Social media volunteers aim to help Ukraine win the information war

Social media volunteers aim to help Ukraine win the information war

Transcript¹

While Russia attacks Ukraine, Ukrainians are fighting back — not just with Molotov cocktails² — but also with memes. The Ukrainian Ministry³ of Culture leads an effort to win the information war.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

While Russia wages a bloody⁴ war against Ukraine, Ukrainians are fighting back, not just with Molotov cocktails but also with means. The Ukrainian minister of culture is leading an effort to win the information war with help from artists and volunteers. NPR's cybersecurity correspondent Jenna McLaughlin has the story.

JENNA MCLAUGHLIN, BYLINE⁵: In 2008, Valentyna Aksonova got her start working in communications for the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense⁶. She was based in Georgia.

VALENTYNA AKSONOVA: I was supposed to do more peaceful coverages, but it happened as it happened.

MCLAUGHLIN: What was meant to be a safe training program quickly shifted when Russia invaded the small mountainous country on its southern border. Aksonova saw it as a bad omen⁷ for the future of her country.

AKSONOVA: When I saw what Russia had done in 2008, I came back to Ukraine with a certain understanding that we are next.

MCLAUGHLIN: That we are next. Fast-forward to today and Aksonova now works as an adviser⁸ to the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture.

AKSONOVA: West of Ukraine in Lviv.

MCLAUGHLIN: Aksonova says, just weeks ago, Ukrainian government agencies were focused on bringing Ukraine into the digital future. Now she says they've pivoted⁹. They're using technology and social media to fight back against a brutal¹⁰ Russian invasion.

AKSONOVA: We decided¹¹ that this is extremely important to increase the information resistance of our country and show the truth to the whole world.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MCLAUGHLIN: The collective was born. War against war.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Non-English language spoken).

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MCLAUGHLIN: It's a group of artists, translators and other volunteers around the world. They share videos and stylized images with striking blue and neon green text on Instagram, YouTube and other media.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Non-English language spoken).

UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Chanting in non-English language).

MCLAUGHLIN: While posts about Ukrainian sailors swearing at a Russian warship¹² went viral, for example, Aksonova says it's about more than just getting attention.

AKSONOVA: This video and photo is not just content; this is the evidence against the criminal actions of Russian Federation¹³.

MCLAUGHLIN: In the West, Aksonova says Ukrainians believe they have a sympathetic audience, but others are harder to reach.

AKSONOVA: So we create videos in different languages, and we are trying to spread it wherever we can. But we have certain problems in certain countries, such as China, India, the Middle East, some European countries. We still have to work harder there.

MCLAUGHLIN: Volunteers, including former colleagues at the London School of Economics, are helping¹⁴ translate the group's messages. Others are ready to help in any way they can.

AKSONOVA: And if someone can translate into Hindi or someone can make a soup or someone can make 10 interviews per day in different languages (laughter) or someone can shoot the tank - everyone is important now.

MCLAUGHLIN: Aksonova and Ukraine's information army aren't the only ones in this space. She says her team works closely with the Ministry of Digital Transformation¹⁵, which helped create a volunteer army of hackers¹⁶ supporting Ukraine.

AKSONOVA: We need this because we have been heavily attacked by the Russians.

MCLAUGHLIN: Plus, a team of Polish programmers have designed a website to allow anyone in the world to send a message directly to a random¹⁷ Russian cellphone or email. And of course, there's also Russian propaganda and cybercriminals taking advantage of the chaos¹⁸ - all a good reminder¹⁹ that in an information war, it's important to know where the news is coming from and look for as many sources as possible.

Jenna McLaughlin, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF PENSEES' "LUNAMOTH")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 cocktails   

n.鸡尾酒( cocktail的名词复数 )；餐前开胃菜；混合物

参考例句：

• Come about 4 o'clock. We'll have cocktails and grill steaks. 请四点钟左右来，我们喝鸡尾酒，吃烤牛排。 来自辞典例句
• Cocktails were a nasty American habit. 喝鸡尾酒是讨厌的美国习惯。 来自辞典例句

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 omen   

n.征兆，预兆；vt.预示

参考例句：

• The superstitious regard it as a bad omen.迷信的人认为那是一种恶兆。
• Could this at last be a good omen for peace?这是否终于可以视作和平的吉兆了？

8 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

9 pivoted   

adj.转动的，回转的，装在枢轴上的v.（似）在枢轴上转动( pivot的过去式和过去分词 )；把…放在枢轴上；以…为核心，围绕（主旨）展开

参考例句：

• His old legs and shoulders pivoted with the swinging of the pulling. 他一把把地拉着，两条老迈的腿儿和肩膀跟着转动。 来自英汉文学 - 老人与海
• When air is moving, the metal is pivoted on the hinge. 当空气流动时，金属板在铰链上转动。 来自辞典例句

10 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

11 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

12 warship   

n.军舰，战舰

参考例句：

• He is serving on a warship in the Pacific.他在太平洋海域的一艘军舰上服役。
• The warship was making towards the pier.军舰正驶向码头。

13 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

14 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

15 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

16 hackers   

n.计算机迷( hacker的名词复数 )；私自存取或篡改电脑资料者，电脑“黑客”

参考例句：

• They think of viruses that infect an organization from the outside.They envision hackers breaking into their information vaults. 他们考虑来自外部的感染公司的病毒，他们设想黑客侵入到信息宝库中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Arranging a meeting with the hackers took weeks againoff-again email exchanges. 通过几星期电子邮件往来安排见面，他们最终同意了。 来自互联网

17 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

18 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

19 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。