May 11, 2023

Lithuanian media is under attack by Russian disinformation

topic:	Freedom of Expression
located:	Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine
editor:	Katarzyna Rybarczyk

Over the course of the war, Lithuania has consistently condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, in an attempt to change the opinion of the Lithuanian population, which widely supports Ukraine, the Kremlin has been spreading propaganda on Lithuanian media. 

CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance, reported that the Russian state “finances a huge network of pro-Kremlin activists spreading false or distorted information in neighbouring countries.” These individuals create thousands of fake social media accounts and publish made-up stories about the war in Ukraine. 

"Russian disinformation has gone to the level of nonsense: from combat casualties or birds shooting down planes to total absurdity," said Viktoras Daukšas, head of Debunk.org, an NGO that researches disinformation. He also added that the Kremlin spent $1.5 billion on propaganda last year, and three times more in the first quarter of 2023. "They are shooting in different directions, without trying to maintain any integrity," Daukšas observed. 

According to the Lithuanian military, the goal of Russia’s rhetoric is to “intimidate the society and deliberately undermine the image of the country.” Analysts add that the main narratives used by Moscow include the narrative that Lithuania is a dysfunctional country occupied by NATO and that its government is incompetent and fascist.

Misinformation has become so widespread that on 22 September 2022, the Lithuanian Seimas amended the legislation to impose a two-year ban that prevents Russian and Belarusian TV and radio broadcasters from operating in Lithuania. This covers entities established, directly or indirectly owned, controlled, and financed by either of the two states. The regulations will remain in place until 16 October, 2024. 

Unfortunately, fighting fake news on social media is more challenging. “In the case of Facebook, the situation has become critical, as the algorithms are being tricked into blocking the accounts of those who express their dissatisfaction with the war launched by Russia or call for support for Ukraine,” pointed out Daukšas.

Overflooding Lithuanian outlets with Russian propaganda violates people’s right to access accurate information and limits their freedom of expression. Luckily, the Lithuanian government acknowledges the urgent need to protect the country’s information space. To do that, it plans to “set up a new centre to track, expose, and coordinate international efforts against Kremlin propaganda,” reports Lithuanian Radio and Television, a prominent media group. 

It is unlikely that the Kremlin will abandon its efforts to expand its influence through Lithuanian media anytime soon. Therefore, people must be prepared to identify and withstand Russian propaganda and the Lithuanian government should be prepared to introduce training to explain to the public how to verify what they read online. 

Image by Charles Deluvio

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