People who used propaganda tactics in the past US election will not be surprised by the White House’s recent revelations about Russian attempts to influence this month’s US presidential vote.
The Kremlin used its state-sponsored media outlets, the news website Sputnik, and the global television station RT to air a number of articles that questioned the legitimacy of the US political operation during the 2020 strategy. Additionally, it was discovered that network of bots and trolls operating under the Russian government were actively promoting conspiracy theories and propaganda online.
This time around, the US has seized a network of Russian-run internet domains and sanctioned ten people including Margarita Simonyan, editor-in-chief of RT ( formerly Russia Today ), for “activities that aim to deteriorate public trust in our institutions”.
Restrictions may include the US frothing of any property or goods and imposing sanctions on any US-based businesses or individuals.
The US has also charged two Moscow-based directors of RT, Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, under money laundering laws with paying US information makers to squeeze out “pro-Russia misinformation and propaganda” in the US.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland claimed that Russia was looking to undermine US support for Ukraine in the battle by promoting its “preferred results” in the upcoming presidential election.
The techniques that the US Department of Justice ( DOJ) claims are closely related to what my co-authors and I have identified in our new guide, Russia, Disinformation and the Liberal Order, as having become a accepted practice in Russian attempts to influence global audiences.
We identified five important aspects of Russian data adjustment that can aid in understanding the most recent election-meddling controversy.
1. Using native bloggers
The DOJ claims that RT workers paid a Tennessee-based company roughly US$ 10 million to create social media content that supports Russian interests, but they did not disclose that the Russian state paid the money in the end.
Numerous of the celebrities who work for the Tennessee organization have since claimed to have editorial control over their information and denied knowing anything about Russian connections. However, this fits the designs found in our analysis.
Second, RT has long worked with the nationalist right-wing media room, and generally mimics the style and techniques of US right-wing nationalistic media. It often references their articles on its website, has promoted right-wing press figures, distributed their shows, and featured them on its own platforms, and has linked to their articles.
Building on this, RT has frequently given a system, funding and free reins to media personalities from the states they are targeting, whose fairly held beliefs fit Russia’s personal interests. After all, studies shows that regardless of whether or not those claims are accurate, people are more likely to believe the claims they have heard repeatedly.
2. Fake news sources
In accordance with this situation, the US has seizes a network of online domains that are said to have been used to spread false information to certain demographics.
As well as boosting core Russian talking points, their content, which masquerades as regional websites, frequently taps into specific social issues and disagreements that appeal to specific target groups.
This has been demonstrated in the past, when the Kremlin-backed Internet Research Agency created a phony left-wing information page and duped unaware consultants into writing for Russian data activities. RT’s previous accomplishments demonstrate that it has no reservations about purposefully hiding its connections to other advertising outlets and organizations.
We are aware from our study that these websites usually cross-reference other self-styled counter-mainstream sites to increase their credibility with certain online demographics, as well as generally do so.
3. Adding more fuel to the fire
Another popular strategy for making content credible is tying it to concerns and worries that are already prevalent in any society.
For instance, Russia did not initiate the US cultural battle, but it has skillfully tapped into British society’s concerns. These have been brought to the fore by Russian media activities without engaging with them in any significant way.
Also, when Russian websites masquerade as regional sources, they prioritize themes that are common to their specific audiences. Often, though, controversial subjects are embellished with a mishmash of genuine and fabricated information. They are difficult to distinguish between because of their preconceived notions, which frequently prevent them from trying.
4. Flipping the storyline
Moscow has frequently denied involvement in control activities, just as it did in 2018 when the UK accused the Soviet government of a number of deaths in Salisbury from Novichok illnesses. Russian officials and the media boosted a complicated web of conspiracy theories that mirrored the accusations made against the UK and US security companies back then.
We have seen the “flipped script” response from Russia’s representatives again this time around. Moscow’s ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, dismissed US allegations as a product of” Russophobia” – the same term used by the Russian embassy following the Salisbury poisonings.
And Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, has repeated her favourite theme of recent years, accusing the US of becoming a” totalitarian neoliberal dictatorship”. This may seem absurd from the head of a state that has condemned criticism of its invasion of Ukraine.
However, bare-faced lies and humorous dismissals often go together in Russia’s information operations.
5. Humor
The Russian state , routinely uses humor strategically, and RT has emerged as , a pioneer , in using humor to legitimize Russia’s actions or , neutralize critiques.
However, the network does n’t only use humor to report on international politics. Its signature tactic is to knowingly make itself known as a joker. Numerous RT advertising campaigns have used foreign criticisms as a selling point.
The sarcastic response to the most recent allegations by Simonyan displayed the same spirit. The editor-in-chief dismissed the accusations as US scaremongering” about the almighty RT” in comments posted to Telegram and gleefully reproduced by RT. Her words are a perfect illustration of how RT makes a “populist pariah” of itself.
Russia is working to control agendas outside of its borders, and there is no indication this will stop anytime soon.
Precious Chatterje-Doody is Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Studies, The Open University
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