Appendix for “Pro-Kremlin outlets amplify content that casts doubt on Ukrainian rape victims”
This document is a reference for a report published on June 8, 2022.
Labels and rational
A 2020 U.S. Department of State report wrote, “Russia’s disinformation and propaganda ecosystem is the collection of official, proxy, and unattributed communication channels and platforms that Russia uses to create and amplify false narratives” (pg 3).
The nature of malign influence necessitates clear definitions and terms; however, this risks unfair application. To be as equitable as possible, we wish to clarify the following:
- We do not imply that any individuals or outlets mentioned engage in nefarious or criminal acts.
- Inclusion reflects website behavior and the definitions outlined, not guesswork or suspicion, and it does not necessarily indicate an author or website intends to collaborate with the Russian state.
Current or past partner
A partnership is a relationship between a website and a state-controlled outlet. One of two criteria results in the label of “partner.
- Relationships can be self-disclosed on a website, public documents, or revealed in media reporting from outlets that produce almost exclusively high-quality content (reflected in a “high” or “very high” scoring from MBFC for factual reporting).
- A two-way relationship where the two entities engage in social media cross-posting, repeated promotion, or republishing of or by a state-controlled outlet. The flow of content goes both ways.
Kremlin amplifier
The website republishes content from outlets controlled by or affiliated with the Russian state, but the flow of content is mostly in one direction. These are often aggregator websites.
Kremlin content creator
The website produces content repeatedly published by or shared by Russian state-controlled outlets. The relationship is generally unidirectional, with the author being republished or amplified by outlets tied to the Russian state. Assumptions should not be made about author consent.
Russian state-controlled
This does not mean someone is wholly controlled by the Russian state. If an entity receives funding from, is employed by (including freelance and contract work), is partially or wholly owned by the Russian state, receives “taskings,” assignments, or orders from Russian intelligence (SVR, FSB, or GRU; see the list. ), we classify this as Russian state-controlled.
References for categorization that complement the report.
Is Zero Hedge a Russian Trojan Horse? (2020)
Zero Hedge runs political news and commentary that “frequently echo the Kremlin line,” as a 2018 RAND Institute study put it. Among Zero Hedge’s most Russia-friendly fare were stories depicting the Mueller investigation as a hoax, pieces claiming that the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal was staged by British intelligence, and posts asserting that the Steele dossier was a work of “fan fiction” by internet trolls on 4chan. Andrew Weisburd, a private intelligence analyst who has done work for the U.S. intelligence community, has found that Zero Hedge is at the center of a web of conspiracy sites with spokes extending out into the darkest fringes of the internet.
Russian Social Media Influence (2018)
Third, mutually reinforcing digital entities pick up and perpetuate the narrative, whether they are ideologically friendly or simply fall under the category of “useful idiots.” These entities include news aggregators, far-right or far-left sites, blogs, and users drawn in by clickbait headlines that reinforce their previously held beliefs, in addition to media outlets that frequently echo the Kremlin line but are not obviously affiliated with Russia, such as Zero Hedge (pg 30-31)
The U.S. Accuses Zero Hedge of Spreading Russian Propaganda (2022)
U.S. intelligence officials on Tuesday accused a conservative financial news website with a significant American readership of amplifying Kremlin propaganda and alleged five media outlets targeting Ukrainians have taken direction from Russian spies. The officials said Zero Hedge, which has 1.2 million Twitter followers, published articles created by Moscow-controlled media that were then shared by outlets and people unaware of their nexus to Russian intelligence. The officials did not say whether they thought Zero Hedge knew of any links to spy agencies and did not allege direct links between the website and Russia.
- GRU-authored bioweapon disinformation article by Dilyana Gaytandzhieva republished on the website (2022)
- Other authors published in The Alt World are known to have worked with the Russian state: Scott Ritter (article), Alastair Crooke (article), Eva Barlett (article), and Dilyana Gaytandzhieva (article).
- EUvsDisinfo characterizes The Alt World as a website “supporting pro-Kremlin narratives.”
This author writes from a pro-Kremlin perspective and has published work on websites controlled by the Russian state and Russian intelligence. Examples of content published on Russian state-controlled websites related to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine:
- RT—U.S. officials admit they're literally just lying to the public about Russia
- Strategic Culture—U.S. officials admit they're literally just lying to the public about Russia
- RT—Nuclear war is getting increasingly likely
Pillars of Russia’s Disinformation and Propaganda Ecosystem (2020)
Another author, Peter Koenig, is a Swiss contributor who has written 52 articles for NEO in the last two years.45 On his website, he says that he “writes regularly for Global Research; ICH [Information Clearing House]; RT; Sputnik; PressTV; The 21st Century; TeleSUR; The Saker Blog, NEO; and other internet sites.” (pg 22)
The Long Tail of Influence Operations: A Case Study on News Front (2021)
The Duran allows members of the public to create accounts and publish content. The ‘Anastasia Frank’ account first became active on 5 December 2019, posting a story emphasizing strains and tensions among NATO members at the previous day’s summit. The story was also published that day by The Saker, another source known for disseminating strongly pro-Kremlin views. (pg 12)
Interview with Andrew Korybko (2016)
- Korybko has ties to the Russian state via One World, a GRU-linked outlet. He is a frequent contributor to Kremlin disinformation outlets: Sputnik, RT, Geopolitica.ru, etc.
The Saker's blog roll (2015)
References for outlets not discussed above can be found here:
Backlinks
Backlink sheets for Moon of Alabama, Zero Hedge, Caitlin Johnstone, and Strategic Culture articles.
