Everyday Disinformation

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter is a summary of the study of Russian disinformation about Sweden. By analysing news narratives of the Russian state-affiliated media RT and Sputnik from July 2019 to January 2021, it is shown how international news media is used for disinformation. The study builds on previous work by Wagnsson and Barzanje (A framework for analysing antagonistic narrative strategies: A Russian tale of Swedish decline. Media War and Conflict, 14(2), 239–257. https://doi.org/10-1177/17506352119884343, 2021), which identified denigrating narrative strategies in Sputnik coverage of Sweden. This study covers a later time period and centers on the story telling techniques of the news coverage in order to make manifest how disinformation differs from journalism. It is argued that this type of disinformation is an everyday security practice and not limited to specific events such as for example elections campaigns. This was confirmed by the analysis which identified a relatively fixed set of narratives that included a variety of news topics and which were similar to what was found by Wagnsson and Barzanje in an earlier time period. The analysis resulted in the identification of a master narrative that was named a failing state victim to liberal ideas, and was composed of four narratives that explained how: (a) the liberal left elite was a threat to traditional Sweden; (b) the obsession with gender led Sweden astray giving rise both to health issues among the population and to social and political problems; (c) Sweden experienced an Islamic takeover; and (d) how Sweden defied limitations to its liberal policies during the pandemic.