A perfect demonstration of how Russian indoctrination works right here.
Original reporting:
A major disinfo attack against Europe being prepared by Russia is uncovered through diligent investigation and published and reported on.
The response:
divert to farmer’s dissatisfaction with several policies
cast disinfo reports as underhanded attempts (by politician Russia wants gone) to arrogantly brush off farmer’s concerns (which the report never even related to)
claim Macron is selling out to EU (here, have a serving of anti-EU sentiment, too)
vaccinate reader against the disinfo being countered (“everyone who tells you otherwise belittles you and hates you, join us in our righteous anger”)
Emotional framing:
Nationalists, agricultural owner-operators, and farmers exposed to rising interest rates
“truckloads of exported Ukranian agricultural salvage” vs. “fresh French produce”
we’re getting an earful about how all these local yokels are hoodwinked by anti-EU Russian Propaganda
Macron for selling out the agg sector to financial interests in Brussels
“If you’re not in favor of (insert supposed evil acts described in lurid way), then you’re a secret spy for Putin and a traitor.”
Result:
The reader comes out the other end an angry person, outraged about the plight of farmers, outraged again at disinfo reports supposedly serving to silence them, outraged once more at a France politician selling them out to the EU, EU painted as high-and-mighty villain, automatic anger against anyone who tells them a different viewpoint ready to trigger.
A perfect demonstration of how Russian indoctrination works right here.
Original reporting: A major disinfo attack against Europe being prepared by Russia is uncovered through diligent investigation and published and reported on.
The response:
Emotional framing:
Result: The reader comes out the other end an angry person, outraged about the plight of farmers, outraged again at disinfo reports supposedly serving to silence them, outraged once more at a France politician selling them out to the EU, EU painted as high-and-mighty villain, automatic anger against anyone who tells them a different viewpoint ready to trigger.
The question was “What disinformation is being circulated?”
And the answer is “By answering this you are doing Russian propaganda”
Isn’t that the same result as the original “Russia is doing an evil propaganda” headline?