NewsFront: Slovak lawyer producing pro-Russian propaganda
Cover photo: kremlin.ru, Flag pole photo created by jannoon028 - www.freepik.comThe Slovak-language version of NewsFront is currently disseminating pro-Russian claims about the invasion of Ukraine. Who is the creative force behind the Slovak NewsFront site? The findings of the Investigative Centre of Ján Kuciak (ICJK) suggest it could be lawyer and member of the Slovak Union of Antifascist Fighters, Vladimír Zemko.
Hungarian PM’s advisor, Minister of Defence held interest in deceptive “international news agency”
Source: AtlatszoThe editorial office of V4NA, the organisation owned by KESMA, unofficial chief advisor to Prime Minister Árpád Habony and Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, was not based in London, but in the third district of the Hungarian capital
Márton Sarkadi Nagy
NewsFront: From Crimea with hate
Source: ICJKSince Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as we found out, NewsFront has been playing a significant role in spreading anti-Ukrainian narratives in some Visegrad countries – especially in Slovakia. A complex redistribution scheme allows Kremlin propaganda to avoid bans and reach audiences in the region.
“Ukrainization” in the shade of Braun
Grzegorz Braun during the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the victory at Chocim, Rzeszow, 25.09.2021. Source: Maciej Goclon / FotoNews / ForumRussian propaganda tries to frighten Poles with “Ukrainization” of their country. That catchphrase is being used and promoted by MP Grzegorz Braun and far-right influencers. Similar narrative emerged simultaneously in other Eastern European countries.
Julia Dauksza
Anna Gielewska
NOTES FROM THE REGION
Orbán’s „mixed race speech”: Nazi talk or a badly phrased political diversion?
Hate-mongering, unacceptable words reminiscent of fascism and nazi ideology – these are some of the comments on the speech given by Viktor Orbán in Băile Tuşnad, Romania in July, at this year’s event of the annual “Tusványos Festival”.
Gabriella Horn
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Reporters Foundation (Fundacja Reporterów) was established in 2010 by a group of leading Polish reporters. For many years its main mission was to train and support journalists from Eastern Europe, especially from Ukraine – through workshops, conferences and journalism awards. Support to strengthen cooperation between reporters and the skills of investigative journalists in Central Europe is an important part of Foundation’s philosophy.
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investigace.cz
The Czech Centre for Investigative Journalism (České centrum pro investigativní žurnalistiku) was founded in 2013 by Czech journalists to promote cross-border investigative projects, train journalists and address the need of local journalism to follow new media trends. Center was part of global investigative journalism projects such as Pulitzer Prize winning Panama Papers, Swissleaks or Global Laundromat.
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atlatszo.hu
“Atlatszo” means transparent in Hungarian. Established in 2011, it’s Hungary’s first investigative non-profit journalistic organisation financed by nonpartisan and non-governmental sources.
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Direkt36 is a non-profit investigative journalism center in Hungary with the mission to expose wrongdoings and abuse of power through fair but tough reporting, a kind of journalism that is vital for any democracy.
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icjk.sk
The Investigative Center of Ján Kuciak (ICJK) was established in 2019. Named after the Slovak journalist who was murdered in 2018, ICJK aims to be a platform for the collaboration of Slovak investigative journalists with their colleagues abroad. Partner center of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
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Wojciech Cieśla
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Gabriella HornShe has been working as a journalist and news editor for over 20 years now, at News Network Ltd., RTL Klub television and a number of national print publications. Freelancing for atlatszo.hu from the beginning, she joined full time in 2019. Based in Budapest.