Information Warfare: The Influence of Russian and Ukrainian Narratives in Global Media During the 2022 War

This dissertation examines the influence of Russian and Ukrainian strategic narratives on global media coverage of the 2022 war. Through a deep analysis of scholarly literature, government statements, and a comprehensive dataset of journalistic articles from prominent international news outlets, this research investigates how these narratives influenced media trying to shape public perception Utilizing a unique approach that combines qualitative analysis with quantitative methods, including the development and application of a custom-trained NLP (BERT) model for sentiment analysis, this study reveals significant findings. Ukrainian narratives, emphasizing themes of freedom, democracy, and victimhood, resonated strongly with Western media, while Russian narratives, often rooted in historical revisionism and anti-Western rhetoric, found limited traction. The research highlights the crucial fact of media being influenced by narratives, while also acknowledging the challenges faced by journalists in navigating a complex environment. The findings underscore the implications of media bias, the fluctuations of sentiment and journalistic interest in the context of contemporary conflicts. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the interplay between government narratives, media coverage, and influence in the era of Information Warfare.