Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR)

Tracking Russia's domestic war narratives and disinformation. Principle Investigator @jpaulgoode, based at @EURUSCarletonU. Funded by @SSHRC_CRSH.

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

This short article provides an overview of the approach & data used in the RuMOR, our findings over the last year, and a brief coda on the significance of the #Prigozhin affair. Many thanks to @RiddleRussia for hosting!

@EURUSCarletonU @FPACarleton @Carleton_U @SSHRC_CRSH

[Riddle Russia @RiddleRussia]

How Russian Television Normalizes the War
@jpaulgoode sifts through fresh Russian television data to see how the country’s state backed broadcasters are seeking to reshape wartime public perceptions
https://t.co/V0JD815dhQ

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

This was an interesting tidbit raised by our team: we started coding mentions of spetsoperatsiia at the start of the war but not SVO...well, because it wasn't really mentioned. Today, use of SVO is almost double that of "special military operation" and "spetsoperatsiia" combined.

[Paul Goode (@jpaulgoode.bsky.social) @jpaulgoode]

I think a lot about how Russia's war has been normalized in Russia. One way is simply by use of "SVO" in place of "special military operation," which makes it sound routine and avoids using the word "military." (think KFC but replace "fried chicken" with brutal invasion) 1/6

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

Things have been a little quiet around here, but that's about to change!

[Paul Goode (@jpaulgoode.bsky.social) @jpaulgoode]

I can finally announce that I was awarded an SSHRC Insight Grant for the project, "Russia’s Media at War: Domestic Content, International Transfer, and Perceived Credibility", together with Nino Abzianidze, @fa_burkhardt, @jageorge , and Andrey Semenov. https://t.co/5EvDfv18rY 1/

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

4/4 If you want to read more on Russia's use of nuclear threats in its propaganda, check out this excellent article by Polina Sinovets (@PSinovets) and D. Schultz on Russia's nuclear propaganda.

https://t.co/Q8HxKYhOb9

Here's the key takeaway:

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

The threat of using nuclear weapons remains one of the core means by which Russia attempts to enforce its "red lines" and keep the West cautious. 1/4

[max seddon @maxseddon]

Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia's armed forces to hold drills with non-strategic nuclear weapons "in response to provocative statements and threats by certain western officials," the defense ministry says.

https://t.co/nh1e8Iq62F

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

3/4 What accounts for this new, high profile threat, then? Consider the domestic timing: it comes sandwiched between Putin's inauguration and May 9th celebrations, when most Russians are checked out and heading to the dacha.

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

Not strictly part of RuMOR but relevant.

[Paul Goode (@jpaulgoode.bsky.social) @jpaulgoode]

Russian TV has been making a BIG DEAL of the “new regions” voting for Russia’s president FOR THE FIRST TIME. And the presentation tells us a lot of about this weekend’s reality show (don’t call it an election!). A short 🧵 1/8

[Paul Goode (@jpaulgoode.bsky.social) @jpaulgoode]

Honored to have the chance today to present 2 years' of data from @RuMOR_CarletonU on Russia's war narratives for the #FutuDem project of @Samforsk_Abo!

@EURUSCarletonU @FPACarleton @cu_polisci

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

Fascinating details in this document leak from Russia's Presidential Administration regarding its propaganda campaign for Putin's re-election, especially concerning Ukraine's occupied regions.

[VSquare @VSquare_Project]

🔎🇷🇺 NEW INVESTIGATION: Freshly leaked files from the Russian presidential administration reveal in detail how the Kremlin is working to ensure Putin's reelection, building a pan-Russian propaganda network and internet censorship machinery.

#KremlinLeaks
https://t.co/5wzRNTX8aD

[Hanna Liubakova @HannaLiubakova]

#Belarus Pro-Lukashenka propaganda was unleashed, mocking @navalny's death and spreading conspiracy theories alleging Western intelligence involvement. One alarming narrative advocated for banning lawyers from prisons, posing a significant danger to political prisoners.

[Paul Goode (@jpaulgoode.bsky.social) @jpaulgoode]

Russia’s state run TV wastes no time after reading statements from the Penitentiary Service and Investigative on #Navalny’s death, adding “as in Ukraine, the West’s influence continues to fray. Our cause is just. Victory will be ours.”

[Sarah Rainsford @sarahrainsford]

Putin just made it law that anyone contradicting the official line on Russia’s war on Ukraine (spreading ‘fake’ news) can not only go to jail (as many already have) but have their property confiscated

Tell the truth and lose your freedom

And your home….

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

How does Russian TV talk about "war" without talking about THE war?

We take a closer look at the ins and outs of war talk on Russian TV over the last couple of years in this new report:
https://t.co/T5OI9HoxvU

[PONARS Eurasia @ponarseurasia]

🚨 New PONARS Policy Memo: Filtering the News: Why Russians Prefer Propaganda and Shield Themselves from Independent Reporting

@AntonShirikov draws on recent survey results to interpret the public's response to Kremlin propaganda. Read below:
https://t.co/gHEFsBteP7

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

ICYMI - latest RuMOR updates

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

🚨November update! 🚨
The war continued to slide off Russian TV in Sep-Oct, interrupted only by the anniversary of Russia's annexations.

And as we'll see, the Israel-Hamas war has done Russia a lot of favors in domestic propaganda.

But first, the obligatory spaghetti chart!

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

PSA: X/Twitter glitched while posting this thread. Click on the last visible post (#6) to see the rest of the thread.

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

🚨November update! 🚨
The war continued to slide off Russian TV in Sep-Oct, interrupted only by the anniversary of Russia's annexations.

And as we'll see, the Israel-Hamas war has done Russia a lot of favors in domestic propaganda.

But first, the obligatory spaghetti chart!

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

Before Oct 7, Russian TV struggled to talk about war in Ukraine while keeping viewers disengaged. The Israel-Hamas war gives it a chance to talk about war and liberation and to give viewers a comforting moral vantage point...while Ukraine smoulders off camera.

More to come!
9/9

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

🚨November update! 🚨
The war continued to slide off Russian TV in Sep-Oct, interrupted only by the anniversary of Russia's annexations.

And as we'll see, the Israel-Hamas war has done Russia a lot of favors in domestic propaganda.

But first, the obligatory spaghetti chart!

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

Note the drop in mentions of nationalist enemies in the previous slide? Or the sudden rise in mentions of refugees and liberation since October, while mentions of the SMO and patriotism remain relatively unchanged?

Yeah, that's not about Ukraine.

It's about Israel-Hamas.
8/

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

War was mentioned on and off in 2022 until becoming a permanent fixture by mid-January.

Nationalists were mentioned throughout 2022-2023 until October.

If we zoom in on depictions of Russia's enemies, the shift is pretty stark: these days, it's all America, all of the time.
6/ https://t.co/Woi0IVjB3r

[Russian Media Observation and Research (RuMOR) @RuMOR_CarletonU]

So, what topics are consistently mentioned more often than the weather?

🔘Year 1: Nationalists, Putin, Security, Special Military Operation, Ukraine, USA

🔘Year 2: Putin, Security, Special Military Operation, Ukraine, USA, War

Did you spot the difference?
5/