As the war continues to rage in Ukraine, many of you are reporting an avalanche of bots and fake news related to the war. These fake news and other comments are part of the information war that Russia launched as the West demonstrated its unity. This fake news, which is not always easy to flush out, does have a goal: to sow doubt, division, destabilize and weaken the posture of countries with regard to this conflict.
In this dossier, we offer you a selection of reliable sources of information on the war in Ukraine, what the action of Russian bots looks like, and how to cross-reference information that at first glance seems crisp so as not to risk spreading false rumours, and other destabilizing messages. The extension of warfare into the field of info is very common in 21st century conflicts.
Fake news, Russian bots: propaganda has modernized and it’s formidable
But this is nothing new: propaganda and its influence on people’s minds is something that has always more or less existed, and which developed very strongly between the beginning of the 20th century (and the advent of totalitarian) and the Second World War at the same time as the development of new media such as radio and television – these actions have always known how to surf on modernity. They work for a simple reason: we tend to take the information taken from the newspapers and some people at face value.
Especially when they mix truth and lies. Most French people consider that their source of information has carried out reliable research and verification – when this is really not always the case. Therefore, it is theoretically possible to claim just about anything about any subject or person. Some will be able to make sense of things, but it is enough for a group of individuals to react in the way expected by the designers of these messages for the operation to be considered a success.
In 2022, it is not always easy to flush out fake news, or an account that peddles it. Sometimes it happens that fake news and fake news are so well calibrated that they end up being taken up by influential people, or those with authority: sportsmen, youtubers, tweeters, politicians, etc. This is where fake news becomes most pernicious – it has been given a face of truth from the outset. There is also an avalanche of fake news on Instagram, TikTok and even on Snapchat!
Fake news and malicious accounts always insist on what divides
If, like most Europeans, you have watched the Russian invasion of Ukraine live from the start, you are probably very shocked and worried. The bots and other actors in the pay of Russia tend to insist on what will create the most debate possible when the level of tension is at its peak. One can quote for example the accusations of “nazism” with regard to the current Ukrainian government – or those accusing the United States of having started the war.
On this last point, the United States also stresses that the Russian invasion began without the question of Ukraine’s attachment to NATO being on the agenda – there were no installations foreign military (NATO or other) in the country before the invasion and there was no question at the time of the invasion of integrating Ukraine into NATO… Saying the opposite without demonstrating the presence of foreign military installations is therefore a transformation (not to say gross manipulation) of reality.
Similarly many bots copy/paste the same messages to underline the “double standards” of the West’s attitude towards Ukraine compared to other equally tragic but more tragic theaters of war. distant. Obviously, this is a valid opinion, but there will no doubt be a time to debate it once the tensions have subsided a bit… a lot of claims, opinionated opinions, and other unverifiable content of this type must urge you to be cautious.
It will take time to dissect all the subtleties of this tragedy, and it is undoubtedly the worst moment to break the united front of Western countries against the Russian war by sowing doubt in an industrial way… You will have undoubtedly noticed it , many accounts seem to automatically copy-paste such messages – they are strongly suspected of being fake, or run by people paid by Russian intelligence services.
Stay measured, beware of what is not taken up by reliable sources
Apart from a few journalists on site, at this stage we can only observe the deterioration of the situation from afar. The clear statements that we read here or there or precise information debited by certain accounts (while the info does not come from the field) have you will admit no sense. And yet it is enough to walk on the social networks to realize it: they are legion.
On the other side of the sword, we are starting to see people getting organized to try to help the Ukrainians by analyzing satellite images shared on the net. As John Kirby, the US Pentagon’s communications manager, points out, we must also be wary of this kind of action. It is indeed likely that certain images are doctored by the Russian intelligence services in order to mislead the Ukrainian army on the spot (and the rest of the Internet users) into error.
In the same way, faced with the lack of reliable information, the right reaction is not to give more and more opinions, but to wait and remain as measured as possible. This is also how many malicious accounts can be recognized.
Report malicious messages and remarks
Right now Youtube, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat… all the major social networks are facing a veritable tsunami of bots and false information related to Russia. These platforms use both artificial intelligence and user reporting to moderate and combat malicious actors from Russia.
Help moderators by reporting posts that look like Russian bots as soon as possible. For this, you can for example, on Youtube, indicate as a reason “incitement to hatred” for messages which try to instil division – the teams of Youtube will then decide if the report was or not relevant with the key an account suspension for proven cases.
Use this list of reliable sources for everything related to the war in Ukraine
In the most tense situations, multiplying the sources of information is not always the right option. In fact, you risk coming across a media that only spends its time peddling fake news, while only certain editorial offices (often old) have journalists on site in Ukraine, or are subscribers to press agencies and are therefore able to to provide you with reliable information.
Read as many of the same articles in a conservative newspaper as you can in a progressive newspaper. News always has an element of subjectivity – and the only way for the reader to overcome it is to read equivalent content on a different publication. Here are some of the most reliable news sources available right now:
TV
- Euronews
- France24
- BFMTV
- DW
- CNN
Radio
- France Info
- France Inter
- French Culture
- RFI
Internet
- The world
- Le Figaro
- Le Parisien / Today in France
- The echoes
- Europa.eu (for everything related to parliamentary sessions and decisions of the European Commission)
- Mediapart
- Release
Note that if these press titles do not speak of information that you have read on a less known site, you can immediately tell yourself that there is a good chance that the information in question is simply a fake. news. In addition, we do not quote the Twitter accounts of reliable journalists for the moment – because we need to carry out a small investigation to provide you with a varied and reliable selection. We will no doubt do so in a future dedicated content.
Do not hesitate to take back your loved ones in the conversations
Fake news is very insidious, and it has more or less won when it finds its way into conversations. So, if you think that your interlocutor (including friends or family member) is telling you something that does not seem verified or verifiable, invite him or her to share the source of the info – and try to cross it together with what can be read in the major newspapers.
We all have a natural tendency to avoid doing this, so as not to offend our interlocutor. However, it is not necessary to do it aggressively, on the contrary! Above all, be as kind as possible. Prioritize a pleasant behavior, and do not sink into confrontation.
Simply explain that there is an avalanche of fake news at the moment and that it is essential not to talk about anything, at the risk of being manipulated and unknowingly manipulating others around the war in Ukraine.
Feel free to take a break from social media
What you’re reading about Ukraine on social media right now, including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat bothers you? You really should not stay in this situation which could undermine your morale without really bringing anything.
Do not hesitate to take a few days break on social networks, the time – we hope – that the major platforms do a little cleaning so that their users are not taken hostage by Russian fake news and bots. The verified “live” information on the subject must in any case always be confirmed by a major media having someone on the spot or an informant.
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