RESISTING FOREIGN STATE PROPAGANDA IN THE NEW INFORMATION ENVIRONMENT: THE CASE OF THE EU, RUSSIA, AND THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP COUNTRIES ISBN 978-9934-8536-9-2 UDK 32.019.5 Re708 This publication is a part of the project “Resisting state propaganda in the new information environment: The case of EU member states and EU Eastern Partnership states vis-à-vis the Russian Federation publication/re- search” organised by the Foundation for European Pro- gressive Studies (FEPS) with the support of Brīvības un Solidaritātes Fonds (BSF). RESISTING FOREIGN STATE PROPAGANDA IN THE NEW INFORMATION ENVIRONMENT: THE CASE OF THE EU, RUSSIA, AND THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP COUNTRIES Table of contents Foreword Dr. Ernst Stetter 11 Foreword Ervins Labanovskis 17 PART I: INCREASING RESISTANCE TO PROPAGANDA WITHIN THE EU Countering propaganda in Europe: Responses and options Ben Nimmo 23 The role of national strategic narrative in raising resilience to hostile foreign propaganda in European societies Māris Cepurītis 39 Increasing the resistance of democratic states to hostile foreign propaganda— what is the right recipe? Elīna Lange-Ionatamišvili 52 The Audiovisual Media Services Directive and propaganda Andris Mellakauls 71 7 Key findings of the EED’s Feasibility PART III: THE VIEW FROM Study on independent Russian- THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP COUNTRIES language media initiatives in the Eastern Partnership and beyond Farther from Russky Mir, Jerzy Pomianowski 89 Closer to the West Tamar Kintsurashvili 173 PART II: THE VIEW FROM THE BALTIC STATES Russian propaganda in Ukrainian Strengthening pluralistic media and information space: its diverse forms, information environment through channels and audiences. What can journalism training, media literacy be done to counter or minimise and knowledge-sharing across Estonia, it’s impact? What best practices Latvia, Lithuania, the EU Eastern could the government structures Partnership and beyond: adopt from the private sector? The Baltic Centre for Media Excellence Alina Frolova 190 Signe van Zundert 107 Russian propaganda in Moldovan Communication at times of information space: its diverse forms, Hostile Propaganda: the Case of Estonia channels, and audiences. What can Liis Lipre-Järma 119 be done to counter it or minimise its impact? Trend Breaker: The impact of the Nadine Gogu 204 launch of Russian-language television channel ETV+ on Estonian Public Broadcasting’s viewing trends PART IV: THE CASE OF LATVIA, AN EU Andres Jõesaar 126 MEMBER STATE AT THE BORDER WITH RUSSIA Latvian media policy/politics responses Dr. Solvita Denisa-Liepniece 223 to the foreign information threat Roberts Putnis 141 Anatomy of the use of humour in political propaganda campaigns Dr. Solvita Denisa-Liepniece Prof. Žaneta Ozoliņa 153 8 9 FOREWORD Dr. Ernst Stetter, Secretary General, Foundation for European Progressive Studies The specifics and tactics of propaganda have always been the subject of intense examination among experts and policymakers alike, both as theoretical concept and actionable practice. Much like a fight on a battlefield, the battle for hearts and minds has also been tremendous- ly important and consequential on numerous occasions. A country’s stature in the world, the outcome of a war, a government’s longevity, and an action’s legitimacy have often been good examples of when politics are de- pendent on the effective or ineffective employment of biased communication strategies and tactics. Given the powerful impact propaganda has in bending subjectivity, enhancing inaccuracy, and distorting reality 11 has given rise to a toolkit for countering adversarial mis- does so by primarily looking at how the European Union information campaigns of equal importance. In today’s (EU) and some of its member states have acted to resist fiercely contested information environment, whereby foreign propaganda efforts, and in so doing, tried to pro- rapid technological advancements and an exponential tect their democratic ethos and values. multiplication of news sources have rendered old mes- To inform this discussion with additional specificity, a sage manipulation techniques almost obsolete, the rules number of information initiatives undertaken by the Rus- for how to use propaganda and how to protect ourselves sian Federation towards the Baltic EU member states and from it have evolved considerably. some of the Eastern Neighbourhood states are used as Indeed, in an era where having a smartphone can ren- an illustrative example. Indeed, within the newly emer- der anyone a media aggregator and a media broadcaster, gent information environment of the past decade, and in it follows that the proliferation of methods and platforms parallel to a series of critical negative trends in Russian through which misinformation campaigns can affect a domestic politics, Russia has increasingly engaged in the country’s public sphere have upgraded hostile propagan- systematic use of a wide range of non-military tools so da to a technique that has much greater potential to do as to influence both the perception and the behaviour of damage. Using this new information machinery and the the inhabitants of many countries. This new, resource-in- sprawling misinformation networks it inhabits, hostile tensive mode of disinformation, information manipula- propaganda can now more easily succeed in blocking, fil- tion, and media propaganda strategies have been most tering, altering, or misrepresenting information. What’s acutely exhibited during the 2014-15 conflict in Ukraine, more, because it is far less reliant on indoctrinating peo- but, as shown at various points in this publication, con- ple, this new genre of propaganda can be much more cerns a much wider number of countries as well. efficient in blurring the boundaries between fact and fic- Modern Russian information operations draw on tac- tion, and preventing people from understanding what is tics and strategies employed during the past decades, actually happening. but make full use of the aforementioned and available In those cases where information warfare is conduct- new toolkit—Radio, TV, newspapers, print, and digital ed between democratic states and illiberal democratic commentary, as well as the internet as a whole, have all states, or states with authoritarian tendencies, the neg- been used to influence the public sphere of neighbour- ative repercussions of propaganda are not constrained ing countries. This has been a high-stakes operation, to promoting or demoting certain views, perceptions, or with a long-term strategic rationale behind it, aimed at agendas. They also extend to subverting the value sys- justifying Russian interests and strengthening pro-Mos- tem—freedom of expression, media freedom, respect cow sentiments in the region. for pluralism, and political accountability—that forms an By reviewing policy responses against these and sim- integral part of democracies and democratic institutions. ilar propaganda efforts, both at EU level and within var- Through a collection of important articles, this book ious national contexts, this book provides an in-depth unfolds an interesting analysis of these rapidly emerging overview of the challenges and opportunities that ex- themes in the problematique of modern propaganda. It ist in defending core democratic values from hostile 12 13 propagand­­a campaigns in our digital age. It also touches situatio­­n, this book can aid our shared understanding of upon the methodology and the impact that these cam- the intensity and extensity of the problem at hand, and paigns have had, not only on promoting or demoting of the need for robust progressive responses. certain information, but also on reinforcing certain mes- sages and imagery, and ultimately on undermining the democratic foundations andmodus operandi of each the countries under examination. Yet, the ensuing analysis throughout the chapters of this book is not intended merely to assess policy respons- es vis-à-vis the situation on the ground. It is also crucially interested in discussing and proposing policy recommen- dations as to how the EU as a whole, and individual state in particular, can increase their efficacy in countering external attempts to influence their media space and undermine their democratic customs and processes. These recommendations concern the need for patient, tolerant, forward-leaning policy answers, as for example the highly significant and meticulous study on improving media literacy in Latvia reveals. The continuing tensions between Russia and the EU illustrate this need even further, but the polemic situation on the ground shows the necessity for continued critical engagement and dia- logue with the Russian Federation equally powerfully, so as to ensure that we can make the most of our mutual interests without compromising the European standards and values that underwrite the Union and its relations with the world. As a closing note, it is worth underlining that the book in your hands constitutes the end result of long and copi- ous research on the subjects under examination. It also stands as a testament to the meaningful relationship between the Foundation for European Progressive Stud- ies and the Freedom and Solidarity Foundation, without which this book would not have been possible. Espe- cially at this time, when the EU finds itself in a complex 14 FOREWORD Ervins Labanovskis Director, Freedom and Solidarity Foundation Democracies are facing one of the biggest challenges to their security and fundamental values since the Sec- ond World War. Although