Information Disorder
No war was taking place, and it was thoroughly justified.
– Timothy Snyder, The Road to Unfreedom, chap. 5, regarding Russian propaganda in 2014.
👉 Julia Davis, “Russia to Ukraine: “You want a Ceasefire and I Want You Dead'” at CEPA, May 21, 2025.
The Kremlin’s propagandists are in a joyous mood as they anticipate US disengagement from the Ukraine conflict.
Davis’s insights come from her study and translation of prominent Russian-language talk shows.
As always, the most accurate assessment of the mood in the Kremlin came not from its robotic public statements, but from its highly-paid propagandists in the TV studios. Since they are regularly briefed by the Kremlin’s handlers on what they can and can’t say, their scripted narratives and carefully crafted discussions offer the best window into the regime’s views and aims.
This was also true after the May 19 telephone conversation between Putin and US President Donald J. Trump about a possible peace deal in Ukraine.…
Read the whole piece for her latest snapshot of where Kremlin minds are at.
Check out her YouTube channel, Russian Media Monitor, to experience clips of the scripted talk shows firsthand—with English subtitles.
Yesterday I received my first ever skeptical question about my wearing a mask in the grocery store. I doubt she was from around here because we are pretty much live-and-let-live in NH, which is not unlike DC in this respect. 😷
Institute for the Study of War: “US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff uncritically amplified a number of Russian demands, claims, and justifications regarding the war in Ukraine during an interview on March 21.…” www.understandingwar.org…
#RussiaIsATerroristState #Disinformation #СлаваУкраїні
Trump’s supporters, who felt increasingly anxious or displaced in the prevailing consensus reality, could see what was happening. But those of us who were relatively at ease—our field of vision was obstructed. So we scoffed and mocked as Trump put a half nelson choke hold on reality.
– Brooke Gladstone, The Trouble with Reality: A Rumination on Moral Panic in Our Time (Workman Publishing, 2017).
More animated satire by @Freeonis: “Oval Deception” (3 min.) at youtu.be…. Use the closed caption button (cc) for subtitles.🇺🇦
An explainer for journalists that the rest of us can benefit from: “Understanding Information Disorder” by Claire Wardle, September 22, 2020, First Draft, firstdraftnews.org….
At First Draft, we advocate using the terms that are most appropriate for the type of content — propaganda, lies, conspiracies, rumors, hoaxes, hyper-partisan content, falsehoods or manipulated media. We also prefer to use the terms disinformation, misinformation or malinformation. Collectively, we call it information disorder.
Eliot Higgins of Bellingcat offers valuable, but concerning insights into the current disordered information spaces we live in: conversation with Chris York, Kyiv Independent, youtu.be….
Sometimes you got to Ukrainesplain shit to people.
– Roy Wood Jr., “Have I Got News for You,” season 2, episode 3, youtu.be….