Mediaboss Marketing

As the war in Ukraine began, Russia added to the disinformation conversation with their propaganda machine.

Despite platforms like Twitter and Instagrams guidelines indicating the absolute ban on false and misleading information, Kremlin-backed media users continued to post on social media.

In May 2020, Twitter began to add warnings to posts containing information about COVID-19. The company released a statement on their website stating, You may not use Twitters services to share false or misleading information about COVID-19 which may lead to harm.

The warnings came following the spread of COVID-19 misinformation from former President Donald Trump and some senators and house members.

After the Jan. 6 insurrection in 2021, former President Trump was removed from Twitter, and his official account was censured as well. Many other platforms followed and permanently suspended Trump and began working toward new information policies.

Despite the suspension of these accounts, the damage had already occurred. Trumps legion of misinformation spread like wildfire, and thousands of users post misinformation about COVID-19 and other topics daily.

Twitter and other platforms have a hard time combating these issues because of the idea of free speech. Legally, users do not have a right to free speech on private social media platforms. Even though the law is on the medias side, misinformation and fraud continue to spread.

On Feb. 24, Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in Ukraine. Shortly after, multiple missile strikes occurred across the country. This invasion caused thousands of Ukrainian citizens to flee toward Poland and other surrounding countries.

Now more than ever, Ukraine is in dire need of the world knowing what Russia is concocting, but the media still holds multiple errors.

Russian state-affiliated Twitter accounts continue to post misleading biased information after Twitter promised they would prohibit Kremlin-sided advertising.

One major account, RT News, is controlled by the Russian government and posts updates on Putin and the recent activity in Ukraine. The account has over 3 million followers, and users frequently interact with posts. A post made on Feb. 28 showed a video of a Ukrainian residential building, which the Russian media claimed Ukraine had shelled. Later, multiple media outlets confirmed Russia had shelled the neighborhood.

Accounts from TikTok have made revenue from the creator fund off of old videos and films from video games, reposting a piece from Arma 3, a realistic-based war game. The post has been shared over 12 thousand times from TikTok and has crossed over to Twitter and a Spanish news broadcast. Because this video has gained traction, many are falsely informed of the fighting tactics and methods in Ukraine.

Another large account, Sputnik, posts misleading information in the form of journalism, not only leading on the citizens of Russia but also harming perspectives of factual journalism and media. Twitter allows posts to be made from this account saying West carrying out massive propaganda to portray Russia as enemy.

A video of a man jumping from a plane in tactical gear has been reposted on TikTok to depict the war in Ukraine, but was found to be from an Instagram video made in 2015. The TikTok video was posted across multiple accounts, raking in over 200 thousand views and 12 thousand shares.

Russias long history of propaganda bled into its conflict in Ukraine. Putin released two pre-recorded videos on television on Feb. 21 and Feb. 24.

The first video was a long-winded rant on the genocide Ukrainians were enforcing upon Russian speakers in the country. In the second video, Putin makes his case for a war on the West. Both were filled with lies that sought to bring people to Russias side and create a propaganda storm across the world.

Twitter allowed for this to happen by missing clips of the video posted in which Putin calls Ukrainians Neo-Nazis and Oligarchic. These clips began to spread and caused #DestroyNato and #DestroyUkraine to trend on Twitter. Once these videos were shared, many impressionable users viewed skewed parts of a war cry. The Russo-Ukraine conflict is already hard for many to understand, so throwing in clips of a notorious leader calling out Nazis doesnt help any cause but Russias.

Twitter has recently added multiple new sources to combat misinformation. They began to do what is called data dumps, which are the release of misinformation found across the platform including the tweeters information in large data sets. But one crucial data point missing is who views the tweets.

Without this crucial part of the puzzle, Twitters viewer algorithm cannot be changed to block misinformation from at-risk viewers.

If Twitter and other social media sites want to continue to say they are actively disputing misinformation, they need to do more than ban large, official accounts. In a platform as large and open as Twitter, one single tweet can account for thousands of pieces of propaganda.

The International Rescue Committee allocates donations to help provide food, medical care and emergency supplies to refugee families in countries like Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen. If inclined, please donate to help Ukrainians with the fight against Russia.

Edited by Sarah Rubinstein | srubinstein@themaneater.com

See original here:
Propaganda in the age of no-nonsense Twitter - The Maneater

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Two independent Russian news outlets that refused to spout the Kremlin's talking points following President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine were forced off the air this week, forcing citizens to rely on state-run media that wont even use the term "war" to describe the ongoing attack.

"Putin is trying but failing to control the narrative," Daniel Hoffman told Fox News Digital. "At the end of the day, there's a lot of dead Russian soldiers. Kids arent coming home, and that message is going to get out loud and clear, and that's part of the tragedy."

Hoffman, a Fox News contributor and previously a senior officer with the Central Intelligence Agency who served a tour of duty in the former Soviet Union, said the Kremlins assault on accurate information is similar to USSR-era attempts.

Two independent news outlets that refused to spout the Kremlin's talking points following Russia President Vladimir Putins ordered invasion of Ukraine were forced off the air this week. (Yuri Kochetkov/Pool)

RUSSIA SHUTS DOWN TWO INDEPENDENT NEWS OUTLETS OVER COVERAGE OF UKRAINE INVASION

"In the Soviet days, the Soviets tried to crack down on news and exercise full control over what people could hear and read, you know, like George Orwell 1984 stuff. But they weren't successful and information got in, books got in, banned information got in," Hoffman said. "Russians are crafty people, and theyll find a way."

Russian authorities accused Ekho Moskvy, one of the countrys oldest radio stations, and Dozhd, Russias top independent TV channel which is also known as TV Rain, of "false information regarding the actions of Russian military personnel as part of a special operation" in Ukraine. The move to silence non-state news organizations comes after Roskomnadzor, Russias federal body responsible for overseeing media, has urged all news outlets to only use "trustworthy sources" when it comes to reporting on the invasion of Ukraine.

"What they mean by that is Russian government sources," intelligence expert and nationalsecurity commentator Rebekah Kofflertold Fox News Digital.

Russia Today, a state-run media operation also known as RT, remains available throughout the nation despite its editor-in-chief stepping down Tuesday after condemning Russias invasion of Ukraine. RT has parroted Putins talking points related to the attack.

"That one is not going anywhere," Koffler said.

Daniel Hoffman, a Fox News contributor who was previously a senior executive Clandestine Services officer with the Central Intelligence Agency who served a tour of duty in the former Soviet Union, said the Kremlins assault on accurate information is similar to USSR-era attempts.

RT's American branch ceased operations this week.

SHOULD RUSSIAN JOURNALIST WHO QUIT STATE TV AFTER CONDEMNING UKRAINE INVASION FEAR FOR HER LIFE?

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called Putins efforts to shut down Russias free press "deeply" concerning to the Biden administration.

"The Kremlin, right now, is engaged in a full assault on media, freedom and the truth," Psaki said Thursday.

Psaki said Russia has also taken steps to consider making "unofficial reporting" punishable by up to 15 years in prison and have blocked many social media platforms.

"What they are trying to do is block any information about what they are doing to invade a sovereign country," she said. "Theyre taking severe steps to do exactly that."

HOW TO HELP THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE: 3 IDEAS FOR GIVING

People walk past a destroyed Russian military vehicle at a frontline position on March 03, 2022 in Irpin, Ukraine. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Hoffman feels Russias steps are making it more difficult, but not impossible, for citizens to learn whats really happening in Ukraine, but they might have to rely in the internet.

"Russia tried to build a great firewall, authoritarian internet, but I think it can be penetrated. I think Russians, especially their hacking community, is going to find a way to get the news," he said. "The news people watch on TV is just state-run propaganda."

Hoffman also believes Putin, who has attempted to control access to truthful information in Russia for years, isnt fooling the countrys population at large.

"I mean, look, he's calling Ukrainians neo-Nazis and drug dealers, and all this propaganda stuff we all know isnt true. And I think deep down, a mass of his population, they know it's not true," Hoffman said. "It highlights for us, here in America, why Ukraine is on the front line They are the geopolitical fault line right now between democracy and authoritarianism and a hallmark of authoritarianism is to control the narrative, control what people hear and see and then distort the truth."

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and spokesperson Ned Price have both appeared on Dozhd in the last two weeks, which is an indication of the now-banned outlets importance to providing accurate information to Russians. On Tuesday, Price appeared on Dozhd and criticized Russian authorities' move shuttering the outlet.

"We condemn the Kremlins shuttering of independent media outlets like these in an effort to stifle dissent against its premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustifiable attack against Ukraine," Price said Tuesday.

Russia President Vladimir Putin has attempted to silence the free press. (YURI KADOBNOV/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

Since the Kremlin shut down Ekho Moskvy and TV Rain, leaders from both outlets have spoken out.

Alexei Venediktov, editor-in-chief of Ekho Moskvy, wrote that the accusations his outlets pushed inaccurate info "are not supported by any examples, any evidence are unfounded and insulting to journalists and citizens of Russia," adding that the order will be challenged in court.

Dozhd TV's chief editor, Tikhon Dzyadko, said he fled Russia alongwith several of his colleagues over concerns for their safety.

"After the illegal blockage of Dozhd's site, Dozhd's accounts in several social networks, as well as threats addressed to some of our employees, it became obvious that the personal safety of some of us is now under threat," Dzyadko wrote on telegram Wednesday, according to Radio Free Europe.

The Washington Posts editorial board published a piece headlined, "In Russia, truth is criminal, war is not war and the last independent broadcasters go dark," which condemned Putins actions against non-state media.

"Putins regime has criminalized the truth, and does not want Russians to know it," the editorial board wrote.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Hoffman said the situation unfolding in Russia serves as a reminder of how important the First Amendment is for the United States.

"Our democracy relies on the rule of law and freedom of the press, and that means the press should be able to ask our politicians whatever questions they want, even if they're harsh ones. You've got to hold people accountable, and you've got to report the news. Even if it's not the news that the administration wants to hear, its what the people need to know," Hoffman said.

"That is what democracy is all about and if the politician doesnt like it, well, tough st," he added. "Freedom of the press matters at it sets us apart from the evil totalitarian regimes like Russia and China."

Fox News Paul Best, David Rutz and Gillian Truner contributed to this report.

Read this article:
Putin is trying but failing to control Ukraine invasion narrative by shutting down non-state media - Fox News

Social media is a fantastic resource for entrepreneurs who want to understand their customers and trends. However, Ive noticed that the more people use social media daily, the less socializing happens as people shout their likes and dislikes into overly saturated platforms that drown out their voices. You might view your feeds as your own, but the platforms have more control than you realize.

As leaders, its our responsibility to generate new ideas and evolve. We need to know where trends are headed, but we need to do so while setting boundaries so that we and our business have staying power. You can take back control of your social media use, but first, you need to see how it impacts you.

Studies show that social media platforms can be addictive and cause mental distress. How often do you find yourself opening apps and scrolling through your feeds while waiting for a meeting? Do you pick up your phone the moment it buzzes, even if youre supposed to be mentally present at a business dinner? If youre checking your apps multiple times a day or find yourself anxious that you didnt respond to an alert fast enough, theres a good chance youre doing it out of habitmeaning youre not in control.

Solution: Set some limits. Set app limits in the settings on your phone so that it locks access to the app after youve used it for a set amount of time each day. You can also put your phone in do not disturb mode for specific periods where you need to focus and not be distracted. And for the times where you want to scroll aimlessly to kill time, instead, try sitting with your thoughts to be more productive as a leader.

A catchy tweet or meme is not genuine news, and you shouldnt treat it that way when you see it in your feed. If you like, save, or share it, then the post gains power and is distributed to more people who could believe it without fully understanding what its referencing or even knowing whether its true.

Solution: Dont be so quick to engage with or share anything you havent vetted for accuracy, either with data or authority. Now, what does it mean to be an authority? Look at the persons credentials and sources. You wouldnt hire someone without vetting their resume and checking their references, would you? There are a lot of talking heads who are known for their follower counts, but that doesnt make them authorities. You did the work to become an authority in your field. The people you listen to should also.

No one enjoys being proven wrong, but we definitely love to be proven right. Therefore, even if people on social media arent authorities, you can still find yourself drawn to those with the same opinions and perspectives as you, creating an echo chamber of your thoughts the more you interact with them. If youre in an echo chamber, you can miss how your audience is evolving, how your competition is rising, or even more great new ideas you could be using. You need to be able to properly observe your audience so you can understand their needs and how their lives differ from your own.

Solution: Rethink the platforms youre giving your time to. Leave behind the ranters and guilt-trippers, and get onto apps and communities based on your interests. There are many apps built around niche communities, and they provide amazing opportunities to inspire, encourage, and learn from like-minded people. Whether youre an entrepreneur who wants to learn from fellow leaders, a creative who wants to meet collaborators, or youre committed to fitness to make yourself a well-rounded executive, theres a platform for you. (Full disclosure: My company created one such community for creatives.) And because everyone is there for a clear topic, your discussions can actually go deeper and be more thoughtful as you create a more genuine community.

If youre spending a significant portion of your day looking at companies, brands, and people seemingly living the life and success you wish you had, then theres a good chance that social media has negatively affectedyour self-esteem. Social media does a fantastic job of helping people celebrate their wins but not the hard work that went into them. Comparing your own goals, business, or bank account to others can trigger you into believing that you are not enough today or that youre not hustling hard enough.

Solution: Be present in real time, even in your feeds. Instagram recently announced a return to chronological feeds, and other apps offer similar settings. This is great for keeping you present and breaking up the stream of posts that could trigger you. The more of your friends in your feed you see posting in real time, and the fewer influencers, the more likely you are to delete accounts you no longer value while embracing your community.

Put the phone down and ask yourself, What am I grateful for today? Even if you want more tomorrow, being grateful for what you currently have has the power to push your success higher. Practicing gratitude is an excellent way to ground yourself in the present, and it helps combat anxiety and depression.

The purpose of social media is to see what people are talking about with each other. But if youre not actually communicating with others, how are you socializing? These platforms are great tools. Just remember, you do have the power to use them effectively while not letting them controlyou.

CEO ofStage 32, the largest online marketplace of creatives & professionals in the global entertainment industry. Best-selling author.

Original post:
4 ways your social media is controlling you, and how to overcome them - Fast Company

Hours after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, the Chinese Communist Party tabloid, Global Times, posted a video saying that a large number of Ukrainian soldiers had laid down their arms. Its source: the Russian state-controlled television network, RT.

Two days later, Chinas state broadcaster Central Television Station (CCTV) flashed a breaking news alert, quoting Russias parliamentary speaker, that President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine had fled Kyiv. CCTV then created a related hashtag on the Twitter-like platform Weibo that was viewed 510 million times and used by 163 media outlets in the country.

On Feb. 28, as Russia became an international pariah, the Russian state-owned news agency Sputnik shared a message of strength with its 11 million Weibo followers. The Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, Sputnik said, said Russia still had friends in the world, especially a real giant like China.

Add oil, Russia, Sputniks Weibo follower @fengyiqing cheered on, using a Chinese expression of support. All the people in the world who love justice are friends of Russia.

As European and American officials press Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and other online platforms to clamp down on Russian disinformation, China has embraced Russias propaganda and lies about the war. Chinas state-owned media outlets quoted their Russian counterpartss coverage without verification, helping to magnify their disinformation on the Chinese internet. They put Russian officials on state television networks with little pushback on their claims.

When it comes to information, the Chinese government is a control freak, dictating and censoring what its 1.4 billion people consume. Beijing has silenced and jailed its critics and journalists. It has coerced and co-opted the biggest Chinese online platforms to enforce its censorship guidelines. It blocks nearly all major western news and information websites, including Google, Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the BBC.

Yet as the world faces one of its most serious geopolitical crises since the end of the Cold War, China let down its digital defenses and allowed Kremlins propaganda machine to help shape public perception of the war. No wonder the Chinese internet is overwhelmingly pro-Russia, pro-war and pro-Putin.

If China wants to remain officially ambiguous about whether it supports Vladimir V. Putins war refusing to call it an invasion and abstaining from a U.N. vote to condemn the invasion its state-controlled media nonetheless makes very clear where China stands.

The China-Russia information alliance is forged over a shared worldview of two leaders, Xi Jinping and Vladimir V. Putin, who, out of deep distrust of the United States, are determined to challenge the Wests dominance in the competition for public opinion.

In a 2013 speech, Mr. Xi urged the countrys propaganda workers to enhance the countrys international discourse power under the notion of telling Chinas story well. During a visit to RTs headquarters in the same year, Mr. Putin said the network was created to break the Anglo-Saxon monopoly on the global information streams.

In 2015, Mr. Xi and Mr. Putin decided the two countries should strengthen their cooperation in media. Since then, theyve held a Sino-Russian media forum each year, aiming to redefine the map of the international discourse.

Last November, a RT executive said at the forum that major Chinese media outlets quoted RT.com on average 2,500 times a week in 2021.

Many Chinese media organizations admire RT and Sputnik, which they believe have broken the Wests information monopoly, or at least muddied the water. Many media experts have analyzed what Chinas state-owned media could learn from their successes. One academic paper detailed RTs coverage of Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014 to illustrate how the Russian network carefully planned its reporting strategy to increase its seeming credibility and accessibility so it could set its own agenda.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, Kremlins media machines worked well in China. Combined with Beijings censorship of pro-Ukraine content, they wove a web of disinformation that proved difficult for most Chinese online users to escape.

The message they are trying to drive home: Russias military actions are anti-West, anti-NATO expansion and anti-Nazi thus justified and popular.

In Chinas state media, theres very little about the international condemnation of Russia; Ukraines success in the battle for public opinion, led by President Zelensky; or antiwar protests in Russia.

The one-two punch is working, keeping the Chinese public from facts while sowing confusion.

On the Chinese social media platforms, many people adopted Mr. Putins and Russian medias language, calling the Ukrainian side extremists and neo-Nazis.

They kept bringing up the Azov Battalion as if it represented all of Ukraine. The battalion, a unit of the Ukrainian National Guard, is known for having neo-Nazi sympathizers but remains a fringe presence in the country and its military.

President Zelensky himself is Jewish and won the presidential election in 2019 with 73 percent of the votes. His approval rate soared to over 90 percent recently for his wartime leadership.

Gas supplies. Europe gets nearly 40 percent of its natural gas from Russia, and it is likely to be walloped with higher heating bills. Natural gas reserves are running low, and European leaders have accused Russias president, Vladimir V. Putin, of reducing supplies to gain a political edge.

Shortages of essential metals. The price of palladium, used in automotive exhaust systems and mobile phones, has been soaring amid fears that Russia, the worlds largest exporter of the metal, could be cut off from global markets. The price of nickel, another key Russian export, has also been rising.

Financial turmoil. Global banks are bracing for the effects of sanctionsintended to restrict Russias access to foreign capital and limit its ability to process payments in dollars, euros and other currencies crucial for trade. Banks are also on alert for retaliatory cyberattacks by Russia.

The fog of disinformation thickens when Chinese state media portrays Russias war as an anti-fascism effort. After Russias defense minister announced this week that his country would host the first international anti-fascism conference in August, the CCTV posted a one-paragraph story, then created a Weibo hashtag. Within 24 hours, it had 650 million views and was used by 90 media outlets. Many commenters called Ukraine and the United States fascist countries.

Chinese media is also propagating Russian disinformation that Ukraine has been using civilians as human shields. In its prime-time news program on Feb. 26, CCTV quoted President Putin as making that allegation. A few days later the nationalistic news site, guancha.com, ran a banner headline that said the Russian military was going only after military targets, while the Ukrainian military was using civilians as human shields.

Taken collectively, Chinese online users are seeing a quite different war from much of the world.

While videos circulated outside China purportedly showing Ukrainians kind treatment of Russian prisoners of war, the trending social media topic in China was that captured Russians had endured Nazi-like torture. Both CCTV and the Peoples Daily, the official newspaper of the Communist Party, created hashtags echoing the same, based on a briefing by the Russian defense ministry. They had combined views of more than 200 million.

Sputnik, with 11.6 million followers on Weibo, has been posting more than 100 items a day lately, populating its timeline with words like criminal Zelensky, empire of lies, fake news and Nazi.

We must stand with Russia! Weibo user @qingdaoxiaowangzi commented on one of Sputniks posts, using a popular line on the Chinese internet. If Russia falls, NATO and the neo-Nazi United States will bully China!

At the same time, Weibo and other platforms are censoring pro-Ukraine content. The Weibo account of the actor Ke Lan, which has 2.9 million followers, was suspended after she retweeted a video and a photo about an antiwar protest in Russia with the emoticon . So was the account of a transgender celebrity, Jin Xing, with 13.6 million followers. Respect all lives and resolutely oppose the war!!! her last post said.

But as the war continues and China recalibrates its position, some Chinese online users have begun to scrutinize the Russian news media reports. Under a Sputnik Weibo post contending that the Ukrainian military murdered civilians, a user with the handle @jialalabadededashen wrote, Is this another news item that was tailor made by the Russian news agency for China?

In a social media discussion, some people called out Russia for waging an information war in China. Russias external propaganda has infiltrated China out-and-out, wrote a Weibo user called @juediqiangshou. Thats why all the excuses to justify the invasion are popular here.

Some people are also raising questions about whether the flood of pro-Russia information would be detrimental to the interests of China and its people.

Even Wang Xiaodong, a famous nationalist writer, suggested on Weibo that the Russia-Ukraine war was more complicated than it seemed. The Chinese people should have access to comprehensive and diversified information, he wrote on Wednesday.

Continue reading here:
China Embraces Russia's Propaganda on the War - The New York Times

If the idea of truth, in the United States as elsewhere, appeared to have been lost in the disorienting bombardment of social media, with the line between fact and falsehood ever fainter, the sheer enormity of Russian lies the denial of the existence of a war, for example appears to have done something to restore its value and importance.

Who else but us? said Zakhar Nechypor, a Ukrainian actor, as he armed himself with a rifle. Who else indeed and what truth more raw?

A Ukrainian city falls. Russian troops gained control of Kherson,the first city to be overcome during the war. The overtaking of Kherson is significant as it allows the Russians to control more of Ukraines southern coastline and to push west toward the city of Odessa.

Ivan Andronic, a plumber who moved from his native Moldova to France 18 years ago, said in an interview that he felt his mother and mother-in-law back in Moldova were now at risk. Mr. Putin could do anything, even embark on nuclear war. He is very dangerous, Mr. Andronic said. We must fight him together, and his own population must turn on him.

Togetherness is a word enjoying a revival. The Ukraine war appears to have dented a cycle of growing loneliness in which Covid-19 played a significant part. The unbearable lightness of online being has given way to the unbearable gravity of a European war.

A break has occurred in the world where people are corralled into herds by social media algorithms, trolls and bots. Where they forsake community to become tribes with megaphones. Where they turn in circles, succumbing to technological neuroticism. Above all, where they grow lonelier, caught in a vortex, starved of connective tissue, hungry for status, often bereft of moral conviction.

In their place, quite suddenly, a life-and-death struggle presents itself with its moral imperatives. As Europe initially hesitated, Donald Tusk, a former Polish prime minister and the president of the European Peoples Party, tweeted:

In this war everything is real: Putins madness and cruelty, Ukrainian victims, bombs falling on Kyiv. Only your sanctions are pretended. Those EU governments, which blocked tough decisions (i.a. Germany, Hungary, Italy) have disgraced themselves.

Very soon, almost overnight, Europe did what it is rarely capable of doing. It united to end that disgrace and face down Mr. Putin.

Read more:
How Ukrainians Are Using Social Media to Speak Out About the War - The New York Times