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Recent research shows how German journalists worked against peace in their reports about the conflict.
Written by Lucas Leiroz, researcher in Social Sciences at the Rural Federal University of Rio de Janeiro; geopolitical consultant.
The irresponsible and destabilizing work done by some Western journalists concerning the Ukrainian conflict is well known. However, recent data show that the reality appears to be even worse. A study carried out by the University of Mainz revealed that the main German media outlets acted decisively in the dissemination of anti-Russian thoughts in society, making public opinion accept the pro-war actions of the German government. Indeed, there appears to be an extremely complex coordinated effort in which state agents and the private media work together in order to incite the anti-Russian mentality.
The study showed how journalists spread pro-war ideas, with a speech in favor of NATO, inducing readers to support the anti-Russian policy that became the main characteristic of the German government since February. The research focused on journalistic coverage made in the initial months of the Russian operation, between February 24 and May 31, evaluating the content of more than 4,300 different articles published by the eight largest German newspapers and TV stations: FAZ, Suddeutsche Zeitung, Bild, Spiegel, Zeit, ARD Tagesschau, ZDF Today and RTL Aktuell.
The Mainz’s researchers noted that in 64% of the articles Ukraine was described positively, seeming like the “right side”. Specifically regarding Vladimir Zelensky, 67% of the coverage pointed him positively. While, on the other hand, in 88% of the cases Russia was portrayed in a negative way, in addition to Vladimir Putin being described as an “enemy” in 96% of the articles. Also, 93% of the articles point to Moscow as the “culprit” for the conflict, while only 4% place the West as “co-responsible” – the numbers pointing to Ukraine as the culprit are even smaller: 2%.
In only 10% of the analyzed texts, Russian reasons for starting its military operation were considered. The focus of 80% of news coverage was on the narrative exposed in official speeches by Ukrainian, European and American authorities. With this, the German people were practically forced to believe the baseless discourse that Moscow “unjustifiably invaded” Ukraine.
It must also be noted that before the Russian operation began, over the past eight years, the German media – and Western media as a whole – also ignored facts such as the 2014 coup d’état, the presence of neo-Nazi militias in Ukrainian territory and the ethnic genocide in Donbass. So, without knowing these previous facts, naturally German readers, when faced with the Russian bombings in February, believed in the “invasion” narrative, since they were not aware of the local military context.
Another interesting fact is that in 66% of the articles, anti-Russian economic sanctions were defined as the most efficient way to end the war. Regarding military support, 74% of the reports endorsed the “need” to send weapons to Ukraine. Diplomatic measures were mentioned very infrequently, with virtually no support of diplomacy and international dialogue among German journalists. The case is really curious as it reveals how the press tried to help the German government to convince public opinion about the efficiency of coercive measures.
Despite Germany having a political posture absolutely submissive to NATO, the decision to join the anti-Russian coercion would naturally not be seen with good eyes by the local population. The country is extremely dependent on Russian gas, and the end of energy cooperation is the cause of a real social and economic catastrophe. Currently, mass protests occur frequently in Germany, as with the arrival of winter the people begin to realize the negative impacts of the government’s stance. However, if the journalistic coverage had been operated honestly, without biased pro-war speeches, possibly the protests would have started earlier, and the people would have put pressure on Berlin not to get involved in the war plans of the Atlantic alliance.
In fact, the researchers showed something that many analysts had already previously denounced: there is cooperation between the main media outlets and the liberal governments in the NATO countries. It is media coverage with intense anti-Russian and pro-war propaganda that allows public opinion to accept the irresponsible measures taken by Western politicians. Whether this action is spontaneous or coordinated between government strategists and press editors is impossible to say. However, considering the high level of public-private cooperation in these countries, it is difficult to think that this is not a planned and strategically calculated action.
In parallel, the independent press, which shows the truth about events in Ukraine, is often censored, with complex intelligence operations in place to remove all forms of pro-Russian content from the internet. This shows how Western discourse on “liberal values” and “democracy” turns out to be a mere propaganda: NATO countries are only interested in ensuring Western unipolarity.
There is something quite depraved about ANY German going along with this anti Russian hate mentality after the total carnage they carried out in WW2 against the Soviet Union,i am sure many German people are outraged by it,the filth in the media and the policians are the same ones who started WW2,some people never learn,its the same in all the EU Countries.Goebbels is in the building.
This carnage was forgiven by the West, even Poland accepted the lost apology. It is today they support the Nazis of the ukrawehrmacht.
Poland is benefitting from new geo politics. Germany are sidelined in Europe and US taking over. Poland is now kicking both Germans and Putin’s KGB. Poland and Russia are long lost brothers – future is bright just get rid of Putin and Slavic Union can go ahead! New Modern Europe and strong families. Leave lgbt nonsense to french and german muslims – they will take over West soon…
There is something quite depraved about ANY German going along with this anti Russian hate mentality after they raise their economy on the basis of Russian and East European resources in the last 3 decades.
3 decades + another 3 decades of supplies by energy resources via pipes. it was cheaper than by tankers. No relatively cheep energy = no heavy industry. No heavy industry – welcome to the Middle Age where agriculture was the basis of economy. But modern agriculture needs fertilizers, also comes from Russia, so… EU was on of main food exporters, let’s see, will they have enough food for own needs or will buy more than sell to please their masters in Washington, which has no such troubles, because W has its own resources with lower price. The funniest thing here — main energy resource sellers in US are companies from EU — french (transnational) “Total” is the largest by volume of nat.gas sells. Same “Total” sells nat.gas 4 time higher in France. Who is owner of this company? Putin? Few years ago Brussels accepted rules for natural gas trade with small volume deals (so called spot trade) instead long contracts for billions cubic meters. Putin is not the EU president too.
I can tell you that the bulk of the German population is not much educated these days. 75+ years of “re-education” and “reforms” made sure of that. On top of that, the atrocities the Russians inflicted upon us during our retreat, are well remembered amongst the older ones of us, but the fact that these were mostly instigated by the Jewish commissars of the Soviet Union, as well as the fact that the Western allies, whom we are required to regard as our friends, committed similar crimes at similar scales, has been thoroughly swept under the carpet until recently, when those guys whom you would call Nazis took the initiative and wrote some books about those issues. But since this is forbidden knowledge, most of the German people don’t know about it and only remember the “Marshall Plan”, but not the “Morgenthau Plan”, which was just barely averted back in the day (but which is now coming back with a vengeance).
Those who started WW2 also started WW1, and also this new Ukraine conflict of 2014. They infiltrated the governments of US, UK, and France. After WW2 Germany also lost its independence and became infiltrated, too.
Look up B’nai B’rith, that is the international crime syndicate responsible.
“German people are outraged by it,the filth in the media and the policians are the same ones who started WW2,”
More bullshit from Pirate Rock but going under the mass murdering moniker, Crommwell, that syphilitic mass murdering runt…hard to expect anything else from an island monkey. Germany did not start WW1 nor did it start WW2. Wake up and learn something.
Dispense with your anglo saxon programming and learn the real history of the crimes of your masters and fellow island monkeys
The Best Enemy Money Can Buy – By Antony Sutton
PDF available free for anyone who needs it and you certainly do.
Please elaborate how germany and russia attacking Poland didn’t start ww2. I would like to be educated…
This article is incredible gas lighting. Russia invades Ukraine and then blames NATO for the war! Really??!! The war started because Russia tried to blitzkrieg Ukraine. It didn’t work. Now there is dug in carnage. If Putin would have kept his troops on his side of the recognized border and kept supplying gas to Germany, he might have even ended up with Donbas and Crimea through the passage of time. But that’s all rear view mirror. What we see now is the greatest strategic blunder in recent history.
Russians hate true and hate reality. Just watch RT social adverts about Europeans freezing and going hungry without russian gas. Russians truly believe Europe is on its last legs! Frozen and poor… I should tell them something: it is not happening – yes energy is 20-30 percent more expensive but you know what? Most people don’t even notice…
No offense to all y’all but if you are arguing from statistics you’ve lost the argument. Statistics are bullshit.
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This is not new, it was much before. I’ve been reading foreign press at “InoSMI” and “Inoforum” (western, from Poland and others in translation + some articles from 20th century and even earlier) almost at daily basis since 2006 for 5 or 6 years. I stopped it, because there was nothing new for me. In articles before 2004-5 the main question was “who is mr.Putin?” When he put in jail thief and murderer Hodorkovskiy, western media unleashed all their hate and anger on Russia, because they have realized that Yeltsin’s sweet time (for the west) is over. 2007 — Munich speech. 2008 — Washington regime provokes attack on S.Ossetia and russian peacekeeping forces under CSTO mandate in attempt to destabilize Caucasus again. It was bloody response at Munich speech. There were many crimes before 2014, when western pimps installed their marionettes in Kiev, though Yanukovich was also pro-western, with strong wish to join EU. But he was a barrier for the war — the goal of Washington. 2014 – the first Minsk agreement ended in february 2015, when Kiev attacked DPR in Debaltsevo and suffered heavy losses. 2015-2022 — Minsk-2, numerous provocations and murdered by Kiev nazis at Donbas, in Odessa, in witch hunt in other regions. Middle of february 2022, week before the SMO — start of heavy artillery fire at Donbas, 500-700 rounds per day. I can’t see the western press is more radical now than 8 years before. Merkel said, it was their plan in Minsk-1 and 2 to give more time to prepare another war against Russia. Nazist Kiev, nazist Berlin, vichyst Paris, fascist Washington and EU just do what they already did in history. MSM just transmit their sentiments. The only difference is they were more cautious before, choosing less radical words, but the sense of articles was the same since 19th century, when regular mass newspapers established. Read english “Punch” — same shit as modern MSM.