Why is Russian Domestic War Propaganda so Effective?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.6000/2817-2310.2022.01.01Keywords:
Russian Propaganda, Russo-Ukrainian War, War Propaganda, Domestic Propaganda, Political Technology, Transgenerational TraumaAbstract
This article provides a review of possible causes of the effectiveness of the Russian domestic propaganda campaigns launched in connection with the war in Ukraine and aimed at the domestic consumer, as well as their discussion in academic research and analytical publications. Currently, this phenomenon is much discussed in the oppositional Russian-speaking, Ukrainian, and world media. Nevertheless, the number of short journalistic pieces devoted to specific aspects of this effectiveness significantly prevails over detailed analytical articles or holistic academic studies. The present research aims to partially fill this gap.
The article defines the main groups of reasons for the effectiveness of Russian domestic propaganda, identified both in modern studies and in earlier works, and also traces the relationship between these groups. It discusses the organizational and technical prerequisites (the possibility of total control of the media, including access to information via the Internet), cultural issues (the unique situation in Russia, which has developed as a result of its transgenerational traumas), and "political technology" (political manipulation and persuasion) methods.
In conclusion, the author makes some suggestions (and assumptions) about further possibilities for studying the phenomenon of Russian domestic propaganda and discusses its social significance.
References
Press Release of the Yuri Levada Analytical Center. Conflict with Ukraine: September 2022. 2022 Oct 7; [cited: 2022 October 20]; available from: https://bit.ly/LevadaEn-Sept22
Website blocking statistics in the Russian Federation. [In Russian: “Роскомсвобода. Статистика блокировок”. Сited: 2022 October 20]; available from: https://reestr.rublacklist.net/ru/statistics/
Global Web Index Report. Traditional vs. digital media: global trends. 2019; [cited: 2022 October 20]; available from: https://www.amic.media/media/files/file_352_2142.pdf
Nekliudov NA, Blyuss O, Cheung KY, et al. Excessive Media Consumption About COVID-19 is Associated with Increased State Anxiety: Outcomes of a Large Online Survey in Russia. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2020; 22(9): e20955. [cited: 2022 October 20] https://doi.org/10.2196/20955
Press Release of the Yuri Levada Analytical Center. Society under stress. 2022 Oct 28; [cited: 2022 October 30]; available from: https://www.levada.ru/en/2022/10/28/society-under-stress/
Natalya Sindeyeva: about life after "Dozhd" and dialogue with propagandists. [in Russian: “Наталья Синдеева: о жизни после «Дождя» и диалоге с пропагандистами”]. «To be continued» Independent Channel. 2022 April 2; [cited: 2022 October 20]; available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIz0O9hbwp4
Yourman J. Propaganda Techniques Within Nazi Germany. The Journal of Educational Sociology 1939; 13(3): 148-63. https://doi.org/10.2307/2262307
Cole R, Ed. Encyclopaedia of Propaganda. Vol. 3 (Russia (1918-1953) - Zionism). New York: Sharpe Reference 1998.
Soules M. Media, Persuasion and Propaganda. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press 2015. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780748644179
Google (http://www.google.com: accessed 2022 October 27), using search terms: “'СВО' 'Предотвратить ядерную войну'”
Peskov called the purpose of the special operation in Ukraine the prevention of a third world war. [in Russian: “Песков назвал целью спецоперации на Украине предотвращение третьей мировой войны“]. Parliamentary Newspaper. 2022 April 4; [cited: 2022 October 20]; available from: https://bit.ly/PeskovWar
Russian Foreign Ministry urges to prevent nuclear war. [in Russian: “МИД РФ призывает предотвратить ядерную войну”]. DEITA News. 2022 November 3; [cited: 2022 November 7]; available from: https://deita.ru/article/526272
Google (http://www.google.com: accessed 2022 October 20), using search term: “укронаци”
The Prosecutor General's Office explained why it is forbidden to call a war a war: this "assumes the onset of legal consequences". [in Russian: “Генпрокуратура объяснила, почему войну запрещено называть войной — это «предполагает наступление правовых последствий»”]. Meduza Project. 2022 July 21; [cited: 2022 November 3]; available from: https://bit.ly/Meduza-war
The language of war. [in Russian: "Язык войны"]. Radio Liberty (Svoboda). 2022 July 13; [cited: 2022 November 3]; available from: https://www.svoboda.org/a/yazyk-voyny-efir-v-18-05-/31938721.html
Thurstance A. Dehumanizing the enemy. In: Joseph P, (Ed.), The SAGE encyclopedia of war: Social science perspectives. SAGE Publications, Inc. 2017; Vol. 1: 467-69.
Ennis S. How Russian TV uses psychology over Ukraine. StopFake.org. 2015 February 02; [cited: 2022 November 3]; available from: https://www.stopfake.org/en/how-russian-tv-uses-psychology-over-ukraine/
Putin affirms Russia will never turn a blind eye to Nazi atrocities. [in Russian: “Путин заявил, что Россия никогда не закроет глаза на зверства нацистов”]. 360tv.ru (Internet edition). 2022 November 4; [cited: 2022 November 5]; available from: https://bit.ly/Putin360Nazi
Litavrin M. A video of a Ukrainian refugee talking about the Azov atrocities was filmed by the Federal Security Service. Russian media ordered not to reveal the source. [in Russian: “Видео с украинской беженкой, рассказывающей о зверствах «Азова», сняла ФСБ. Российским медиа приказали не указывать источник”]. Zona.Media. 2022 March 30; [cited: 2022 November 1]; available from: https://zona.media/article/2022/03/30/pressafsb
Waller JM. Ridicule as a Weapon. Institute of World Politics. Public Diplomacy White Paper No. 7, Political Warfare blog. 2006 February 9; [cited: 2022 November 1]; available from: https://bit.ly/WallerRidicule
"Crazy Clown". The Network attacked Zelensky after his statement about Russia. [in Russian: “«Безумный клоун». В Сети обрушились на Зеленского после заявления о России”]. RIA Novosti. 2022 October 6; [cited: 2022 November 1]; available from: https://ria.ru/20221006/zelenskiy-1822086926.html
Google (http://www.google.com: accessed 2022 October 20), using search terms: “клоун Зеленский”
Kiselev D. The return of flea traps? Europe refuses hygiene. [in Russian: “Возвращение блохоловок? Европа отказывается от гигиены”].. Vesti (Internet Edition). 2022 April 22; [cited: 2022 November 1]; available from: https://www.vesti.ru/article/2712371
Biden fell off his bike while walking. Video. [in Russian: “Байден упал с велосипеда во время прогулки. Видео”]. RBC Group (RosBiznesConsulting). 2022 June 18; [cited: 2022 November 1]; available from: https://bit.ly/BidenFallsRBC
Morelli A. Principes élémentaires de propagande de guerre: utilisables en cas de guerre froide, chaude ou tiède. Paris: Labor, Collection: Quartier libre 2001.
Ponsonby A. Falsehood in War-Time: Containing an Assortment of Lies Circulated Throughout the Nations During the Great War. London: Garland Publishing Company 1928.
Ryabova D. Putin pointed out to Scholz the atrocities of the Ukrainian Nazis. [in Russian: “Путин указал Шольцу на зверства украинских нацистов”]. URA News Agency. 2022 May 13; [cited: 2022 November 2]; available from: https://ura.news/news/1052552950
Istomin S. Putin called the events in Bucha a fake. [in Russian: “Путин назвал события в Буче фейком”]. Lenta.ru (News Agency). 2022 April 12, [cited: 2022 November 1]; available from: https://lenta.ru/news/2022/04/12/bucha/
Nebenzya talked about the US combat mosquitoes infected with dangerous viruses. [in Russian: “Небензя рассказал о зараженных опасными вирусами боевых комарах США”]. NTV (Internet Edition). 2022 October 28; [cited: 2022 November 1]; available from: https://www.ntv.ru/novosti/2730130/
Vladimir Putin yet to achieve any of his strategic objectives in six-month Ukraine war, says UK. Evening Standard. 2022 September 5; [cited: 2022 November 1]; available from: https://bit.ly/StandardPutinLosses
The Russian Defense Ministry revealed the losses in Ukraine for the first time since March. The numbers are less than the number of known names of the dead. [in Russian: “Минобороны России впервые с марта назвало потери в Украине. Цифра меньше, чем известно фамилий погибших”]. BBC News Russian. 2022 September 21; [cited: 2022 November 1]; available from: https://www.bbc.com/russian/news-62978718
Casualties of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Wikipedia. [cited: 2022 November 1]; available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Casualties_of_the_Russo-Ukrainian_War
Bandler R, Grinder J. Patterns of the hypnotic techniques of Milton H. Erickson, M.D. Cupertino, Calif.: Meta Publications, 1975
Pearson J. Improve your writing with NLP. carmarthen, United Kingdom: Crown House Publishing, 2019
Karaeva E. The Europeans ran out of money and patience for refugees. [in Russian: “У европейцев кончились деньги и терпение для беженцев”]. RIA Novosti. 2022 May 4; [cited: 2022 November 2]; available from: https://ria.ru/20220504/bezhentsy-1786662089.html
The Kremlin assessed the need for a new stage of military mobilization in Russia. [in Russian: “В Кремле оценили необходимость нового этапа мобилизации в России”]. Lenta.ru (News Agency). 2022 November 1; [cited: 2022 November 2]; available from: https://lenta.ru/news/2022/11/01/etappp/
Vaughn JC. A Socio-Political Model of Lies in Russia: Putin Against the Personal. UPA 2016
Paul C, Matthews M. The Russian "Firehose of Falsehood" Propaganda Model: Why It Might Work and Options to Counter It. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation 2016. [cited: 2022 November 2]. https://doi.org/10.7249/PE198
Zimdars M, Mcleod K. Fake News: Understanding Media and Misinformation in the Digital Age. Massachusetts, London: MIT Press 2020. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11807.001.0001
Pomerantsev P. Truth is an illusion, everybody lies. Raamop Rusland. 2016 April 12; [cited: 2022 November 2]; available from: https://www.raamoprusland.nl/dossiers/media/90-truth-is-an-illusion-everybody-lies
Artamonov A. In order to secure the Donbass, it is necessary to aim not at Ukrainians, but at foreign instructors. [in Russian: “Чтобы обезопасить Донбасс, нужно бить не по украинцам, а по иностранным инструкторам”]. 2022 February 23; [cited: 2022 November 2]; available from: https://bit.ly/ArtamonovLies
Bodies in Bucha, a maternity hospital in Mariupol, shelling of a theater: the fight against fakes continues. [in Russian: “Тела в Буче, роддом в Мариуполе, обстрел театра: борьба с фейками продолжается”]. Krasnodarskie Izvestiya. 2022 April 6; [cited: 2022 November 2]; available from: https://bit.ly/BuchaMarFake
Pornpitakpan C. The Persuasiveness of Source Credibility: A Critical Review of Five Decades' Evidence. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 2004; 34: 243-81. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2004.tb02547.x
Khlevnyuk D. Narrowcasting collective memory online: ‘liking’ Stalin in Russian social media. Media Culture & Society 2018; 41(3): 317-31. https://doi.org/10.1177/0163443718799401
Cherepanov E. Understanding the Transgenerational Legacy of Totalitarian Regimes: Paradoxes of Cultural Learning. New York: Routledge 2020. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429030338
Khrebtan-Hörhager J. Collages of Memory: Remembering the Second World War Differently as the Epistemology of Crafting Cultural Conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, Journal of Intercultural Communication Research 2018; 45(4): 282-303. https://doi.org/10.1080/17475759.2016.1184705
Pyetsukh M. Volodimir Vyatrovich; Our task is to prevent the repetition of the Soviets in the next generations. [in Ukrainian: “Володимир В’ятрович: Наше завдання – щоб совок не відтворився в майбутніх поколіннях”]. 2015 April 10; [cited: 2022 November 2]; available from: https://www.pravda.com.ua/articles/2015/04/10/7064423/
Burtin S. Enter the darkness and find people in it. Why do Russians support the war? [in Russian: “Войти во мрак и нащупать в нем людей. Почему россияне поддерживают войну?”]. Shura Burtin's research. Meduza Project. 2022 April 24; [cited: 2022 November 2]; available from: https://meduza.io/feature/2022/04/24/voyti-vo-mrak-i-naschupat-v-nem-lyudey
Toffler A. Future Shock. Random House 1970.
Sharafutdinova G. 'Le Cirque Politique à la Russe: Political Talk Shows and Public Opinion Leaders in Russia'. In: The Red Mirror: Putin's Leadership and Russia's Insecure Identity. New York 2021; online edition: Oxford Academic, 2020 October 22; [cited: 2022 November 2]. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197502938.003.0007
Beardsworth J. Explainer: Who Are Russia’s Pro-War Bloggers And Why Are They Important? The Moscow Times. 2022 September 15; [cited: 2022 November 2]; available from: https://bit.ly/TimesWarBloggers
Menczer F, Hills T. The Attention Economy. Scientific American 2020; 323(6): 54-61.
Alschlunger L, Lehner O, Treiblmaier H. InfoVis: The Impact of Information Overload on Decision Making Outcome in High Complexity Settings. SIGHCI 2016 Proceedings. 3. 2016.
Narayan B, Case DO, Edwards SL. The role of information avoidance in everyday-life information behaviors. Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 2011; 48: 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1002/meet.2011.14504801085
Nisbet EC, Kamenchuk O. Russian News Media, Digital Media, Informational Learned Helplessness, and Belief in COVID-19 Misinformation. International Journal of Public Opinion Research 2021; 33(3): 571-90. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijpor/edab011
Tang S, Willnat L, Zhang H. Fake news, information overload, and the third-person effect in China. Global Media and China 2021; 6(4): 492-507. https://doi.org/10.1177/20594364211047369
Radnitz S. Why Russian propaganda isn’t as persuasive as you might think. The Washington Post. 2022 October 21; [cited: 2022 November 2]; available from: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/10/21/russia-public-opinion-ukraine/
Shulman. Why do we believe propaganda? [in Russian: “Шульман. Почему мы верим пропаганде?”]. Interview with Ekaterina Shulman. Andersen People Channel. 2022 February 3; [cited: 2022 November 2]; available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3dLkGclWbg
Human Rights Committee Considers Report of the Russian Federation in the Absence of a Delegation, Experts Raise Issues on the Persecution of Journalists and the Arrests of Protesters. The United Nations State Office in Geneva. 2022 October 20; [cited: 2022 November 2]; available from: https://bit.ly/UNRussiaRepress
Beck G. The Overton Window. New York: Threshold Editions, 2010.
"We'll go to heaven, and they'll just die." What Putin said at Valdai. [in Russian: “«Мы попадем в рай, а они — просто сдохнут». Что Путин рассказал на Валдае”]. RIA Novosti. 2020 March 20; [cited: 2022 November 2]; available from: https://ria.ru/20181018/1530999011.html
Robeiko O. Propagandist Simonyan is hysterical: "On the eve of a nuclear war". [in Russian: “Пропагандистка Симоньян бьется в истерике: «Преддверие ядерной войны»”]. UNIAN Information Agency. 2022 September 20; [cited: 2022 November 2]; available from: https://bit.ly/NukesPropagRussia
Kantchev G, Gershkovich E, Chernova Y. Fleeing Putin, Thousands of Educated Russians Are Moving Abroad. The Wall Street Journal 2022 April 10; [cited: 2022 November 2]; available from: https://bit.ly/FleeingPutin
Van Burgen I. Putin's Mobilization Backfires as 370,000 Flee Russia in Two Weeks. Newsweek 2022 October 4; [cited: 2022 November 2]; available from: https://bit.ly/MobilFlee
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Policy for Journals with Open Access
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post links to their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work
