RUSSIA AND ITS MANY TRUTHS
RUSSIA AND ITS MANY TRUTHS

Author(s): Alexander Averin
Subject(s): Politics, Media studies, Geography, Regional studies, Communication studies, Government/Political systems
Published by: NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence
Keywords: Russia; media; communication; truth; fake news; politics;
Summary/Abstract: In March 2015, the European Council set up the East Strategic Communications Task Force aimed at addressing Russia’s ongoing disinformation campaigns. Seeking to expose the breadth of the pro-Kremlin disinformation efforts in Europe and beyond, the EU’s initiative unites over 400 experts, journalists, officials, NGOs, and think tanks in more than 30 countries. Contributors monitor fabricated stories and regularly submit their analysis to the EU’s special ‘Disinformation Review’. The demand for such projects has been rising steadily following Russia’s interference in Ukraine in 2014, which placed the notion of ‘information warfare’ at the heart of the public debate. Three years later, the international academic, media, and military communities continue to grapple with challenges posed by Russian attempts to influence public opinion abroad. From a European point of view, the Kremlin’s tactic has been to confuse rather than convince, to divide opinions rather than provide an alternative viewpoint. Russia’s goal, as seen from the West, is to deprive audiences of the ability to distinguish between truth and lie by creating as many competing narratives as possible in the global media space.

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