The Latest: Ukraine Official Says Assault Halts Evacuations For Second Time

WE LCOME TO “MATTER OF FACT.” THE WORLD HAS BATTLED MASSEIV DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGNS BEFORE. IN 1939, IT WAS ADOLPH HITRLE MANIPULATING A MESSAGE TO GAIN SUPPORT FOR THE GERMAN ARMY’S INVASION OF POLAND. NOW IT’S A WAR IN UKRAINE. WITH THE GUNRODWORK FOR RUSSIA’S INVASION RELYING IN PART ON A FLOOD OF KREMLIN-SPONSORED DISINFORMATION. BUT THERE’S ALSO A FLOODF O MISINFORMATION BEING POSTED BY PEOPLE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, SHARING IMAGES OUT OF CONTEXT. SO WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO MOUNT A DEFENSE AGAINST THE GREAT DISINFORMATION CAMPAN?IG EMILY BELL IS THE FOUNNGDI DIRECTOR OF THE TOW CENTER FOR DIGITAL JOURLINASM AT COLUMBIA JOURNALISM SCHL.OO EMILY BELL, ALWAYS NICE TO SEE U.YO IT’S BEEN NOW MORE THAN A WEEK SINCE RUSSIA INVADED UKRAI,NE AND WE’VE ALREADYEE SN MANY, MANY, MANY EXAMPLES OF BHOT MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATI.ON EMILY: THERE ARE THINGS THAT I WOULD CALL MISINFORMATION, WHICH IS JUST STUFF THAT’S WRONG ON THE INTERNET, AND ETH DISINFORMATION IS THE INTENTION OF WHAT WE MIGHT HAVE CALLED PROPAGANDA IN THE PAST, AND I THINK WE SHOULD PROBABLY SRTTA CALLING IT PROPAGANDA AGN.AI YOU’VE HAD A NARRATIVE ON, SAY, RT, WHICH IS A KREMLIN SPONSORED CHANL.NE IT’S VERY ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. IT’S BEEN RESTRICTED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION THIS WEEK, AND QUITE A LOT OF THE TALK SHOWS THERE DISCUSS THINGS LIKE WESTERN AGGRESSION. WHY IS NATO PUSHING FOR A WAR IN UKRAINE? IT’S FRAMED IN A COLEMPTELY DIFFERENT WAY TO THE WAY THAT AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN MEDIA IS FRAMING THIS. AND IT’S HAD THAT BACKGROUND OF SAYING, YOU KNOW, UKRAINE ISOT N A HAPPY COUNTRY, WE NEED TO GO IN AND WE NEED TO HELP THEM. AND THIS HAS HAPPENED OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME IN DIFREFENT WAYS. SOLEDAD: I WAS READING THIS MORNING ABOUT RUSSIAN SOLDIERS WHO BELIEVED THAT THEY WOULD BE GREETED BY UKRAINIANS BEUSCA THEY WERE TOLD — PROPAGANDA- – THAT THE UKRAINIANS NEEDED TO BE LIBERATED. AND THOSE NAATRRIVES ARE NOT JUST STORIES THAT DON’T HAVE IMPACT. EMILY: WELL, SO, ONE REASON IT MATTERS IN THIS CONFLICT FOR IS, IS VERY CLEAR, WHICH IS THERE’S CONSCRIPTION IN UKRAE.IN THE PRESIDENT IS ASKING ANYBODY BETWEEN THE AGES O IF, THINK18, AND 60 TO SIGN UP. AND THIS IS WHERE IT’S INTERESTING THAT WE’RE SEEGIN VIDEO OF RUSSIAN SOLDISER APPARENTLY UNPREPARED FOR THE RECEPTION THAT THEY’RE GETTING IN UKRAINE. THAT’S A REALLY HELPFUL ORAVE NARRATIVE FOR UKRAINE TO BE ADVANCING. IT COULD BE TRUE, BUT WE DON’T REALLY KNOW. SOLEDAD: THAT NARRATIVE ALSO MOVES OTHER COUNTRIES TO REACT, WHETHER IT IS WITH SANCTIONS, WHETHER IT IS WITH DECIDGIN THEY’RE GOING TO BLOCK THEIR AIRSPACE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. SO, IT DOESN’T JUST EXI ISTN A VACU.UM HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOU’R’ BEING RESPONSIBLE AND NOT PROPAGATING MISINFORMATION THAT JUST IS WRONG OR DISINFORMATION THAT’S INTENTIONALLY MISLEADI?NG EMILY: MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO A RANGE OF CREDIBLE NEWS OUTLETS. WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED TO SHARE ANYTHING, YOU MUST SIFT, WHICH IS STOP, INVESTIGATE, FIND, ACTR SO, IN OTHER WORDS, YOU MIGHT BE SHARING WHAT SEEMS TO BE A VERY MOVING PIECE OF VIDEO OF PRISONERS OF WAR. YOU SHOULDN’T BE IDENTIFYING THEIR FACES. TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE. POSTING A PHOTO, IF YOU ON THE GROUND IN UKRAINE, POSNGTI PHOTO OF CROWDS GATHERING IS NOW A SECURITY RISK. OSTHE THINGS CAN BE GEO-LOCADTE IN A SECOND. YOU DON’T WANT TO DO YOURSELF OR ANYBODY ELSE ANY HARM. SOLEDAD: EMILY BELL, ALWAYS NICE TO TALK TO