Prebunking as a Communication Technique for Countering Disinformation: An Analysis of Practices in the United News Telethon

Over the past two years, the discourse surrounding the United News telethon has shifted from exclusively positive to sharply negative. As a result, both practitioners and researchers are now raising the issue of its transformation. Proposed changes include more objective coverage of frontline events, utilising the platform to develop strategic communication between the state and society rather than for propaganda, and diversifying informational and analytical content, among others. This study aims to comprehensively analyse prebunking as an innovative approach to countering Russian propaganda. This involves addressing the following research tasks: (1) to examine the specifics of the prebunking technique and its theoretical foundations; (2) to investigate concrete examples of prebunking implementation within the telethon; and (3) to develop recommendations for optimising the use of prebunking in United News. The findings of this study indicate that prebunking represents a promising tool for enhancing the telethon's effectiveness in countering Russian disinformation. Regularly applying prebunking will facilitate a shift from defensive to proactive information dissemination, enabling the audience to be better prepared for potential manipulations. Moreover, integrating prebunking within the telethon will strengthen public trust in national media and maintain Ukraine’s information space within a pro-Ukrainian paradigman essential component of the country’s information security.