Ms24.07

Propaganda Messages in Social Media in Latvia’s Information Space: Analysis of the Russia-Ukraine War

https://doi.org/10.22364/ms24.07 | pp. 70-80 | PDF

Laura Maļukova
University of Latvia 
orcid.org/0009-0008-6809-2104

Abstract. The goal of the thesis is to explore propaganda messages in the Latvia’s information space in the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, focusing on how the “we”–“you” discourse has evolved over time. The theoretical foundation of the thesis consists of theoretical approaches to propaganda, information warfare, and the impact of social media on warfare. For the empirical part of the master’s thesis, 270 social media post from January, February, and March of 2022, 2023, and 2024 were analysed using quantitative content analysis. The research results indicate a pronounced “we”–“you” distinction in propaganda messages, which has evolved over time from a negative to a construction of a positive self-portrayal. However, the tendency to separate and polarize two societal groups remains unchanged. The main propaganda messages include attempts to reduce support for Ukraine, undermine trust in the government and international organizations, and aggressive action rationalization.

Keywords: Russia-Ukraine war, propaganda, discourse analysis, information warfare, social media

In: Media and Society, 2024. Proceedings of Scientific Papers = Mediji un sabiedrība, 2024. Rakstu krājums. Riga, University of Latvia, 2025. 137 p.