Fake News, Disinformation & Propaganda - Cătălin Gomboș

FAKE NEWS: Ukraine forbids Orthodox Christians from attending the Easter Vigil
FAKE NEWS: Ukraine forbids Orthodox Christians from attending the Easter Vigil

Kyiv is using the war against Russia to forbid citizens from coming to church on Easter ad to attack Orthodox traditional values, pro-Kremlin propaganda writes.

FAKE NEWS: Upsizing the NATO forces in Romania doesn’t make any sense, as Russia isn’t threatening anyone
FAKE NEWS: Upsizing the NATO forces in Romania doesn’t make any sense, as Russia isn’t threatening anyone

Upsizing the NATO forces in Romania doesn’t makes any sense, as Russia does not intend to attack other states and promotes peace, according to the Russian MFA spokesperson. She ignored, however, the very reason for strengthening NATO's presence in the East: Moscow's aggressive policy.

DISINFORMATION: Putin is a good Christian, a victim of the Russophobic discourse, and has nothing to do with Communism, imposed on Russia by the West
DISINFORMATION: Putin is a good Christian, a victim of the Russophobic discourse, and has nothing to do with Communism, imposed on Russia by the West

Vladimir Putin is a good Christian, but his image has suffered because of Russophobia. These false narratives are based on statements made by the Archbishop of Thomis, Theodosius, and amplified by Sputnik. At the same time, the idea that Putin and Russia have nothing to do with Communism, which was imposed by the West, is also promoted.

DISINFORMATION: Simona Halep was eliminated from the Australian Open because she took the Covid vaccine
DISINFORMATION: Simona Halep was eliminated from the Australian Open because she took the Covid vaccine

Simona Halep experienced health problems at the Australian Open and was knocked out due to the anti-COVID vaccine she took. The narrative is promoted by activenews, a website with a predominantly anti-vaxx and coronasceptic editorial policy.

DISINFORMATION: By means of the QR code from the green pass, social credit is being established and the population is enslaved
DISINFORMATION: By means of the QR code from the green pass, social credit is being established and the population is enslaved

The QR code on the green pass helps impose the so-called “social credit” system, whereby Romanians (and the rest of mankind) will be enslaved by the global cabal. The false narrative is promoted by anti-vaxx and Eurosceptic media and is linked to older conspiracy theories regarding documents with biometric data.

FAKE NEWS: Djokovic puts an end to the sanitary dictatorship and Serbia teaches a lesson in dignity
FAKE NEWS: Djokovic puts an end to the sanitary dictatorship and Serbia teaches a lesson in dignity

The Djokovic vs. Australia scandal has turned the player into a symbol of the anti-vaxxer movement and led to the emergence or resurrection of many false narratives about the pandemic or Serbia.

DISINFORMATION: UE is strongarming Romania to renounce its Constitution and sovereignty
DISINFORMATION: UE is strongarming Romania to renounce its Constitution and sovereignty

Romania will have to renounce its Constitution and sovereignty, according to a new disinformation amplified by Senator Diana Șoșoacă and Sputnik. The source headlines a statement falsely attributed to the head of the European Commission’s Office in Romania.

Romania in 2021: Top FAKE NEWS & DISINFORMATION debunked by Veridica
Romania in 2021: Top FAKE NEWS & DISINFORMATION debunked by Veridica

The Covid pandemic and the sovereigntist and identitarian themes dominated the false narratives promoted in Romania in 2021.

FAKE NEWS: Journalist detained by the police state
FAKE NEWS: Journalist detained by the police state

Romanian police abusively detained a journalist because she went to report on a protest

DISINFORMATION: The US wants to destroy the Olympic Games
DISINFORMATION: The US wants to destroy the Olympic Games

The United States wants to destroy the Olympic Games through unjustified boycotts, though it has nothing to gain from it. They did it in 1980 and they are doing it again in 2022, according to a false narrative promoted by Sputnik.

FAKE NEWS: Anti-COVID vaccines have adverse effects and are ineffective
FAKE NEWS: Anti-COVID vaccines have adverse effects and are ineffective

Anti-COVID vaccines have severe adverse effects and are merely experimental serums that offer no protection against the coronavirus, according to this false narrative based on data taken out of context.

FAKE NEWS: The European Commission “cancels” Christmas and bans the use of the Christian name “Mary”
FAKE NEWS: The European Commission “cancels” Christmas and bans the use of the Christian name “Mary”

The European Commission wants to “cancel” Christmas in a bid to impose a language that undermines the European’s Christian identity. This false narrative refers to a set of communication guidelines that has been withdrawn by the Commission in the meantime.

DISINFORMATION: The green certificate breaches fundamental rights and paves the way for an attack on the Church
DISINFORMATION: The green certificate breaches fundamental rights and paves the way for an attack on the Church

An open letter has called on the Church to oppose the green certificate, because it allegedly violates fundamental rights and paves the way for an attack on the Church. The letter reiterates a number of false narratives used to disinform public opinion regarding COVID-19.

DISINFORMATION: Russia is the innocent victim of Romanians’ Russophobia
DISINFORMATION: Russia is the innocent victim of Romanians’ Russophobia

The Romanians betrayed the Russians in the wars in which they were allies, attacked them unjustifiably, and now, also out of Russophobia, they want to hand over to the Americans the Black Sea coast, according to disinformation taken over in the Republic of Moldova.

FAKE NEWS: The Occult wants to hide the fact that Petrica Matu Stoian died of Covid, although he had been vaccinated
FAKE NEWS: The Occult wants to hide the fact that Petrica Matu Stoian died of Covid, although he had been vaccinated

The death of the singer Petrica Matu Stoian is evidence that the vaccine is not effective, but those who work for the New World Order are trying to hide this fact. The author of this false narrative does not say that authorities have not been hiding the fact that the vaccine is not 100% effective and fails to mention the causes of Stoian’s death.

FAKE NEWS: Europe, on the brink of a catastrophic power outage
FAKE NEWS: Europe, on the brink of a catastrophic power outage

“A major power outage, which could last up to two weeks, is imminent in the European Union”, according to part of the Romanian media, referring to an alleged warning from the Austrian defense minister. In fact, the Austrian army only considers the possibility of a power outage as part of its crisis prevention program and has launched an information campaign for the population that is not at all unusual”.

FAKE NEWS: The progressives’ campaign against Viktor Orban extends to Romania
FAKE NEWS: The progressives’ campaign against Viktor Orban extends to Romania

A campaign “started by progressives against Viktor Orban” has allegedly spread to Romania as well, according to Sputnik.md, which brings as evidence in support of this theory the fact that the G4Media publication has commissioned a survey on the perception of the LGBT community.

FAKE NEWS: Maia Sandu is preparing a wave of arrests, with support from the West
FAKE NEWS: Maia Sandu is preparing a wave of arrests, with support from the West

Maia Sandu has created an “anticorruption” structure in order to eliminate from public life and the administrative apparatus the politicians and officials that are inconvenient, according to a false narrative spread by Sputnik. The said structure - the Independent Anticorruption Advisory Committee – is allegedly controlled by the West.

FAKE NEWS: The assassination in Arad is a sign that terrorist attacks will follow in Romania
FAKE NEWS: The assassination in Arad is a sign that terrorist attacks will follow in Romania

Due to its NATO membership, Romania has grown more vulnerable and is likely to become the target of organized crime and terrorism, and the car bomb attack in Arad is just the beginning. The false narrative is being promoted by Sputnik and is part of the pro-Kremlin publication’s efforts to undermine Romanians’ confidence in NATO.

DISINFORMATION: The killing of the bear Arthur proves Romania is a Western colony
DISINFORMATION: The killing of the bear Arthur proves Romania is a Western colony

The hunt of a trophy-bear by a Prince of Lichtenstein is used as an opportunity to breathe new life into narratives depicting Romania as a Western colony. This disinformation seeks to capitalize on the wave of public outrage sparked by this story, which has already prompted a criminal investigation into poaching and illegal use of firearms.

FAKE NEWS: Romania is being ruled by Western ambassadors
FAKE NEWS: Romania is being ruled by Western ambassadors

Romania is ruled by foreign ambassadors, an online publication writes, referring to an older narrative used extensively in recent years by populist, nationalist or corrupt figures. This time, the argument used to support the narrative is a statement by Senate Speaker, Anca Dragu, who said she has regular meetings with representatives of the diplomatic corps.

FAKE NEWS: Turkey stands for a non-conflictual approach, while Romania and Poland favor a militaristic one
FAKE NEWS: Turkey stands for a non-conflictual approach, while Romania and Poland favor a militaristic one

Turkey’s diplomacy is non-conflictual, unlike that of Romania and Poland, the Kremlin’s loudspeaker, Sputnick, writes. The publication presents the Romania – Poland – Turkey Trilateral meeting in Bucharest from its own perspective and makes up non-existent fractures in the approaches of the three countries.

FAKE NEWS: Americans are using Islamic terrorism against Russia
FAKE NEWS: Americans are using Islamic terrorism against Russia

The United States has been allegedly advocating the Islamic terrorism phenomenon ever since the 80s, and is now planning to conjure its ghost, according to a fake narrative publicized by Evenimentul Zilei. The publication mainly revisits older conspiracy theories, mixing them with speculation over what they claim to be the hidden meaning of certain recent events.

DISINFORMATION: Romania risks going to war with Russia because of Ukraine
DISINFORMATION: Romania risks going to war with Russia because of Ukraine

Romania risks going to war with Russia because of a technical-military cooperation agreement it has concluded with Ukraine, according to an article taken over by several Romanian publications. This disinformation appears against the background of the narratives recently promoted by Russia regarding an imminent resumption of the conflict in Donbass.

FAKE NEWS: The WHO has modified some of its medical definitions to cause a pandemic and vaccination hysteria
FAKE NEWS: The WHO has modified some of its medical definitions to cause a pandemic and vaccination hysteria

The World Health Organization has modified the definitions of the pandemic and herd immunity, first to be able to declare a state of pandemic, and subsequently in order to impose vaccination on a large scale. The narrative is amplified by the Russian channel Sputnik, quoting TV producer Răzvan Dumitrescu, who in turn has picked it up from American sources.

DISINFORMATION: masks and lockdown are useless, Covid-19 exposure ensures herd immunity
DISINFORMATION: masks and lockdown are useless, Covid-19 exposure ensures herd immunity

The controversial Flavia Groșan, the doctor who claims to have discovered an extremely effective anti-Covid treatment scheme, has stated that the measures taken to prevent the spread of Covid-19 are ineffective and also cited an alleged British example of herd immunity. The statements have been widely taken over and underlined by publications that are skeptical about the vaccine.

FAKE NEWS: The Russian threat – a lie to justify NATO’s existence
FAKE NEWS: The Russian threat – a lie to justify NATO’s existence

The North-Atlantic Treaty Alliance needs “the Russian threat” to keep going, as this is its only reason of existence. This fake narrative has been promoted by Sputnik, Russia’s public mouthpiece, quoting the statements of a Russian senator.

FAKE NEWS: In the eyes of the USA, Transylvania doesn’t belong to Romania, just as Crimea doesn’t belong to Russia
FAKE NEWS: In the eyes of the USA, Transylvania doesn’t belong to Romania, just as Crimea doesn’t belong to Russia

Sputnik writes that the United States would validate the idea that Transylvania doesn’t belong to Romania, because the embassy didn’t delete a certain commentary posted by a Romanian on Facebook. In fact, Sputnik is trying to link the status of Crimea, occupied and annexed by Russia, to that of Transylvania.

FAKE NEWS: The Great Reset seeks to kill the elderly with coronavirus and vaccines
FAKE NEWS: The Great Reset seeks to kill the elderly with coronavirus and vaccines

The aging population is the target of a far-reaching extermination effort by cutting it off from the rest of the population, exposing it to the risk of COVID infection and injecting it with “killer vaccines”. Published in Romania, this fake news is a carry-over of older narratives, including some disseminated in Russia and China, and builds on a more recent conspiracy theory: the Great Reset.

FAKE NEWS: The Americans want to attack Russia, but their tanks are as bad as the Nazis’
FAKE NEWS: The Americans want to attack Russia, but their tanks are as bad as the Nazis’

American tanks couldn’t invade Russia and would be facing the same difficulties German armored divisions did during the Second World War. This fake news underscores narratives about the attack plans of NATO and the USA, while also referring to metanarratives linked to the Second World War.

FAKE NEWS: Clotilde Armand is cutting the funding of hospitals in District 1
FAKE NEWS: Clotilde Armand is cutting the funding of hospitals in District 1

Bucharest District 1 Mayor, Clotilde Armand, has allegedly cut the funding of four of the most important hospitals in Bucharest, all located in District 1. This is a false narrative, promoted on a number of media channels and endorsed by politicians of the largest opposition party, PSD.

Ceaușescu was a great leader of sovereign Romania
Ceaușescu was a great leader of sovereign Romania

Sputnik has now joined the current trying to rehabilitate Nicolae Ceaușescu and advance the idea that he was a great leader and patriot, and Romania thrived under Ceaușescu. Some of the concepts are similar to those of proto-chronism, national-communism and sovereigntist lines of thought.

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