Understanding the concept behind ‘fake news’ is crucial in establishing the difference between manipulative material and insightful and honest contributions to mass media. In relation to the Russia- Ukraine war, global access to social media has created a public arena with front row viewing as the conflict is unfolding. Russia’s attempt at the use of propaganda both in Russia and on a global scale could be deemed transparent in such a technologically advanced era of online social media use. However, their efforts to fool the Russian public using ‘fake news’ as war propaganda is apparent. During the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, social media users are working hard to deliver the truth to Russian citizens and others around the world. This surge in the spread of truthful and unedited information through social media has aided in discrediting Russia’s lies and deceit through Russian news corporations. According to Tandoc, Lim and Ling, “While it is currently used to describe false stories on social media, fake news has also been invoked to discredit some news organisations’ critical reporting, further muddying discourse around fake news” (2018). The birth of fake news took place around Trump’s presidential election in 2016, as he coined the term amidst claims stories about Trump had been falsified. Trump refused to face any negative press surrounding him or his campaign and even instigated the creation of fake news around his competition, Hillary Clinton. Since this era, fake news has taken on many different forms and was particularly accessible during the peak of COVID-19 media. In 2022, the term is no longer unheard of or hard to identify, but rather a relevant topic often discussed and debunked in current media.

However, as online users have become less gullible, news corporations and governments alike have advanced in their distribution of fake news, which can also be seen as an updated take on ‘news framing’. According to Koltsova, Lokot, Miltsov & Porshnev, “The concept of media framing is related to agenda setting and is generally defined as a particular way of interpreting a particular news agenda or topic or of presenting the news item in a specific light” (2021). In their research on the believability of fake news, they also discovered that, “perceptions of news issue frame believability can affect sharing intention, especially in politically polarized contexts where disinformation is known to proliferate” (2021). In relation to Russia’s distribution of information during the war on Ukraine, Putin and his government have garnered a reputation for pushing manipulative and biased propaganda in favour of Russia. As this research concluded, citizens both in Russia and globally are aware of the false agenda backed by Putin, and now find it easier to identify false and misleading information depending on its source. As a result of online conversations establishing the prevalence of ‘fake news’ within our media, users are now wary of where their information is sourced and will likely trust a first-hand experience over the fabricated work of news corporations backed by Vladmir Putin.

Author Olga Pasitselska poses the question, “striving to make sense of the news, but aware of disinformation, how do active audiences navigate their information environments?” (2022). The Russia- Ukraine conflict has been deemed an ‘information war on social media’, as social media users are fed news from the Russian Government that contradicts the authentic experiences of Ukrainian civilians fleeing to Poland or hiding underground in subway stations. Pasitselka also writes, “In Ukraine, the media serving oligarchic interests and disseminating propagandistic distortions amidst the national crisis have alienated the public and exacerbated distrust” (2022). The presence of social media has allowed for users across the world to freely digest unedited and heartbreaking footage/documentation of the conflict. The social media users distributing live updates and content are practicing a form of advocacy, as they aim to increase visibility of the war without the disruption of biased news production. According to Meikle Graham, “The media… might stereotype or demonize, and they offer new opportunities, not only for activist to draw new supporters, but also for their opponents and authorities to learn about a new movement and perhaps identify its leaders, its participants, or its weaknesses. Dealing with the news media means dealing with their preference for certain types of narrative and story structure… means dealing with their reliance on representing authority through official perspectives and interpretations.” (2018). The use of social media to speak out on important topics, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, has empowered the activists amongst us that want to be heard without the meddling of news corporations or members of government. This means that a constant flow of updates and important information is no longer anticipated from the ‘fourth estate’, but from social media users in Ukraine themselves.

According to research carried out by Emily Chen and Emilio Ferrara, many hashtags on Twitter have been used in support of Ukraine. These include #standwithukraine, #stopputin, #stoprussia, #ukraineunderattack and #nato. The authors were also able to track spikes in engagement with certain hashtags and identified a spike on the 4^{th of} March where #stopputin and #safeairliftukraine were used together. On this specific day, reports were made that, “despite discussions on temporary ceasefires the days before to establish humanitarian corridors to aid civilian evacuations, Russia was not complying with the agreements that were made” (2022). Social media users across the world were using these hashtags to attract Us President Joe Bidens attention, requesting that he help with the evacuation of Ukrainians. This research of Twitter usage during the Russia-Ukraine conflict supports the argument that social media is being used to broadcast the truth and raise awareness for Ukraine. Further research conducted at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology states, “online social networks (OSNs) have been a prominent source of data in studying prior large-scale information discourse during crises and social movements, particularly in terms of ‘information warfare’ where such platforms can become the source of propaganda and misinformation” (Haq, Tyson, Lee, Braud, & Hui. 2022). Social media can now be identified as a crucial element in helping aid Ukraine during this conflict. News corporations and their journalists are no longer considered the most reliable source of information, as the initial social ‘hierarchy’ giving power to the press and news media is no longer intact. The modern revelation that journalists are often stereotypical and manipulative in producing news content has made sure of this. Social media apps Tik Tok, Twitter and Instagram have given civilians a platform to inform others on the true events taking place, whilst sharing ways we can get involved and help.

An interesting aspect to the Russia- Ukraine conflict is not just the use of social media, but rather the reliance on it to communicate and document the situation. Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, came to Ukraine’s aid in the form of ‘Starlink’, a satellite internet constellation meant for providing global internet access (Duan and Dinavahi, 2021). According to an article by Richard Humphreys,

 “Such a technique has been adopted by Ukraine itself as well as multiple actors sympathetic to its cause, both across the cyber domain and through traditional media instruments. Aims range from disrupting the adversary’s information space and weakening its morale to strengthening the morale of the defending state and its supporters as well as educating third parties” (2022).

Elon Musk providing Ukraine with Starlink has enabled them to remain connected to the rest of the world, undermining Putin and his government through the dissemination of information regarding their reality. Some of the positive effects Ukraine and President Zelenskyy’s presence on social media have had include massive public protests around the world, the offer by Ukraine of a financial reward and amnesty for surrendering Russian combatants, a strong message of optimism and defiance on social and mainstream media from Ukraine’s leadership, the removal of Russian propaganda and the hacking of Russian media to display anti-war messages (Richard Humphreys, 2022). Not only is social media a powerful tool in this information war, but social media companies now have the potential to extend measures restricting the spread of information from Russia. Companies all over the world have ceased/restricted production with Russia, taking to social media to stand in solidarity with Ukraine. The use of social media has provided Ukraine with a united front of international supporters, that has even resulted in foreign volunteers coming forward to help on the frontlines. Richard Humphreys also stated, “the voice of the Ukraine’s elected leaders flighting for their state’s existence- and indeed their own lives- will presumably carry immense weight. This is unquestionably a crucial moment- as put by one US commentator, “the history channel is broadcasting live” (2022). Starlink has provided Ukraine with a new system of defence; a barrier of online international relations striking Russia with sanctions, economy failure and condemnation. Although NATO countries are hesitant to send troops in fear of a world war, public appeals and messages of hope have contributed to the failure of the Russian attack. Although still ongoing, it has become clear that Putin and his Government were not expecting retaliation on such a global scale, which is in part due to social media. According to Richard Humphreys, “…Russia’s war of aggression has been a long time in the making, with a military build-up being assembled for over a year… By contrast, the global responses have been put together on the fly in a matter of days, many stimulated by shock at the threat to global security, and widespread admiration for the leadership of President Zelenskyy and for the defiant posture of Ukraine as a nation” (2022). Russia and Ukraine have approached this conflict from completely different angles, with Putin relying on the traditional method of military weapons and deployment of soldiers for combat. Ukraine has garnered the support of a global coalition of social media users, as well as utilising the online social space for the dissemination of true and helpful information.

President Zelenskyy has proved himself as a strong and dedicated President, through his strong presence on social media and determination to stay and defend his country. Zelenskyy was formally an actor and comedian, and therefore had already acquired the skills necessary to benefit in the take down of Russia through the ‘information war’. Zelenskyy has been posting regularly throughout the conflict, further proving how first-hand social media posts have benefited the situation. On March 3^rd, Zelenskyy posted on his Facebook page, “They wanted to destroy us so many times. They failed. We’ve been through so much! And if someone thinks that, having overcome all this, Ukrainians will be frightened, broken or surrender, he knows nothing about Ukraine. And he has nothing to do in Ukraine” (Smith & Glew, 2022). Zelenskyy’s messages of reassurance have kept the global audience informed whilst also promoting a sense of hope. According to Miekle Graham, “These insecure publics consist of people who feel they have lost agency over what happens in their lives… they are possibly people who look for a political messiah to come and instantly fix long standing problems… Media portrayals of political issues are disconnected from each other, with simple policy solutions exacerbate the tendency of insecure publics to latch on to easy fixes” (2018). Zelenskyys role on social media has offered an honest and reliable politicians view on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This is ground-breaking since majority of politicians tend to operate online/in the media through their government or official news corporations. Zelenksyy’s online platform has succeeded in capturing the attention of the world and delivering them useful information whilst going over the heads of Putin and his corrupt Government.

In conclusion, the Russia- Ukraine war has so far highlighted the incredible capabilities of social media, and how its users can benefit through communication and sharing of honest information. On a national and global scale, social media has aided Ukraine in gaining support and recognition whilst also disseminating important information from citizens enduring the war themselves. The social awareness of ‘fake news’ and ‘propaganda’ continuing to be distributed by Putin and the Russian Government has resulted in a more cautious approach to sourcing information online. Content created by social media users could now be considered more trustworthy than journalists and news corporations, as the hierarchy naming them the ‘fourth estate’ is no longer as solid. Social media has proven to be a crucial element in the defence taken against the inhumane actions instigated by Putin, whilst also acting as the primary source for untouched information.

References

Anonymous. (2019, Mar 16). The art of info-war. The Economist, 430 (9134) Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/magazines/art-info-war/docview/2191808003/se-2?accountid=10382

Chen, E., & Ferrara, E. (2022). Tweets in Time of Conflict: A Public Dataset Tracking the Twitter Discourse on the War Between Ukraine and Russia. arXiv preprint arXiv:2203.07488.

Graham, M. (2018). The Routledge Companion To Media And Activism (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315475059

Haq, E. U., Tyson, G., Lee, L. H., Braud, T., & Hui, P. (2022). Twitter dataset for 2022 Russo-Ukrainian crisis. arXiv preprint arXiv:2203.02955.

Pasitselska, Olga. (2022). Better Ask Your Neighbor: Renegotiating Media Trust During the Russian–Ukrainian Conflict, Human Communication Research, 48, (2), 179–202, https://doi.org/10.1093/hcr/hqac003

Smith, C., & Glew, A. (2022). How Ukraine’s personal, grassroots memorials honour individual citizens who fought for their nation.

T. Duan and V. Dinavahi, (2021). Starlink Space Network-Enhanced Cyber–Physical Power System, in IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, 12(4), pp. 3673-3675, doi: 10.1109/TSG.2021.3068046.

Winston, B., & Winston, M. (2020). The Roots of Fake News: Objecting to Objective Journalism (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429032264