Web of Lies: Mapping the Narratives, Effects, and Amplifiers of Russian Covid-19 Disinformation

Hoyle, Aiden; Powell, Thomas; Cadet, Beatrice; Kuijt, Judith van de

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-94825-2_5

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…While this political inclination is not surprising regarding BM-U, which openly promotes Russian propaganda, it is not as readily apparent in the case of BM-C. However, our result aligns with previous research that has suggested the role of Russian disinformation campaigns in supporting anti-vaccination movement [17,45,46]. Our findings can thus be contextualized in light of goals of Russia's hybrid war strategy, which aims to continually undermine the trustworthiness and legitimacy of the foreign governments in the eyes of the target population by warping their beliefs, thoughts, decisions, and behavior over the long term [47].…”

Section: Associations Of Political Trust and Beliefs In Misinformationsupporting

confidence: 83%

Beliefs in misinformation about COVID-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine are linked: evidence from a nationally representative survey (Preprint)

Grygarová,

Havlík,

Adámek

et al. 2024

Preprint

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BACKGROUND Detrimental effects of misinformation were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Presently, amid Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine, another wave of misinformation is spreading on the internet and impacting our daily lives, with many citizens and politicians embracing Russian propaganda narratives. Despite the lack of an objective connection between these two societal issues, anecdotal observations suggest that supporters of misinformation regarding COVID-19 (BM-C) have also adopted misinformation about the war in Ukraine (BM-U), while sharing similar media use patterns and political attitudes. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a link between respondents’ endorsement of the two sets of misinformation narratives, and whether some of the selected factors (media use, political trust, vaccine hesitancy, belief rigidity) are associated with both BM-C and BM-U. METHODS We conducted a survey on a nationally representative sample of 1,623 individuals in the Czech Republic. Spearman’s correlation analysis was performed to identify the relationship between BM-C and BM-U. Additionally, multiple linear regression was used to determine associations between the examined factors and both sets of misinformation. RESULTS We discovered that (1) BM-C and BM-U were strongly correlated (rho=0.636) and both were associated with belief rigidity. (2) Increased trust in Russia and decreased trust in the local government, public media, and Western allies of the Czech Republic predicted both BM-C and BM-U. (3) Media use indicating frustration from and avoidance of public/mainstream media, consumption of alternative information sources, as well as participation in online discussions indicative of epistemic bubbles, predicted beliefs in misinformation narratives. (4) COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy predicted only BM-C but not BM-U. However, vaccine refusers were overrepresented in the BM-U supporters and undecided individuals. CONCLUSIONS Our study provides empirical evidence supporting the hypothesis that the health-related misinformation surrounding COVID-19 pandemic has been politicized and spread via specific media channels. Subsequently, supporters of BM-C were susceptible to political misinformation aligning with Russian propaganda.

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Section: Associations Of Political Trust and Beliefs In Misinformationsupporting

confidence: 83%

Beliefs in misinformation about COVID-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine are linked: evidence from a nationally representative survey (Preprint)

Grygarová,

Havlík,

Adámek

et al. 2024

Preprint

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“…Verskeie studies verbind die Russiese media met die verspreiding van vals nuus en samesweringsteorieë met betrekking tot COVID-19 (Johnson & Marcellino, 2021;Matthews et al, 2021;Nisbet & Kamenchuk, 2021;Hoyle et al, 2022;Toepfl et al, 2022). Twee van die vals narratiewe wat die Russiese media oor die pandemie versprei het wat algemeen voorkom in hul dekking van COVID-19 is byvoorbeeld dat die gesondheidsrisiko van COVID-19 soortgelyk aan, of nie wesenlik groter as dié van gewone griep sou wees nie, en dat die virus in 'n Amerikaanse biologiese wapenlaboratorium sou ontstaan het (Nisbet & Kamenchuk, 2021:574).…”

Section: Die Mediaunclassified

Samesweringsteorieë en vals nuus in leserskommentaar op nuusberigte van Maroela Media tydens die COVID-19-pandemie

Senekal

2023

Tydskr. geesteswet.

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Sedert die uitbreking van die COVID-19-pandemie laat in 2019, het dit die wêreld op ongekende maniere ontwrig. Die virus het tot miljoene sterftes gelei, wat veroorsaak het dat regerings inperkings en reisbeperkings ingestel het, wat ekonomieë ernstig beïnvloed het. Suid-Afrika was geen uitsondering nie, en die Suid-Afrikaanse regering het streng maatreëls ingestel om die verspreiding van die virus te bekamp, insluitende die sluiting van skole en besighede. Die pandemie het gepaardgegaan met 'n vlaag vals inligting en samesweringsteorieë, aangevuur deur sosiale media en ander aanlyn platforms. Vals inligting het die aanbeveling van onbewese geneesmiddels en behandelings vir COVID-19 ingesluit, terwyl sameswerings-teorieë gewissel het van bewerings dat die virus 'n klug is, tot bespiegelings dat dit doelbewus in 'n wapenlaboratorium geskep is. Hierdie vals inligting en samesweringsteorieë het gelei tot verwarring en wantroue in owerhede, wat pogings ondermyn het om die verspreiding van die virus te beheer.

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Web of Lies: Mapping the Narratives, Effects, and Amplifiers of Russian Covid-19 Disinformation

Cited by 2 publications

References 52 publications

Beliefs in misinformation about COVID-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine are linked: evidence from a nationally representative survey (Preprint)

Beliefs in misinformation about COVID-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine are linked: evidence from a nationally representative survey (Preprint)

Samesweringsteorieë en vals nuus in leserskommentaar op nuusberigte van Maroela Media tydens die COVID-19-pandemie

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