NGO survey reveals anti-US messages increased in Georgia in 2018

By Tea Mariamidze

Monday, July 15

Trend of portraying Russia as an alternative to the West and idealizing authoritarian governance has become more apparent in the past two years.

The study shows misinformation or manipulative content accounted for the highest share in fake news released in 2018.

Non-governmental organization Media Development Foundation (MDF) released the results of their survey last week, which reads that anti-US messages increased in 2018 compared to the previous years.

The survey, which studied the typology of anti-Western and US propaganda, fake news and their sources in the Georgian media, reads that regular spread of homogenous messages in the past few years (2015-2018) provides the ground to think that this process is centralized.

The NGO says that for misinformation to go viral, new online platforms are established in Georgia, which can be multiplied through social networks, adding this complicates regular monitoring and measurement of their influence.

The fifth annual study of MDF analyzed 18 media outlets, including TV, print, and online media. The survey revealed that in 2018, the total of 2,392 anti-Western comments was detected in 18 monitored media outlets, up by 21.6%as compared to a corresponding indicator of the previous year (1,967).

In addition to this, as in 2017, anti-Americanism remained a dominant topic with anti-US messages showing an increase in 2018 (26.4%).

“The second anti-Western message by the frequency of use concerned the threat of losing identity (21.1%), followed by comments against NATO (16.3%) and in general, the West (14.2%). Less frequent were comments on Russia as an alternative to the West and idealizing authoritarian governance (7.1%) as well as comments against the EU (6.4%),” the study revealed.

The NGO says in comparison with 2016-2017 data shows an increase in anti-US messages (2018 – 632; 2017 – 510; 2016 – 170), as well as in messages focusing on the threat of losing identity (2018 – 505; 2017 – 253; 2016 – 411).

An upward trend was also observed regarding NATO (2018 – 390; 2017 – 362; 2016 – 253), the West (2018 – 340; 2017 – 277; 2016 – 251) and Great Britain (2018 – 56; 2017 – 19).

The trend of portraying Russia as an alternative to the West and idealizing authoritarian governance has become more apparent in the past two years (2018 – 171; 2017 –142).

However, a notable decrease was observed in anti-EU messages (2018 – 152; 2017 – 264), which, according to the NGO, may be a result of the enforcement of the visa-free travel regime.

In addition to these findings, the study revealed that the Kremlin’s information influence activities to shape public opinion against the West employ both negative, i.e. destructive strategies and oblique-destructive strategies.

Much like in previous years, negative destructive strategy exploited four threats. These are threats of war, loss of territories, bio-subversion and assimilation, i.e. loss of identity.

“Positive, constructive strategy cultivated the myth of invincibility of Russia and focused on common religion and common memory (Soviet past),” the NGO said.

The study also shows that misinformation or manipulative content accounted for the highest share in fake news released in 2018, which was followed by conspiracy theories, fabrication of history, statistics, and interviews.