Julia Ioffe and Peter Hamby discuss the changed landscape of Russian disinformation from '16 to '24, focusing on Ukraine's role. They highlight evolving tactics like AI-generated deep fakes, the impact of manipulated audio, and the need for vigilance in countering misinformation.
Russian disinformation in 2024 aims to undermine Ukraine and spread negative narratives about US policies.
Efforts include creating fake news websites and using bot networks to amplify deceptive content.
Deep dives
Focus on Ukraine in 2024 Election
Russian disinformation efforts for the 2024 election are centered on influencing American support for Ukraine, diverting attention from traditional tactics against political candidates. The emphasis is on undermining Ukraine, featuring content that portrays Ukraine negatively and questions American policies regarding the country.
Evolution of Disinformation Strategies
Disinformation strategies have evolved to include imitation of established media outlets through clone websites, creating fake narratives about topics like Zelensky's corruption and Biden's senility related to Ukraine. Despite attempts to deceive, these efforts face exposure due to sloppy execution with geofencing errors and inappropriate content placements. Social media bot networks amplify these deceptive narratives.
Challenges of Disinformation and Influence Campaigns
The disinformation landscape in 2024 involves a competitive environment with increased vigilance from tech companies, think tanks, and media outlets. Despite ongoing disinformation efforts, the impact on changing voter opinions is questioned, given the prevalence of traditional paid media communication. The Russians' recent strategies focus on quantity rather than quality, facing scrutiny and rapid detection.
Podcast Sponsorships and Sign-off
The podcast episode features sponsorships and concludes with acknowledgments to the team behind the production of 'The Powers That Be.' Listeners are encouraged to share the episode and follow the official Puck News Twitter account. The episode wraps up with an overview of upcoming content offerings and a reminder to listen, rate, and review all episodes on the chosen platform.
Julia Ioffe joins Peter Hamby to reveal the diminished state of the Russian disinformation apparatus, and why the bot armies of ’24 don’t hold a candle to ’16. Then they home in on the disinformation efforts we need to worry about this election—and those we can simply laugh at.