Lately, the word “fake” has been heard quite often in our speech. Let’s analyze how this term was used in Belarusian YouTube channels over the past year. Writes blog Information policy.
The query used various word forms in the Russian and Belarusian languages of this word. The study period is from August 11, 2021 to August 11, 2022. During this period, references to 110 videos were collected in the description, which used the word fake’.
Fake (English fake – forgery) – something false, unreliable, falsified, presented as real, real , reliable with the intent to mislead.
The term was most often used on the YouTube channel “ONT Channel” in 36 posts.
Next “ATN: news of Belarus and the world” – 31 posts, SB TV – 9 posts, Andrey Nikitin – 8 posts, BelTA News Agency – 5 posts, Real Belarus – 3 posts.
A number of channels have two posts: OGP-TV, CTVBY, Tatyana Martynova. Among the channels whose description used the word “fake” once were Malanka Media, Press Club Belarus, Belsat NEWS and others.
Top 20 posts by number of views:
From the data obtained, it is clear that the term “fake” in Belarus is very popular among state-controlled media. From the visualization of the most viewed videos, it is clear that the majority are related to the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Belarusian media with state ownership and private partnerships clearly take the side of the aggressor. All information received from Ukraine is labeled “fake” from Ukrainian sources.
5 videos are devoted to the topic of the coronavirus pandemic Covid-19 (4 posts with the abbreviation covid-19 and 2 posts mentioning vaccination).
It’s a rather curious situation that on October 16, 2021 there was a talk show, where they convinced of the need to use personal protective equipment (masks and mandatory “mask regime”), they convinced of the need for vaccination, which almost a third of the Belarusian Internet audience has a negative attitude towards. But after speech Alexander Lukashenko published a resolution on October 19 (and , during the day the official commentary on it was edited several times), in which the Ministry of Health of Belarus canceled the mandatory mask regime introduced in the country on October 9.
Incorrect use Using the term fake can lead to several serious problems:
Firstly, misleading and false information to the Belarusian audience, both online and television.
Secondly, this violates Belarusian information security. In particular, by broadcasting foreign and alien narratives produced by Kremlin propaganda.
Thirdly, the term “fake”, when used incorrectly and inappropriately, loses its meaning, which requires a revision of the practice of application to other words that are equivalent, such as, for example, disinformation or unreliable information.
The publication uses research data from Buzzsumo YouTube Content Analyzer.
The publication was prepared by the Baltic Internet Policy Initiative
From the data obtained, it is clear that the term “fake” in Belarus is very popular among state-controlled media. From the visualization of the most viewed videos, it is clear that the majority are related to the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Belarusian media with state ownership and private partnerships clearly take the side of the aggressor. All information received from Ukraine is labeled “fake” from Ukrainian sources.
5 videos are devoted to the topic of the coronavirus pandemic Covid-19 (4 posts with the abbreviation covid-19 and 2 posts mentioning vaccination).
