Kremlin Propaganda In Czech Republic Plays Long Game To Sow Distrust In EU - RFE

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Kremlin Propaganda In Czech Republic Plays Long Game To Sow Distrust In EU

Sowing distrust and disbelief in Europe and its institutions is the main aim of Russian propaganda in the Czech Republic, according to a new study.

And unlike the attention-grabbing tactics used during the Soviet era, according to research conducted by two academics at Masaryk University in the eastern Czech city of Brno, Moscow is playing a sophisticated long game in the Central European country.

"When you mention propaganda, most people imagine posters, drawings, and videos aimed at eliciting some kind of emotion and altering views," explains Milos Gregor, one of the study's authors. "It turns out those kinds of manipulative techniques are rarely used. The techniques are much more sophisticated and subtler, employed over time to change views and opinions."

The approach is also not isolated to the Czech Republic. Brussels is so concerned with Kremlin efforts to mold minds across the EU that it set up its first operation to counter Russian propaganda in March 2015. EU leaders, especially in the Baltic states, have been alarmed at how Moscow has used its media to gain support for its views and policies.

In the Czech media sphere, ad hominem attacks, finger-pointing, and outright fabrications are all elements in the propaganda practiced by pro-Kremlin Czech news websites, according to Gregor. He stresses that Kremlin propaganda efforts are not as focused on challenging individual facts, but rather "framing the debate" in a way that is sympathetic with Moscow's goals.

More At: http://www.rferl.org/content/czech-kremlin-propaganda-plays-long-game-sow-eu-distrust/27802234.html