DISINFO: Western mass media and social media are controlled by the government
DISINFORMATION CASE DETAILS
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Censorship Mainstream media social media Freedom of speech Twitter Facebook

DISINFO: Western mass media and social media are controlled by the government

SUMMARY

Western media are controlled and serve as the propaganda ministry for the government and interest groups that control the government like in the USSR. Social media, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter systematically deny their platforms to those who express views unfavourable to the government order and its programmes.

RESPONSE

Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative claiming that the West imposes censorship through its state institutions and private social media companies (such as Facebook and Twitter).

These claims seeks to discredit Western mainstream media and Western liberal democracies.

This claim does not reflect the reality of Western media, where a wide range of political opinions is represented. Media in pluralist democracies are not controlled and censored by the state, as happens in authoritarian regimes and happened in the Soviet Union.

According to Reporters Without Borders, the nations with the most press freedom and freedom of speech are Western countries, with European nations predominating, as well as Canada and the United States.

Also it is not true that social media, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter systematically deny their platforms to those who express views unfavourable to the government order and its programmes.

On the 4th of June 2020, Facebook announced that it would label media outlets that are wholly or partially under the editorial control of their government. The labels are not censoring in any way but merely inform users about the publishers' origins to help them understand the source of the information they are consuming. This is designed to bring greater transparency about these publishers since they combine the influence of a media organisation with the strategic backing of a foreign state.

See similar cases alleging that Western governments impose censorship and silence dissidents, that the West cannot cope with freedom of opinion and imposes censorship and that Western media suppresses all facts and opinions that differ from official narratives.

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Disclaimer

Cases in the EUvsDisinfo database focus on messages in the international information space that are identified as providing a partial, distorted, or false depiction of reality and spread key pro-Kremlin messages. This does not necessarily imply, however, that a given outlet is linked to the Kremlin or editorially pro-Kremlin, or that it has intentionally sought to disinform. EUvsDisinfo publications do not represent an official EU position, as the information and opinions expressed are based on media reporting and analysis of the East Stratcom Task Force.

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