Pro-Kremlin Propagandists Use YouTube to Seed Anti-Ukraine Claims, Anti-Vaxxers Cite "The Brady Bunch" to Minimize Measles, and more
In this excerpt of NewsGuard's confidential weekly briefing for clients, we update you on the top misinformation and disinformation trends and narratives to help your organization stay ahead of emerging threats.
Subscribe to NewsGuard's Substack newsletter, "Reality Check," a weekly report on how misinformation online is undermining trust—and who’s behind it.
Edited by Jack Brewster and Eric Effron.
Pro-Kremlin Propagandists Use YouTube to Seed Anti-Ukraine Claims
By Eva Maitland
Pro-Kremlin propagandists are increasingly using YouTube to seed disinformation narratives about alleged corruption by Ukrainian officials, a move aimed at undermining support for continued Western military and financial aid for Ukraine.?
In the span of six months, NewsGuard has identified seven viral false claims about Ukraine that were seeded on anonymous YouTube channels before spreading elsewhere. For example, YouTube was the original source of separate false claims of purported purchases of expensive homes by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, including a mansion in Florida, a villa in Egypt, and the former villa of Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels in Germany.?
Misinformers Cite 1969 Episode of ‘The Brady Bunch’ to Downplay Measles?
By John Gregory
As measles outbreaks have hit the U.S., U.K, and continental Europe, misinformers are citing an unlikely authority to portray the disease as low risk: A 1969 episode of “The Brady Bunch,” a popular sitcom that ran for five years in the U.S. on the ABC network.
On Jan. 14, 2024, singer/songwriter Brad Skistimas, who performs under the name Five Times August, posted a clip of the episode to his 195,000 X followers. In the clip, character Marcia Brady says, “If you have to get sick, sure can’t beat the measles,” suggesting the disease is nothing to worry about. The clip also shows several of the Brady children who are infected with measles happily staying home from school before making a quick recovery. Skistimas captioned the video “Measles Reminder.”
领英推荐
Misinformers Claim Real Video of Pentagon Chief, Alive, Is AI-Generated
By Virginia Padovese and Giulia Pozzi
For weeks, pro-Kremlin news sites and social media accounts in multiple languages, including English, Italian, and Japanese, have falsely claimed that U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was killed in a Russian missile attack in Ukraine in early January. Now that Austin is back to work following time in the hospital treating his prostate cancer, misinformers claim that his recent appearance at a virtual meeting was AI-generated and not real.
Russians Claim US Student Expelled for Singing About Putin
A video circulating on Russian and U.S. social media falsely claims that a University of Florida student was expelled for singing a song about Russian President Vladimir Putin. The false narrative apparently is meant to sow distrust in U.S. institutions and portray Putin as a popular leader.
Subscribe to NewsGuard's Substack newsletter, "Reality Check," a weekly report on how misinformation online is undermining trust—and who’s behind it.
???? "The truth is powerful and it prevails," as Sojourner Truth once said. It's vital to stay informed and discern facts from fiction, especially in today's digital landscape. ??? Let's plant seeds of truth together. By the way, speaking of planting, Treegens is excited to share an upcoming sponsorship opportunity for the Guinness World Record of Tree Planting. Maybe it's something NewsGuard's audience would appreciate? ?? Check it out: https://bit.ly/TreeGuinnessWorldRecord
Thank you for sharing such crucial insights! ?? As Albert Einstein once said, "The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." Your work in exposing disinformation is vital. Keep lighting the path to truth! ???? #StayInformed #TruthMatters