Baltic disinformation architecture - a case study in the EUvsDISINFO database

Abstract

Thesis/purpose of the article: Disinformation constitutes one of the most significant challenges for contemporary information societies. This article presents the contexts in which the term “disinformation” is searched by Polish Internet users and discusses the EUvsDISINFO project – a European initiative that analyzes and documents instances of disinformation in the media. However, the primary aim of the study is to analyze the content and sources of disinformation related to the Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia) based on data contained in the EUvsDISINFO database. The study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods, including content analysis and metadata analysis. The “Baltic States” search filter within the database was also used, allowing the identification of 363 disinformation cases for further analysis. The collected material was examined in terms of dominant themes, sources of content dissemination, and the countries featured in the narratives. The findings indicate six main thematic areas of disinformation: geopolitics and military threats, narratives targeting Russian-speaking minorities, historical revisionism (especially related to World War II), undermining the sovereignty of the Baltic States, Russian military aggression against Ukraine, and conspiracy theories. The analysis of sources revealed the dominant role of social media, Russian news websites, blogs, and so-called media impersonating local communities. In the disinformation narratives, the most frequently mentioned countries were Russia, Poland, Ukraine, and the United States, confirming the importance of further research on disinformation from the perspective of Poland and the Central and Eastern European region.