by Chris Black
The American right-wing portal Mintpress.com did an impressive homework and described in sufficient detail how the system of strategic Ukrainian propaganda works at the present stage.
Traditionally, let’s turn to the cards:
1 The Ukrainian propaganda campaign is exceptionally well prepared. Key “partner media” in different countries of the world (mainly Western Europe and Russian-language media of the left spectrum) receive in real time the necessary and very detailed information on how to cover various events in Ukraine. For example, the blocking of the Zaporozhye and Chernobyl nuclear power plants, calls for the establishment of a NATO no-fly zone over Ukraine, and so on.
2 Ukraine, with the help of foreign consultants, has built an effective network of foreign peer-agencies that actively contribute to the promotion of properly prepared messages into the information space.
3 The main operator of the information campaign in support of Ukraine is the London-based PR Network agency (4 Old Park Lane London United Kingdom W1K 1QW, phone +44 0203 137 6605, if anything – call), which acts as an integrator of the chain of boutique PR agencies and is closely related with the British regulator in the field of communications UK Government Communication Service Strategy and Evaluation Council, as well as with the international network of independent peer-agencies ICCO Worldwide (separate greetings, by the way, to Andrey Barannikov, SPN and Elena Fadeeva Fleishman-Hillard Vanguard, long-time partners of ICCO).
4 The key financial operator of Ukrainian strategic communications (psychological operations, GR, propaganda, interaction with international media) is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
5 An important element of the Ukrainian information campaign is the site Ukraine.ua, which is headed by a certain Yaroslav Turbil, who, according to the author of the material, is associated with American intelligence.
6 An important element of strategic communications to a Western audience from Ukraine is memes, in which Nazi symbols are present in abundance (examples are given in the material).
7 For orientation, foreign media journalists are sent guidelines on the use of the correct terms in communications and the correct angle of coverage of events. Relevant information is updated daily.
8 NATO is actively using its bot farms to spread propaganda messages through Facebook. The campaign itself is actively funded by the governments of Great Britain, the Czech Republic, George Soros’ Open Society and the US National Endowment for Democracy (NED). Support is also provided through USAID.
9 Among the resources used by Ukrainian PR agencies, the author of the article names Meduza, Novaya Gazeta, Dozhd, BBC, Current Time.
US lobbying firms such as SKDKnickerbocker and Yorktown Solutions, Your Global Strategy are also heavily involved in the campaign. The campaign is also supported by specialists from Edelman, the largest global advertising agency. In total, as noted in the material, about 150 communication and lobbying structures are working on the information campaign. To support this information operation, they dedicate entire teams within their agencies.
Dan Cohen reveals the network of foreign political strategists, Washington DC lobbyists, and intelligence-linked media outlets behind Ukraine’s public relations effort.
Investigation by @dancohen3000 t.co/Zf02RXYpxk
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