Russian disinformation on the White Helmets: A discourse analysis
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2022-06-24
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en
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The military intervention of Russia in Syria and the disinformation accompanying this intervention have significantly influenced the Syrian war and population. This research assesses: ‘To what extend have the two narratives regarding the White Helmets changed between 2014 and 2021?’. The data in #WhiteHelmets on Twitter was analysed in three time periods. Additionally, the videos and articles that are linked in those tweets were analysed. Framing analysis was used to uncover the frames in the narratives. In the first and third time period the pro-White Helmets narrative was dominant, which included praising the White Helmets, calls to support the White Helmets and urging western governments to take action. In the second time period the anti-White Helmets narrative was dominant, which included marking media and western governments as propaganda, labelling the White Helmets as terrorists and labelling attacks as staged or false flags. Two shifts in the narrative were identified, which correspond to the shifts of Russian military involvement, implying a correlation between Russian involvement and the disinformation. This supports the notion that Russia launched the disinformation campaign to cover systematic bombings of civilians in Syria. Limitations of the research include a focus on English and Twitter, and limited time frames.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen