Resisting Foreign State Propaganda in the New Information Environment: The Case of the EU, Russia, and the Eastern Partnership Countries
Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS) (2016), 293 pp.
ISBN 978-9934-8536-9-2
"With well-organised and far-reaching weapons of information Russia has succeeded in sowing doubt about the need for democratic values and is therefore also undermining faith in democratic countries, weakening it. Russia government uses lies, concealment, and the manipulation of anything that can serve their purpose—to turn citizens toward the ‘preferred’ direction. We are now faced with new and cunning forms of propaganda; a go-to source of information may turn out to be a false news outlet or a false Facebook ‘friend’. In the new information age, where borders between media fact and fiction are blurred, agents of propaganda seek to access citizens with messages presented in formats that discourage critical thinking. The main objectives of such attacks are to undermine democratic values—tolerance, minority rights, freedom of expression, the rule of law, and also loyalty to one’s country. In this war, democratic states are faced with unprecedented difficulties; in order to protect themselves they cannot fight the enemy using the same weapons the enemy uses, because then democracy would be no different than authoritarian rule. Democracies must choose mechanisms to counter hostile propaganda that comply with the rule of law and our fundamental values. This is difficult, but not impossible. In this publication, we have collected a number of expert opinions on what national governments, the EU, relevant institutions, and the media can do to win this war for the hearts and minds of the people." (Foreword)
PART I: INCREASING RESISTANCE TO PROPAGANDA WITHIN THE EU
Countering propaganda in Europe: Responses and options / Ben Nimmo, 23
The role of national strategic narrative in raising resilience to hostile foreign propaganda in European societies / Maris Cepuritis, 39
Increasing the resistance of democratic states to hostile foreign propaganda-what is the right recipe? / Elina Lange-Ionatamišvili, 52
The Audiovisual Media Services Directive and propaganda / Andris Mellakauls, 71
Key findings of the EED's Feasibility Study on independent Russian-language media initiatives in the Eastern Partnership and beyond / Jerzy Pomianowski, 89
PART II: THE VIEW FROM THE BALTIC STATES
Strengthening pluralistic media and information environment through journalism training, media literacy and knowledge-sharing across Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the EU Eastern Partnership and beyond: The Baltic Centre for Media Excellence / Signe van Zundert, 107
Communication at times of Hostile Propaganda: the Case of Estonia / Liis Lipre-Järma, 119
Trend Breaker: The impact of the launch of Russian-language television channel ETV+ on Estonian Public Broadcasting's viewing trends / Andres Joesaar, 126
Latvian media policy/politics responses to the foreign information threat / Roberts Putnis, 141
Anatomy of the use of humour in political propaganda campaigns / Solvita Denisa-Liepniece, Žaneta Ozolina, 153
PART III: THE VIEW FROM THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP COUNTRIES
Farther from Russky Mir, Closer to the West / Tamar Kintsurashvili, 173
Russian propaganda in Ukrainian information space: its diverse forms, channels and audiences. What can be done to counter or minimise it's impact? What best practices could the government structures adopt from the private sector? / Alina Frolova, 190
Russian propaganda in Moldovan information space: its diverse forms, channels, and audiences. What can be done to counter it or minimise its impact? / Nadine Gogu, 204
PART IV: THE CASE OF LATVIA, AN EU MEMBER STATE AT THE BORDER WITH RUSSIA / Solvita Denisa-Liepniece, 223
Countering propaganda in Europe: Responses and options / Ben Nimmo, 23
The role of national strategic narrative in raising resilience to hostile foreign propaganda in European societies / Maris Cepuritis, 39
Increasing the resistance of democratic states to hostile foreign propaganda-what is the right recipe? / Elina Lange-Ionatamišvili, 52
The Audiovisual Media Services Directive and propaganda / Andris Mellakauls, 71
Key findings of the EED's Feasibility Study on independent Russian-language media initiatives in the Eastern Partnership and beyond / Jerzy Pomianowski, 89
PART II: THE VIEW FROM THE BALTIC STATES
Strengthening pluralistic media and information environment through journalism training, media literacy and knowledge-sharing across Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the EU Eastern Partnership and beyond: The Baltic Centre for Media Excellence / Signe van Zundert, 107
Communication at times of Hostile Propaganda: the Case of Estonia / Liis Lipre-Järma, 119
Trend Breaker: The impact of the launch of Russian-language television channel ETV+ on Estonian Public Broadcasting's viewing trends / Andres Joesaar, 126
Latvian media policy/politics responses to the foreign information threat / Roberts Putnis, 141
Anatomy of the use of humour in political propaganda campaigns / Solvita Denisa-Liepniece, Žaneta Ozolina, 153
PART III: THE VIEW FROM THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP COUNTRIES
Farther from Russky Mir, Closer to the West / Tamar Kintsurashvili, 173
Russian propaganda in Ukrainian information space: its diverse forms, channels and audiences. What can be done to counter or minimise it's impact? What best practices could the government structures adopt from the private sector? / Alina Frolova, 190
Russian propaganda in Moldovan information space: its diverse forms, channels, and audiences. What can be done to counter it or minimise its impact? / Nadine Gogu, 204
PART IV: THE CASE OF LATVIA, AN EU MEMBER STATE AT THE BORDER WITH RUSSIA / Solvita Denisa-Liepniece, 223
