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)

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.

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