What You Can Do About Russian Disinformation
At least 50 disinformation campaigns have been launched by Storm-1516, a Russian propaganda operation, since last Fall, according NBC News and based upon research conducted by Clemson University's Media Forensics Hub.
To illustrate how a Storm-1516 disinformation campaign typically works, NBC News uses the example of a fake story of an attempted assassination of Tucker Carlson. The video is first posted to YouTube, then planted in Kremlin-linked media, then Q-Anon and Russian propagandists accounts share the story on X, and finally right-wing influencers, like Charlie Kirk, Tim Pool, and Benny Johnson share the story on their podcasts.
Storm-1516 is just one of many organizations that are part of Russia's disinformation operations, whose goals appear to be sowing division, opposing support for Ukraine, and electing Donald Trump.
Read the whole story, which includes interactive media, here.
Another report from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue found that Russia was helping spread disinformation about disaster relief and hurricanes Milton and Helene. Among those false narratives, Russian campaigns claimed disaster relief was diverted to Ukraine, the government response was incompetent, and FEMA was unable to provide aid.
According to the report,
These campaigns are particularly effective because they latch onto narratives already circulating within US political discourse. Rather than creating entirely new types of disinformation, Russian media primarily amplifies false or misleading claims originating from US sources, typically with a delay of several days. This strategy allows Russian actors to insert themselves into ongoing discussions, giving content a veneer of credibility by tying it to domestic concerns; it also increases their impact by leveraging the most divisive wedge issues for their own agenda. Russian actors tend to share and amplify claims made by US citizens and public figures, avoiding direct responsibility while pushing narratives aligned with their geopolitical interests.
You can read an AP story on the report here.
Here at AVC, we're working to counter Russian disinformation campaigns by partnering with Ken Harbaugh, a documentarian and friend of AVC, who is currently working on a documentary about the war in Ukraine. He sent us some clips he has filmed and gave us permission to edit and post them. You'll be seeing these clips on our social media in the coming weeks and we'll upload them to our YouTube channel playlist here. These clips focus on testimony from Christian pastors in Ukraine and their personal experience and observations. Here is one of those clips:
Russian disinformation has taken hold especially in conservative and evangelical communities. So these videos from fellow Christians offer a powerful counterpoint to the false narratives that too many of our friends and family members believe. Please take a moment share these in your own networks.
What Else We're Reading
IRD blog: “Ukraine War Exposing Moral Rot in Russia”
In all the conversations and experiences that I’ve had through this work, despite the clarity of what’s really going on between Russia and Ukraine, I have discovered an astonishing amount of confusion and misinformation floating around about this war. It should come as no surprise, ultimately. The Kremlin has ramped up its propaganda efforts as Vladimir Putin desperately tries to position Russia as a defender of traditional, western, conservative, Christian values on the world stage. If you look at the basic facts of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, however, they tell a different story than the one Putin is trying to sell to the West.
Axios: “1 in 5 Republicans want Trump to call election invalid if he loses”
Nearly one in five Republicans say that if Donald Trump loses the 2024 election, he should declare the results invalid and do whatever it takes to assume office, according to a new national survey.
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Thank you for your reporting, Napp!