Generally accepted definitions of propaganda feature a prominent role that emotional appeal plays in making communication propagandistic. This paper is an attempt to explain how Russian propaganda... Show moreGenerally accepted definitions of propaganda feature a prominent role that emotional appeal plays in making communication propagandistic. This paper is an attempt to explain how Russian propaganda works, and why it is so effective, by looking at media content through the prism of interaction between emotion and reason in Russian media discourse. A logico-pragma-stylistic analysis is applied to the coverage of the Ukraine war by the influential Russian daily Izvestiia. Show less
This paper focuses on the discourse of propaganda through a comparative study of two propaganda sheets from the Irish Civil War (1922-1923). Data from the ICW_Corpus unveil the main discourse... Show moreThis paper focuses on the discourse of propaganda through a comparative study of two propaganda sheets from the Irish Civil War (1922-1923). Data from the ICW_Corpus unveil the main discourse strategies through which the (respective) enemy was represented and their moral credibility was questioned. Findings show how propagandists implemented recontextualisation and dissociation in relation to the legacy of landmark events in Irish history or the contentious issue of what a republic was supposed to be. Show less
Social media offer unprecedented opportunities to terrorist groups to spread their message and target specific audiences for indoctrination and recruitment. In 2013 and 2014, social media, in... Show moreSocial media offer unprecedented opportunities to terrorist groups to spread their message and target specific audiences for indoctrination and recruitment. In 2013 and 2014, social media, in particular Twitter, overtook Internet forums as preferred space for jihadist propaganda. This article looks into Arabic statements by Jabhat al-Nusra, Islamic State and jihadist forum administrators and online activists to argue that, beside the easier use of social media and disruption and infiltration of the forums, the conflict between the jihadist groups accelerated the migration to social media and the building of a presence on Twitter that provided relative resilience to suspensions. Show less
On 6 March 2018, the Dutch Parliament adopted a resolution asking for the abolishment of the EU-project ‘EU vs Disinfo’, whose aim is to counter disinformation from Russia. On the website of this... Show moreOn 6 March 2018, the Dutch Parliament adopted a resolution asking for the abolishment of the EU-project ‘EU vs Disinfo’, whose aim is to counter disinformation from Russia. On the website of this project three Dutch media had been accused of spreading Russian propaganda. The author argues that this accusation was a mistake, but that it would be wrong to abolish the whole project for that reason. Show less
