One of the biggest dangers to cultures is the spread of propaganda. Current examples include conspiracies about Covid-19 treatments and false promises about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The conflict between the earth powers, which is also occurring in Africa, is a contributing factor.
Across the globe, many foreign powers, including China, France, Russia, the US and people, are competing to shape public opinion. States typically communicate their ideas through reasonable means. However, there have been numerous new instances in which foreign powers have propagated false or misleading information about current affairs.
For instance, Meta revealed in 2020 that the French army was behind a Russian-Centre online strategy. And in 2022, the US was accused of leading a propaganda campaign targeting Arab-speaking areas.
Russian employees are effective spreaders of misleading information throughout the Sahel, according to evidence. China has also used state-controlled internet to provide its own proper stories on the continent of Africa.
Social actors use proper narratives, some real or false, to advance their goals and values and influence how people perceive worldwide events. They are basically stories that political actors use to shape their perceptions and behaviors. The question then arises: what elements influence the success of corporate stories?
We examined the prevalence of Russian and Chinese corporate stories in a lengthy published research. We even describe their appeal. Our results are based on a study of 4, 600 citizens in four American nations– Angola, Ethiopia, South Africa and Zambia – at the end of 2022.
These four nations have very distinct political scenery, differing degrees of cooperation with China and Russia, and distinct traditional contexts with international influence.
Most people, in our opinion, thought the popular Russian and Chinese proper disinformation stories to be accurate. The main reason they did but was anti-US mood. That is, the more people believed that the US was an army or that they had a negative impact on their nation, the more likely they were to accept that the Chinese and Russian stories were real.
These studies also matter for counter-disinformation methods. Simple disinformation debunking using fact-checking or media education campaigns is unlikely to succeed on its own when tactical narratives make use of deep-seated attitudes, political histories, and alliances.
Soviet propaganda is popular
Our research builds on earlier studies on propaganda and its impact on global South public opinion.
We have recently identified the causes of some people sharing deception, what people from various backgrounds do when they encounter social disinformation, and what can be done to stop the spread of false information.
In our most recent research, we discovered that Western media outlets frequently portrayed Russia as a proponent of autonomy and traditional beliefs while dishonest or imperialist.
Also, Chinese internet – CGTN, China Daily and Xinhua – emphasized China’s position as a companion in Africa’s development while dismissing or denying bad aspects of Chinese influence.
We discovered that Russian tales were more broadly accepted in all nations than Chinese people. We questioned the validity of two remarks that exemplified Russia’s propaganda theory. The comments were:
- The conflict in Ukraine is a consequence of NATO’s expansion in Eastern Europe, and
- The main reason for the latest food and energy crises is Russia’s use of restrictions.
More than 70 % of poll respondents responded to the question, saying they believed the claims to be accurate with certainty.
These claims are not true, but they are frequently used by Moscow to improve its own corporate interests, according to several fact-checking organizations.
Foreign stories were more controversial and revealed the most egregious regional differences. When asked about the speech,” If a war breaks out in Taiwan, it would be the United States ‘ problem”, only 3 in 10 Zambians said that it was real, compared with 6 in 10 Africans.
When we examined this speech,” European causes organized anti-government protests in Hong Kong in 2019,” differences between nations were significantly smaller.
More than 50 % of people in South Africa and Ethiopia found this to be real, which is only true.
Looking at the wider political position in each nation at the time the survey was conducted is one way to view these distinctions.
Russian narratives found significant support in South Africa despite Russia Today (RT ) being blocked on the satellite television service provider DStv in March 2022. This was likely influenced by the country’s participation in the BRICS ( Brazil, Russia, India, China South Africa ) gathering, and the president’s unwillingness to part with the West in condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russia also draws on “memory politics” by reminding American consumers of its previous support for American independence movements, such as the African National Congress, to raise support for its battle on Ukraine.
South Africa appears to have shifted from its neutrality toward greater assistance for China and Russia.
By opening a commission in Johannesburg, the Russian media intends to capitalize on this mood.
In comparison, Zambia and Angola displayed more weight to international tales. Angola’s traditional ties with Russia, dating back to the Cold War, did not translate into solid support for Russian narratives, probably due to the country’s continued efforts to expand its international partnerships.
Anti-US attitude a major factor
In Ethiopia, a key drivers of the benefits appears to be anti-US attitude. We found that 33 % of Ethiopians believed the US to be an “enemy” ( compared to 4 % in Angola or 8 % in Zambia ), and 65 % thought that US influence in their country was negative ( compared to 17 % in Angola or 22 % in Zambia ).
Anti-US speech has been especially prevalent in African internet and the political landscape in common in recent years, especially after Washington ‘s , censure of the conflict in Tigray.
We came to the conclusion that anti-US mood was the most reliable indicator of believing Russian and Chinese proper narratives after considering various possible factors.
In other words, those who perceived the US negatively were much more likely to accept these accounts as accurate.
Additionally, we discovered that those who watched Russian or Chinese advertising did not have an impact on those who supported these stories. This implies that those who regularly watched Chinese and Russian media were not more likely to believe these stories than those who did n’t.
China and Russia have made significant investments in continent-wide distribution of their media content, but both countries ‘ people and their understanding of their messages are unmet.
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Our research reveals the subtle and intricate ways in which public opinion spreads throughout Africa. Deception does not work in a vacuum. It is influenced by regional social landscapes, historical ties, and economic dependence.
So, counterstrategies should place an emphasis on fostering positive behaviour and strengthening political ties in order to lessen the vulnerability to disinformation narratives.
Herman Wasserman is a professor and chair of Stellenbosch University’s Department of Journalism. Dani Madrid-Morales is a teacher in media and international communication. Nanyang Technological University‘s associate professor of communication and information is Saifuddin Ahmed.
This content was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original post.