Manipulating Reality: Russian Media Tactics Echo Orwell’s 1984

1. George Orwell’s 1984 as the Blueprint for Justifying Russian Foreign Policy: How Russian Mass Media Create and Alternative Reality in the Minds of the Russian People Andrey Reznikov, Spearfish, USA Black Hills State University All the most important decisions in the Russian foreign policy during the last several years are an exact copy of Oceania’s actions, while the Russian mass media justify this policy by creating an alternative reality in the minds of Russian people, a reality that has nothing to do with the real world outside Russia/Oceania. This is achieved by a very clever use of a whole range of propaganda techniques.

2. Language Games • Name Calling: • Ukrainian government is a fascist junta; • genocide of the Russian people • Glittering Generalities: • people’s militias (opolchentsy) are defending freedom and human rights of the ethnic Russians in the Ukraine Here is an example of propaganda on the eve of the so-called referendum in Crimea. The caption says: “On March 16 we choose” (the word in the middle is “or”)

3. Disinformation – spreading distorted or fabricated information • Fake news reports: a “crucified boy” in Ukraine; a “raped Russian girl” in Germany • Using video and photo from other conflicts and countries (e.g. the caption says: “8 thousand refugees entered Russia from Ukraine during one day.” In fact, these are refugees from Kosovo)

4. Outright Lies “There are no Russian troops in Ukraine” (while leaders of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic boast there are several thousands of Russian troops there, including “minister of defense” Girkin/Strelkov. When it became impossible to hide numerous facts of Russian troops killed or captured, Russian TV created another lie: they were on their leave and volunteered to go to Ukraine to fight (with their weapons, including tanks, armored personnel carriers, anti-aircraft missiles, etc.)

5. 94% Russian citizens get their news from state TV controlled by the government Since they are being brainwashed 24/7, they have no problems in changing their opinions when they are told to. Thus, on September 30, 2015 the war with Eastasia (Ukraine) was overnight substituted in that alternative TV reality by the war with Eurasia (ISIS). Similarly, when Turkey shot down a Russian war plane (November 24, 2015), this country overnight became enemy number one of Russia (“stab in the back delivered by the accomplices of terrorists” – Vladimir Putin) . However, when president Erdogan apologized (June 2016), he at once became a “good guy” again.

6. For those Russians who try to use Internet to get real information Russian government has its own Ministry (in fact, several Ministries) of Truth; for example, the so-called “Internet Research” company (aka Factory of Trolling) in Saint-Petersburg employs dozens of people who work round the clock in 12-hour shifts; each of them has to post 135 fake comments on popular social media sites, praising Russian government policy and condemning the actions of the West. At the same time, all opposition websites, publishing true information, are not accessible in Russia anymore. “The word ‘truth’ itself… becomes something to be laid down by authority” (Friedrich Hayek)