The aim of the project is to describe and reconstruct
the information campaign carried out by Russia and pro-Russian activists in the
internet and to reconstruct representations and frames of the Ukrainian-Russian
conflict emerging from internet commentary sections and social media posts.
Textual and visual analyses reveal the tools and methods used by pro-Kremlin
commentators to build representations of Crimea’s annexation and the
Ukrainian-Russia conflict.
The information warfare conducted around Russia’s
annexation of Crimea continues to this day, in both traditional and new media
spaces. Consequently, war in the internet has become a permanent front in the
information war – it is waged not only in times of military interaction, but
also in times of peace, as an element of state information policy. Long before
the conflict in Ukraine, internet and news outlets were used to disseminate
disinformation that aimed to mould Western public opinion in favour of the
pro-Russia narrative. Even if these actions are called preventive measures and
responses to “information aggression” by the West, they reflect a doctrine
aimed at developing a favourable image of Russia abroad.
The analysis of internet content allows the reconstruction
of propaganda objectives and of frames in which to portray current and past
events. Frames are understood here as means – structures, forms and schemes
that influence individuals’ interpretations of issues, facts, groups and ideas
and ‘determine’ the choices people make. Frame analysis also enables future
actions to be foreseen and a country’s strategic and operational objectives to
be reconstructed. In the case of Russia, they remain the same: to rebuild the
Russian empire while also exposing the decadence of democratic Western
societies. These messages justify the necessity for ‘civilization change’ and
Russia’s defensive actions.
No comments:
Post a Comment