Not Only Stereotypes and Substitution of Concepts: What Tools Russian Propaganda Uses: An Expert Psychologist of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise Explains with Examples
Kyiv • UNN
Russian propaganda is being implemented to justify the conduct of hostilities, to recognize the war as legitimate and necessary for its own defense, and to cause internal destabilization of Ukrainian society
The Russian propaganda machine does not stop for a moment and invents new tools, meanings and values for its manipulations. And if Russian society absorbs propaganda, completely disabling critical thinking, Ukrainians have no choice but to defend themselves against these hostile messages. Eduard Lytvynenko, an expert psychologist at Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, told UNN what the main signs of propaganda messages are.
Russian propaganda is being implemented to justify the conduct of hostilities, recognize the war as legitimate and necessary for its own defense, and cause internal destabilization of Ukrainian society
According to the forensic expert of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, the increase in the volume of Russian propaganda was gradual, with a particularly noticeable surge in 2014.
The main forms and methods of psychological influence of Russian propaganda include:
- absolute fake news - "crucified boy", "Georgian snipers on the Maidan";
- anonymity (depersonalization) as a method of disclaiming responsibility - "the people of Crimea, the population of Crimea.... They have realized that... the Kyiv authorities, the Maidan authorities, they are leading Ukraine into the past";
. - whitewashing, justification of negative actions (discrediting facts) - "if Russia... defends its sovereignty, it must and will do so. If it does not do so, after turning Ukraine into an "anti-Russia," the next step will be aimed at violating the integrity of Russia itself."
- an outright lie - "Russia can send its troops to Ukraine only in one case - if NATO troops are sent to Ukraine before it and on the territory of Ukraine. In all other cases, it is unthinkable";
- a manipulative headline, an emotional message about a terrible fact, when there is no sensation in the text - "You will not believe it", with capital letters "SENSATION", "Read it all.", "Shocking truth";
- substitution of concepts and use of words with different interpretations - "I have decided to conduct a special military operation [instead of the concept of "war"]"
- creation of common symbols of self-identification and values of the target group, use of identification formulas - "...all peoples, Slavic peoples, sit on one thing - on Russia. On Russia."
- introduction into the public consciousness of stereotypes, clichés and labels that, from the point of view of most evaluative categories, have a negative perception - "imperialist", "nationalist", "fascist", "chauvinist", "Banderites are the end of the world", etc.
These things need to be understood and filtered in your information field. Media literacy is something that each of us should follow. At least the basic steps are to check the reliability of information sources and pay attention to the time of its relevance. If a news item, a certain thesis or opinion has been in the information space for a long time, it is likely that attention to it is maintained deliberately, artificially
The peculiarity of the examinations is that they are conducted jointly by linguists and psychologists. Linguistic experts study the actual linguistic constructions, while psychological research is aimed at the psychological aspects of perception and use of language, not only propaganda, but also various kinds of appeals.
Both terms (propaganda and appeal - ed.) are based on an attempt to influence people's minds, but an appeal is a direct fact of addressing a certain group of people with a leading idea, demand, task, slogan to take certain actions, to launch some activity, to behave in a certain way. In turn, propaganda can have a wider range of goals, including influencing opinion and behavior for various reasons, justifying one's own interests or exercising power control
In most cases, experts in the field of psychological and linguistic research analyze and study calls for violent change or overthrow of the constitutional order or seizure of state power, calls for changing the boundaries of the territory or state border of Ukraine, violation of the order established by the Constitution of Ukraine, as well as calls for non-recognition of the extension of state sovereignty of Ukraine to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
Another new phenomenon is glorification, which is the glorification of someone or something. The Criminal Code of Ukraine provides for liability for glorification of the Russian military, which carries out armed aggression against Ukraine, representatives of any Russian armed formations, armed gangs and mercenary groups, etc. This category also includes the glorification of representatives of the occupation administration of the Russian Federation responsible for the management of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as representatives of self-proclaimed bodies controlled by the Russian Federation that have usurped the exercise of power in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine
Experts conduct research within the framework of specific criminal proceedings, and the results of their examinations form the basis of charges and verdicts. That is why experts are not entitled to give more specific examples from their practice, indicating names and surnames. Nevertheless, they say which of the subjects of the study is most memorable.
Perhaps the case of the examination of the identity of a pseudo-Ukrainian journalist and blogger who was known not only in the information sphere, but also created his own party and popularized it in every possible way. Based on a psychological and linguistic examination, he was charged with treason. The information to which he had access was used for one specific purpose - to promote the ideas of the Russian Federation in every possible way. In his speeches, he used entire psychological and linguistic constructions, which, for example, said that people who participated in the Revolution of Dignity were criminals. This was not direct speech, but the context of the reports, speeches, and publications made it possible for the recipients to come to such conclusions. In addition, there were many messages that incited national hatred. He spoke very categorically, dismissively, impudently and negatively about the citizens of Ukraine living in the western territories of our country. These were direct thoughts without veiled meaning and many similar things
