The construction of fake war news. Specificities of disinformation in social media during the first six months of the Russia-Ukraine war (March-September 2022)
The construction of fake war news. Specificities of disinformation in social media during the first six months of the Russia-Ukraine war (March-September 2022)
Author(s): Katarzyna Kopecka-Piech, Dorota Dyksik, Mateusz SobiechSubject(s): Media studies, Crowd Psychology: Mass phenomena and political interactions, Sociology of Culture, Sociology of Politics, Russian Aggression against Ukraine, Russian war against Ukraine
Published by: Instytut Europy Środkowej
Keywords: disinformation; fake news; Ukraine; Russia; war; social media;
Summary/Abstract: Modern warfare, including the Russia-Ukraine war, relies heavily on disinformation. Fake news on social media is an integral part of this. At the same time, each conflict is characterised by distinct communication specifici- ties and in the context of the complex effects of fake news, questions arise about their specificity for a given conflict. The aim of the presented research was to answer the question of what the various fake news about the RussianUkrainian war disseminated in Polish-language social media have in common and what narrative they generate. The analysis covered the construction of the messages as well as their contexts: social, cultural, historical, and political. For this purpose, a three-stage analysis of ten fake news cases disseminated between March and September 2022 was conducted, applying a three-element analytical matrix. The research made it possible to identify the properties of fake news, generated narratives, and their possible effects.
Journal: Rocznik Instytutu Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej
- Issue Year: 21/2023
- Issue No: 2
- Page Range: 155-173
- Page Count: 19
- Language: English