#ukrainerussianwar

So we’re talking media again, well, I am a media student… So…

This time, it’s on wielding the media to shape public opinion, specifically the ongoing Ukraine-Russian war. Since the era of digitalization is here, social media has played a key role in influencing public perception and international discourse that is regarding the Ukraine-Russian War. You can see people discussing and holding debates about the topic via X (formerly Twitter), users making awareness posts on Instagram, others sharing links for people to sign petitions through Instagram stories or even just WhatsApp. With social media to create a more direct way to spread information, real-time updates can be facilitated too which will definitely create a powerful narrative war where the whole world will be looking at each move both countries make. However, this narrative war can also be swayed by misinformation, emotional appeals and citizen journalism so we're gonna dive in deep on how social media has shaped global views of the conflict.

Just wanted to add since this essay is touching on something as sensitive and serious as war, there's gonna be less lame, corny jokes that I'd usually make on my blogs since I want people reading this to be serious about it as well.

(source: Financial Times)

1. Creating Empathy & Awareness

One of the most significant impacts of social media in the Ukraine-Russia war has been its ability to evoke empathy in users by showcasing the human side of the conflict. In my case, I was touched by this article that I read a while ago on Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, who was a comedian turned president with no experience of politics (Mulvey 2022). As an amateur in this new world of politics, he still emerged to become a convincing war leader, fighting in the war himself for the sake of his nation and citizens (Mulvey 2022). You don't get to see much presidents this selfless in the world *ehem especially that orange twice elected president who wants to make his country great again*. President Zelensky is smart in using the social media to fight in the war as well, as I quote Mulvey (2022), "He has rallied the nation with his addresses and video selfies and given voice to Ukrainian anger and defiance of Russian aggression". According to Karalis (2024), Ukraine's digital strategy has helped to globalize this conflict, making it feel closer to people who might otherwise see it as a distant political issue. By sharing personal stories and raw images, Ukraine has framed the war as not just a geopolitical struggle but as a humanitarian crisis that seeks international attention.

This form of digital advocacy has been very effective in generating support for Ukraine, in not just public opinion but financial aid as well. Maruskhovska-Kartunova et al. (2023) noted as well that social media has put millions of users into action, whether it's through donations, volunteer work or just as simple as spreading awareness. Social media has allowed users to respond quickly and contribute to global solidarity, which in turn gives people a sense of direct involvement.

(source: Vanity Fair)

2. Citizen Journalism as the Protagonist and Misinformation as the Antagonist

To answer your question (that I've already heard in your head), citizen journalism is when the general public (who are NOT journalists) collect, spread and analyze news and information, via the internet. thus, it definitely plays a part in shaping perceptions of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Through smartphones and socmed accounts, everyday people have been able to provide direct, real-time coverage that traditional media outlets are unable to do so. This form of reporting is only faster, but also more personal, since it raw, emotional moments are being captured which will resonate with audiences globally (Maruvkhovska-Kartunova et al. 2023). Citizen journalists have shown the world how the war looks like, unfiltered, which will increase empathy and create urgency among viewers.

With good, comes bad, so while citizen journalism often prioritizes speed over accuracy, this may lead to the rapid spread of unverified information, which at times, can appear to be false. Mir et al. (2023) explained that false content or inaccurate reports can go viral before they are actually fact-checked, contributing to a vicious cycle of misinformation that further complicates the public's understanding on the conflict. While social media has been great for broadcasting Ukraine's point of view, it has also become a battleground for misinformation from Russia. Russia has long utilized digital platform to spread narratives that justify its actions. This strategy includes the spread of "malinformation", which are facts that are accurate but presented in ways that mess with perception and interpretation (Selvarajah & Fiorito 2023).

However, as an X user myself, I've noticed that X now has a new 'fact-checking' feature that allows the community to "contribute fact-checks and corrections, with citations and references then displayed in-stream" (Hutchinson 2024). This is great but since it's still a pretty new feature, we don't know how whether it brings more trouble or it's a new helpful addition. Until then citizen journalism should definitely be consumed carefully since unverified contents may risk distorting the realities of the Ukraine-Russian War.

(source: Paollo Pellegrin)

3. Compassion Fatigue and Information Overload

One of the unintended consequences of the Ukraine-Russia war's continuous coverage on social media is compassion fatigue in users globally. While it's great that the widespread availability of war-related content has raised awareness, overtime, the constant consummation of distressing visuals and stories may cause an emotional burnout. To simplify, people may become desensitized to the violence, which reduces the sense of urgency around humanitarian support. New technology such as deepfakes and AI generated content add complications, making it harder for audiences to distinguished between genuine or manipulated footage, which leads to further disengagement (Mir et al. 2023). This issue poses a risk for Ukraine since it could diminish international support when sustained engagement is crucial. The rapid pace of social media news cycle also causes users to have shorter attention span, as people move on to other crises once the initial empathy tires out. According to Ghosh (2024), this desensitization effect stresses on the need for strategic, compelling storytelling that keeps the public engaged without overwhelming with repetitive content.

(source: The New York Times)

The Future of Social Media's Role in Conflict Perception

This Ukraine-Russian war has shown us that social media is a great tool for shaping public opinion in times of conflict. Socmed platforms have amplified Ukraine's voice, humanized the crisis and built a global community of support, but obstacles such as misinformation and compassion fatigue still stands in the way. DIGITAL LITERACY IS IMPORTANT. I can't stress it enough, we have to be smart in knowing what information we are consuming and platforms should also filter out false information to help out. Not just this war, but with other conflicts rising up on the internet, social media's role will only get bigger. Karalis (2024) states that social media must be harnesses ethically and responsibly, to ensure that it serves as a force for accurate awareness rather than confusion or disengagement. Thus, the Ukraine-Russian war is a great example for us to see that while social media can bring distant issues to our screens and minds, it is still up to users and platforms to navigate its complexities thoughtfully.

References

Ghosh, C 2024, ‘The Impact of Social Media on Conflict Perception: Case Studies of Russia- Ukraine and Gaza Conflicts’, ResearchGate, Amity Institute of Social Sciences (AISS), viewed 10 November 2024, <http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.17178.25285>.

Hutchinson, A 2024, ‘X Says That over 500K Users Now Contribute to Community Notes’, Social Media Today, viewed 11 November 2024, <https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/x-formerly-twitter-500k-contribute-to-community-notes/715866/>.

Karalis, M 2024, ‘Russia-Ukraine War through the Eyes of Social Media | GJIA’, Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, viewed 10 November 2024, <https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2024/02/02/russia-ukraine-through-the-eyes-of-social-media/>.

Marukhovskа-Kartunova, O, Marukhovskyi, O, Aleksandrova, M, Ivanova, I & Lebedenko, N 2023, ‘Digital Journalism and the Role of Social Media in Shaping Public Perception of Russian Aggression in Ukraine’, Revista Amazonía Investiga, vol. 12, no. 69, pp. 143–153.

Mir, AA, Rathinam, S, Gul, S & Bhat, SA 2023, ‘Exploring the Perceived Opinion of Social Media Users about the Ukraine–Russia Conflict through the Naturalistic Observation of Tweets’, Social Network Analysis and Mining, vol. 13, no. 1.

Mulvey, S 2022, ‘Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky: the Comedian President Who Is Rising to the Moment’, BBC News, BBC News, viewed 11 November 2024, <https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59667938>.