Tracking Russian disinformation and propaganda sites

Tracking Russian disinformation and propaganda sites

Author: BBC World Service March 9, 2022 Duration: 38:55

NewsGuard – tracking Russian disinformation and propaganda sites False claims and misinformation about Ukraine and its allies have been rife online for months. Now a new tracking centre, which monitors Russian-Ukraine disinformation, has been set up and has published its first report. 120 websites are currently being monitored, recorded and the misinformation debunked by NewsGuard. Steven Brill, Co-CEO of NewsGuard is live on the show to give us the latest.

Archiving the information war in Ukraine For many years Russian misinformation online has simply been removed, but now that Russia has invaded Ukraine, should this be archived and secured as it is evidence of the information war? Protocol’s chief correspondent Issie Lapowsky is on the show to explain why keeping a record of this is so important.

Wikipedia’s Ukraine pages The Wikimedia Foundation has received a Russian government demand to remove content from its Russian site. They have said they have never backed down in the face of government threats to deny people their fundamental human right to access free, open, and verifiable information. We hear from Dr Jess Wade, a Wikipedia Editor known for thousands of entries about women, how the collaboratively authored online encyclopaedia is ensuring their content is accurate.

The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Bill Thompson.

Studio Manager: Donald MacDonald Producer: Ania Lichtarowicz

(Image: Russian fake news button, key on keyboard. 3D rendering. Getty Images)


Every week, the team at Digital Planet from the BBC World Service takes you beyond the headlines to explore how technology is reshaping lives, cultures, and economies across the globe. This isn't just a rundown of gadget releases or corporate earnings; it's a grounded conversation about the real-world impact of our digital choices. You'll hear from engineers in Nairobi, policymakers in Brussels, and coders in São Paulo, offering a genuinely international perspective that challenges the usual Silicon Valley narrative. Each episode digs into the human stories behind the innovations, examining both the promise and the peril of our connected age. We tackle questions about ethics, accessibility, and the unintended consequences of progress, making sense of complex issues with clear, thoughtful reporting. Tune in for a nuanced and curious exploration of our technological moment, where the focus is always on the people designing, using, and living with these tools every day. This podcast provides the context you need to understand not just what's new, but what it actually means.
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