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Research project

Tailored Disinformation –NordStream2 and Russian disinformation narratives in English, German and Polish

How are disinformation narratives constructed when intended to different audiences?

Through a comparative content analysis, the project investigates variance in disinformation narratives’ portrayal of specific actors. Identifying and comparing themes of depictions and interpretations of events and actors (i.e. narratives) is vulnerable to subjective bias. 

To focus the analysis, the project selects the case of Russia’s NordStream2 project and how this event, the EU, NATO, the German and Polish government are depicted in English, German and Polish language outlets. The event consists of Polish attempts to halt the constructions of new Russian gas pipes due to fears of national security and struggling with Germanys support of the project on economic grounds. This polarizing event gives Russian an incentive to and an opportunity of pitting Western partners against each other using disinformation-tailoring. The cross-language comparison allows for identifying disinformation-tailoring to global English, more pro-Russian German and more anti-Russian Polish speaking audiences. 

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