Application of communication models for research on misinformation: comparing aids and covid-19 cases

Application of Communication Models for Research on Disinformation: Comparing AIDS and COVID-19 Cases The objective of master thesis "Application of communication models for research on disinformation: comparing AIDS and COVID-19 cases" is the application of strategic communication principles in the campaigns of disinformation. The thesis's primary purpose is to compare whether the tools of spreading disinformation on the world's diseases have changed and how if so. The main tasks were to create a model based on strategic communication theory and adapt it to analyze narratives from disinformation campaigns; to choose 5 main narratives in both analyzed campaigns and research them based on the created model; to compare the tools of spreading disinformation in both campaigns. The term disinformation is very relevant nowadays, especially during the coronavirus crisis. Researches show that ever since the pandemic appeared, the instances of fake news increased drastically. Both AIDS and COVID-19 campaigns are similar at first sight: they are both taking place during the worldwide pandemic, having narratives directed against NATO, etc. It raises the problematic question of this thesis: how, if so, the measures used in disinformation campaigns since the Cold War have changed. This thesis seeks to prove the following statements: 1. Contemporary COVID-19 campaign repeats the principles of AIDS disinformation campaign used during the Cold War; 2. The models and measures of strategic communication, intended to inform the public, may be used for the opposite purposes in disinformation campaigns; it is to deceive, mislead, instigate; 3. The advent of modern technologies gave a new impulse for adapting Cold War strategies to contemporary disinformation. The model designed to analyze the fake messages shows how active measures are used to distort communication strategy, and by doing so, create disinformation. Even though the term 'active measures' appeared in the Soviet Union and was used during the AIDS campaign, the thesis shows that the term is still relevant these days. As the research suggests, some of these active measures have changed; however, many are repeated or adapted from the campaign that took place during the Cold War. The research of this thesis shows that there are more similarities than just the circumstances between the campaigns in comparison. When spreading false news, both campaigns use fake authors, forged letters. There are often true facts blended with fake ones to make it harder to decide for the receiver of the message if the news is legit. The false articles use the real data of world organizations to make the narratives look reliable. These are just a few active measures used in both campaigns in question. This research also points out the changes in AIDS and COVID-19 campaigns. The main difference is modern technologies and the Internet, which allowed the creators of disinformation to spread fake news in greater expanse, faster and easier than before. New active measures, such as the internet 'trolls,' appeared as well. This thesis may be used in further researches on disinformation and fake news. The model may be applied to analyze fake news in the broader contexts and not only the pandemic-related topics