MOSCOW, 22 November 2023. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a survey devoted to false information on the Internet commissioned by EISI (Social Research Expert Institute).
Fake news and environment
Against the background of the special military operation in Ukraine the number of misleading narratives has considerably increased: certain parties concerned use manipulation to destabilize the situation in Russia. Ordinary citizens stand in solidarity with the experts: for the second consecutive year they have been confident that an information war is being carried out against Russia: (87%, 90% in April 2022).
According to VCIOM’s November survey, four out of ten Russians have encountered online fake news stories proved to be fake over the recent month (40%), including 18% of those who saw detailed information on the websites; 17% in messengers and on social media. Every ninth reports to have come across misleading information on TV (11%), whereas the least common media to come across fake news are radio and newspapers (print media) (2%, each). In other words, the main source of fake news is Internet. Most of fake stories were related to the special military operation (46% of those who have come across misleading information over the recent month). Every fifth respondent saw deceptive information about certain domestic events (20%); less likely about celebrities (8%), economic issues (6%) or foreign policy (5%). Half of Russians have not encountered fake news over the recent month.
Information war in decline?
Since the latest survey Russian opinions about the spread of false information have changed: since March 2022 the share of those who pointed to a larger percentage of fake news has decreased 1.7-fold (from 61% to 36%). At the same time, there have been an increase in the shares of those who point to a smaller number (+6 p.p.; 13% in 2023) and those who say that the number of fake news has been stable (+13 p.p.; 35% in 2023). The number of the undecided has also gone up (16% vs 10% in March 2022). Ten percent of respondents have not encountered fake news over the recent month.
According to the respondents who consider that the number of false news stories have decreased, the three major reasons for that are as follows: stricter control over information security (“checks and control” - 24% ); population’s information awareness (“more people are conscious/learned to filter” - 17%) and effective work of the public bodies and mass media (“better performance of the government / agencies/mass media – 16%).
Filtering the news
Since 2019 the number of those who say it is possible to spot a false narrative has increased 1.3-fold: 64% are capable of distinguishing between fake and real news (49% in 2019; 52% in March 2021). Of those who have encountered fake news over the recent month, the number of those who report the same is 74%. Twenty-six percent of Russians say it is impossible to identify a fake news story (26%).
To fact-check the information spread online most of Russians use alternate information sources: (21%), rely on their intuition (13%) or experience (5%) or try to find something that contradicts the official sources (7%), pay attention to how the information is presented (3%) and the title of the information sources (3%).
Who is to be blamed and what to do?
Russians are confident that unreliable news pieces are often published with the intent to mislead (74%, 78% in March 2022); 15% say they are published unintentionally. Respondents say that the following five interest groups are behind the fake news: external enemies (34%, including “foes, western countries, foreign media” - 19%, “western special services” - 8%, “Ukrainian special services” - 5%, the USA – 2%), stakeholders (“those who benefit from that” – 7%, “those who gain money from that” - 3%), instigators/scammers (8%), journalists (8%) and opposition (7%).
A vast majority of Russians are confident that it is important to block any unreliable information spread online or on social media (82%), including 47% who support blocking any similar information; 35%, blocking only information which poses threat to people and society, direct (22%) or potential (13%).
VCIOM-Sputnik Russian nationwide telephone survey was conducted November 17, 2023 and commissioned by EISI (Social Research Expert Institute). A total of 1,600 Russians aged 18+ were surveyed. Survey method: telephone interviews, stratified random sample based on a complete list of mobile phone numbers in use in Russia. The data were weighted for socio-demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes to the wording of questions and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
Key effectiveness indicators, survey of 17 November, 2023: cooperation rate (CR)* = 0.8013; minimum response rate (MRR)** = 0.0162; response rate (RR)*** = 0.0797. calculations are based on corporate standards: https://profi.wciom.ru/principy_standarty/korporativnyj-standart-po-izmereniyu-rezultativnosti-oprosov-sputnik-vciom/
* CR: the number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews and b) non-interviews with eligible respondents.
** MRR: the number of complete interviews divided by the sum of: а) complete interviews, b) interrupted interviews after successful screening and c) all the respondents where it is unknown whether they meet the selected criteria or not.
** RR is calculated in the same way as MRR, with the only difference that the number of respondents with unknown eligibility decreases proportional to the percentage of eligible cases in the total number of respondents with identified eligibility or non-eligibility.
In your opinion, is there any information war carried out against Russia today in relation to Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, or not? (close-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||
| April.2022 | November.2023 |
Information war is being carried out | 90 | 87 |
There is no information war | 4 | 4 |
Don’t know | 6 | 9 |
Over the recent month, have you personally come across news in mass media, on the Internet which further proved to be fake, or not? If you have, where did you come across such news, in what sources? (close-ended question, any number of answers, % of total respondents) | |
| November.2023 |
Internet websites | 18 |
In messengers, social media | 17 |
On TV | 11 |
In newspapers (print media) | 2 |
On radio | 2 |
No, I haven’t come across such news | 53 |
In other sources | 4 |
Don’t know | 7 |
Let’s talk about cases related to deceptive information spread in mass media or on the Internet you’re aware of. What was this information about, what topics? (open-ended question, any number of answers, % of those who have come across deceptive information over the recent month; answers that gained 2% and more) | |
| November.2023 |
Special military operation | 46 |
Domestic developments (about Russian president, domestic policy, pensions) | 20 |
Celebrities / death of renowned people | 8 |
Economy | 6 |
Foreign policy | 5 |
Other (answers that gained less than 2%) | 33 |
Don’t know | 20 |
In your opinion, are there more, less or the same amount of unreliable news stories today than a year ago? (close-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||
| March.2022 | November.2023 | % of those who have come across unreliable information over the recent month (the group share is 40%) |
More | 61 | 36 | 40 |
Less | 7 | 13 | 16 |
The same amount as a year ago | 22 | 35 | 34 |
Don’t know | 10 | 16 | 10 |
In your opinion, why are there less deceptive news? (open-ended question, up to 3 answers, % of those who consider that there is less reliable information, top 5 answers) | |
| November.2023 |
There are more checks and verifications | 24 |
People have become more conscious / they filter news | 17 |
Better performance of the Government / state bodies / mass media | 16 |
Criminal punishment was introduced / fines | 10 |
There is more reliable information | 9 |
None | 0 |
Other | 4 |
Don’t know | 13 |
In your opinion, is it possible or impossible to distinguish between reliable and unreliable information on the Internet, social media? (close-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||
| March. 2019 | March. 2021 | November. 2023 | % of those who have come across unreliable information over the recent month (the group share is 40%) |
It is almost always possible | 7 | 8 | 13 | 16 |
It can be identified in most cases | 42 | 44 | 51 | 58 |
It cannot be identified in most cases | 29 | 28 | 18 | 15 |
It cannot be identified almost always | 13 | 12 | 8 | 6 |
Don’t know | 9 | 8 | 10 | 5 |
Imagine a person you know has sent you some information from another chat. How can you identify if this information is unreliable, or not? (open-ended question, any number of answers, % of total respondents, answers that gained 2% and more) | |
| November.2023 |
Analyzing / checking information/source / I’ll look it in other sources to check | 21 |
Intuition / I’ll feel that something is wrong / common sense/logic | 13 |
Information that contradicts the official sources/ I watch news | 7 |
Life experiences / knowledge | 5 |
Nothing/I trust mothing / I won’ t read it/open it | 4 |
I’ll ask one of my acquaintances / I’ll get details / I’ll call back | 4 |
Based on the contents / strange information / it may look strange/unrealistic / doubts may arise | 4 |
Suspicions website title/ channel/chat the message was from / unverified source | 3 |
The text is too emotional / how the information is presented | 3 |
Depends on the source / I don’ t trust people I don’t know | 2 |
No special tools, I won’t be able to identify it | 4 |
Other (answers that gained less than 2%) | 13 |
Don’t know | 28 |
In your opinion, are unreliable news stories published intentionally or inadvertently? (close-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||
| March.2022 | November.2023 | % of those who have come across unreliable information over the recent month (the share of the group is 40%) |
intentionally | 78 | 74 | 79 |
Inadvertently | 13 | 15 | 13 |
Don’t know | 9 | 11 | 8 |
In your opinion, who is behind unreliable news stories, media reports on the Internet? (open-ended question, up to 3 answers, % of total respondents, answers that gained 2% and more) | |
| November.2023 |
Our external enemies / foes / western countries / foreign media | 19 |
Western special services | 8 |
Russian opposition | 7 |
Stakeholders / parties concerned | 7 |
Ukrainian special services | 5 |
Journalists / Mass media overhyping certain events and news hooks | 5 |
Instigators/ those who are interested in the country’s dissolution / stirring up conflicts | 4 |
Scammers / criminals | 4 |
Ordinary people | 3 |
Stupid / shallow / delusional people | 3 |
People who gain money on that | 3 |
Non-professional journalists / media that do not verify the information | 3 |
Foreign agents | 2 |
Domestic enemies / betrayers | 2 |
America | 2 |
Anything | 1 |
Other (answers that gained less than 2%) | 12 |
Don’t know | 27 |
In your opinion, should the dissemination of unreliable information on the internet, social media be blocked or not? If yes, to what extent? * (close-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||
| March. 2021 | November. 2023 |
Only unreliable information which may threaten people and society should be blocked | 23 | 22 |
It is important to block even the unreliable information that may potentially threaten people and society | 14 | 13 |
Any unreliable information must be blocked | 51 | 47 |
It should not be blocked | 10 | 11 |
Other | 1 | 4 |
Don’t know | 1 | 3 |
*On 14 March 2021 the question was formulated in the following way: “In your opinion, is it important, or not, to restrict the spread of unreliable information on the Internet, social media?