"House of Fakes: Lies on Schedule (Chronology of Russian Information Throwdowns)" is a two-day online training by the Academy of Ukrainian Press to increase the information resilience of Ukrainian society. The event was held on 26-27 April with the support of the USAID Media Program in Ukraine. Twenty-two people took part.
The trainers built a consistent model of Russian propaganda in the media for the participants, tested the capabilities of artificial intelligence, and explained the structure of narratives and IPSO. Experts believe that one of the most effective techniques is the technique of repetition.
"Repetition is like a spiral: a constant return to the most 'important' elements. The main idea is always repeated, and the same message comes from different experts - from so-called different sources," said Serhiy Shturhetsky, head of the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine.
One participant noted that such training is a small brick in the construction of a strong wall against disinformation. And that it is worth thinking about the wall itself, i.e., an even stronger strategy for spreading media literacy. His opinion was supported by all those present, who noted that the skill of defending oneself against disinformation is extremely important.
Today, it is essential to keep abreast of propaganda influences in order to prevent the spread of hostile fakes in time; to act proactively, analyzing the mechanisms and algorithms of propaganda and thus anticipating who and what may become the target of the next Russian information attack.
"For more than a year of war, Ukrainian society has managed to develop a more or less effective "immunity" against Russian propaganda. The Kremlin's fake news makers are less and less successful in destabilising society through information attacks, and ordinary citizens are reacting less and less to panic throwdowns and intimidation. At the same time, propagandists are constantly looking for new opportunities to influence, monitor public sentiment and reactions to certain events," said Oleksandr Horokhovsky, head of the BezBrekhni fact-checking project.
The online training was held as part of our joint project between AUP and Internews, an international organization that implements the Media Program in Ukraine with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This program strengthens Ukrainian media and increases access to quality information.
