As Czech elections approach, disinformation has reached historic highs in the country, according to a study.

Prague

A recent report highlights that Russian propaganda is surpassing legitimate news in the Czech Republic, with disinformation websites producing around 120 articles daily—more than the country's main news outlets. The study, conducted by Czech media company Voxpot and IT association Druid, analyzed 360,000 publications over 25 years and found that many of these sites operate covertly with Russian funding or support from entities close to Russia.

The investigation also revealed that about 10% of the content on these sites consists of direct translations from Russian state-controlled media such as Sputnik and RT, which have been banned in the EU since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. As the Czech Republic approaches its parliamentary elections, the volume of misleading articles has reached record levels, with headlines aiming to undermine trust in Western democracy and promote a positive image of Russia.

Russian propaganda 'overtaking' legitimate news in the Czech Republic

Russian propaganda is overtaking legitimate news in the Czech Republic. A new report claims that disinformation websites in the Czech Republic publish around 120 articles a day, outpacing its main reliable news outlets. Czech media company Voxpot teams up with an IT association called Druid to analyse 360,000 publications across 16 platforms over the past 25 years. The investigation revealed that disinformation servers in the country churn out more articles every day than the largest Czech media houses, often doing so covertly with Russian money or funding from entities close to Russia. Voxpot said that roughly 10% of the articles were direct translations of pieces from state-owned and state-controlled Russian outlets such as Sputnik and RT, or other websites linked to the Russian propaganda machine. The EU has banned these media platforms since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The report notes a common tactic that Russian propaganda campaigns often employ in Europe. As election time approaches, the amount of disinformation ramps up. The Czech Republic is due to hold its parliamentary elections in early October, and Voxpot says that around 4,000 misleading articles are published per month, the highest rate in history. Some of the misleading headlines include the supposed bankruptcy of Ukraine, allegations that Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Maloney was spotted taking cocaine, and accusations that Brussels will interfere in the Czech elections. Ultimately, the goal of such headlines is to try and muster distrust in Western democracy and political leaders, and to try and generate a more positive public opinion towards Russia.

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