Weapon and Poison: Framing Disinformation in European Commission Speeches, 2016–2024

Drawing on 238 speeches delivered by European Commission (EC) presidents, vice-presidents, and commissioners (2016–mid-2024), this paper examines how the ECnarrates “disinformation”. Using topic modelling, text-community detection, andqualitative content analysis, we show a generally self-absolving and fatalisticframing. Disinformation is considered the root cause of unwanted behaviours andevents, naturalized as a technological inevitability given citizen gullibility. Moreover,responsibility for the spread of disinformation is externalized to hostile states, “badactors”, and digital platforms. Battlefield and contagion metaphors (fight/weapon;poison/infodemic) underpin a policy repertoire focused on platform governance,detection/takedown, and media-literacy “vaccines”, positioning citizens as vulnerablesubjects. Temporal analysis traces shifts from Russia-centred attributions to abroadened cast (China, Lukashenko) and, by 2023–24, AI-enabled amplification. Weargue that this framing narrows problem definitions and answers, imposing top-downsolutions instead of supporting democratic dialogue.