senior Foreign Correspondent at The Telegraph; Lindsey Hilsum, International Editor at Channel 4 News.

The Media Show - The Information War in Ukraine - BBC Sounds

Ukraine's lessons for the media
Released On: 30 Mar 2022
As peace talks between Ukraine and Russia get underway, the war on the ground continues. How is the war being reported differently by Ukrainian and international media? And is there a danger that the public is losing interest in the war? 
Guests: Oleksiy Sorokin, political editor at the Kyiv Independent; Iryna Matviyishyn, freelance journalist and producer; Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of The Economist; Lyse Doucet, BBC Chief International Correspondent; Cristina Nicolotti Squires, director of content at Sky News.

The Media Show - Ukraine's lessons for the media - BBC Sounds

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