Propaganda is not a new concept but the 21st Century is changing the way disinformation is shared
The use of propaganda has never been more prominent than in war.
Controlling the narratives and shaping people’s perceptions of the conflict are very important when it comes to managing any conflict.
From Hollywood’s production of wartime films to the rise of the internet, the so-called meme war is buried in conflict.
In Ukraine, research from the Brookings Institution found the use of memes surged during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Dr Paul Lushenko is a U.S. Army Lieutenant, who said a meme is something that achieves three important criteria.
“First it’s relatively simple. Second, it grabs onto culture to include key formal or informal norms. Finally, these memes are relatively humorous or sarcastic to achieve what is known as ‘everyday resistance’ against oppressors,” he said.
The trends from Ukraine suggest the meme campaign is likely more informal or crowd-sourced than centralised among Ukrainian officials and leaders.
