Is the Russian ‘Z’ campaign genuine or state propaganda?

Why do people suspect it’s an organised campaign?

This isn’t the first time Russia has used the internet and online messaging to spread misinformation and cause deliberate confusion.

It has deployed bots to manipulate American voters during elections in the past, especially with the Trump campaign in 2016.

A lengthy report three years ago outlined just how involved Russia was with Western politics last decade, including hacking, staged rallies in Florida and Pennsylvania, and deliberate spreading of false information on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The New York Times notes that analysts are certain that the spread of ‘Z’ online is a co-ordinated effort by paid Russian agents. ‘This is definitely a state-induced meme’, explained Vasily Gatov, a Russian-American media analyst based in Boston.

A sizeable group of individuals are given cash to spread ‘Z’ and create a false sense of viral popularity.

We saw parallel behaviour during Trump’s rise to power, whereby bot accounts and paid influencers spread anti-Hillary memes and generated growth on the now defunct subreddit r/The_Donald. This wasn’t the only cause of his victory, of course, but it was a huge contributor.

Accounts already considered suspicious are posting ‘Z’ content. Maria Butina, for example, was deported from the US in 2019 after being found working as an unregistered Russian agent. She herself posted a video drawing the ‘Z’ on her suit jacket.

The Russia-sponsored news broadcaster RT was also spreading the symbol in the UK and US, at least until its ordered shutdown in European countries as of last week. UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries described it as ‘Putin’s polluting propaganda machine’.

Other videos of youth flash mobs wearing the ‘Z’ on tees and sweaters are suspiciously similar to clips shared during previous state campaigns, suggesting they aren’t genuine or representative of the wider public opinion in Russia.

How has symbolism historically been used in times of conflict?

Logos and symbols have been used throughout history to represent political agendas or opinions. The most famous of these is the swastika, which some have compared to Russia’s ‘Z’.

However, modern conflict is unique in its use of politically charged, rapid-fire memes. Propaganda can be instantaneously shared and discussed, with ongoing conversation on current events happening in real time. We no longer live in the age of newspaper cartoonists boosting morale for civilians and reinforcing patriotism on a weekly basis.

Ukraine’s official Twitter page shared an image of Putin and Hitler together at the beginning of the invasion, with a warning that ‘this is our reality’. The page had previously shared memes on the tension between the two countries in the preceding weeks.

Logos and symbols have the potential to spread a message very quickly in the age of social media, but are equally susceptible to manipulation or misinterpretation. In a world of ‘post-truth’ it is impossible to identify whether ‘Z’ is an organic, public backed statement from Russians, or simply just a state media strategy.

For now, all we can do is monitor the situation closely.