@article{article_1783950, title={Making Disinformation Visible Through Media in the Age of Crises: An Examination of the Russia-Ukraine War}, journal={OPUS Journal of Society Research}, pages={53–68}, year={2025}, DOI={10.26466/opusjsr.1783950}, author={Vural, Nazmi Ekin and Çetin, Selçuk}, keywords={Media, new communication technologies, disinformation, Russia-Ukraine war, digital media}, abstract={The broadcasting practices produced by the media with the aim of directing people towards specific goals have constituted a social reality from past to present. Especially during times of war, the media reproduces state narratives, legitimizes official policies, and frames conflicts through selective representations. In this context, the media has been used as a tool to persuade broad segments of society and to legitimize the parties involved. With the proliferation of new communication technologies, disinformation content disseminated through the digital media also has a profound impact on society. This study examines disinformation content originating from Russia during the first 100 days of the war, following the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict into a full-scale military war in February 2022. The data source for the research is EUvsDisinfo. Russian-sourced disinformation content was examined through quantitative and qualitative content analysis. According to the findings of the study, the categories of Russian-sourced disinformation that stood out included anti-NATO/anti-Western sentiment, rhetoric about Nazis and genocide rhetoric, social unrest in Europe, and claims about biological laboratories/chemical weapons. Russian media has intensively produced disinformation within the framework of these themes. The study shows that disinformation is not just the circulation of false information; it is also a strategic tool used to build legitimacy, mobilize the domestic public, and weaken the opposing side. Making these mechanisms visible, identifying the central role of the media in contemporary conflicts, and developing social awareness against disinformation are emerging as crucial issues for today’s societies.}, number={Special Issue: Crisis Entangled – Reimagining the Social in Turbulent Times}, publisher={İdeal Kent Yayınları}