How Austria's major media outlets are going along with Russian propaganda. Investigation

In light of this, some media outlets in Austria tend to support viewpoints characteristic of the Russian official narratives as well as controversial ideas, including anti vaccination sentiments. While not all these media have a connection with Russia, its influence is evident, even at first glance.

On top of that, there are a number of public figures in Austria who tend to view Russia in positive terms. Some of them are Karin Kneissel, Herbet Kickl, and Robert Stelzl. Also Jürgen Elsässe, a German journalist, who openly condoned Russia’s actions in Ukraine and has engaged in outright right-wing rethoric. Among the political parties the ones with the most anti-Ukrainian agenda are the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), while the People Freedom Fundamental Rights (MFG) party actively proliferates ideas of conspiracy theories and opposition to vaccination.

This article examines how these media and public figures speak about controversial events, with a specific focus on the war in Ukraine.

Anti-Ukrainian agenda or market competition?

Where the largest media Heute and Kronen Zeitung stand

Among the media outlets with the highest outreach are Heute and Kronen Zeitung, which publish both in digital and in print. They each have an an estimated combined digital/print audience of three and a half million unique users in Austria and close to six million unique readers per month.

The rise of the right-wing Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) is tied to the work of Kronen Zeitung. FPÖ openly promotes eurosceptic, anti-migrant, and Russia-leaning agendas.

Kronen Zeitung articles echo the rhetorics of this party. For instance, the newspaper directly translates Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s rethoric on migration, speaks of “Ukrainian soldiers complain(ing) about NATO training”, infers that Austria’s farmers are at loss because of the grain from Ukraine, which is “actually intended for Africa”. However,such reporting is not prevailing across the output of the two publications, and gets lost amongst other articles.

Heute is a tabloid designed for public transport passengers and provides information in a simplistic way. The official position of the newspaper is independence from any political and commercial influences. However, its leadership has ties to the Socialist Party of Austria (SPÖ), which has a low profile on Ukraine. Due to the recent change in party leadership, this may soon change. For now "Heute" gives voice to the politicians of Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) who criticize refugees from Ukraine, by telling the public about their supposed luxury lifestyle. Heutegives the leader of the Wiens FPÖ-Chef Dominik Nepp a platform. He claims that Ukrainian refugees are super-rich, which has the effect of lessening compassion amongst the Austrian audience and their willingness to support the displaced from Ukraine.

Kronen Zeitung and Heute are tabloid media with a wide outreach. Their reporting is rather simplistic, with articlesfollowing a variety of storylines. One can come across reports of Ukraine’s lack of success in implementation of military strategies, or Russia’s war crimes. For this reason the reporting agenda appears fragmented and chaotic.

Apparently, the main goal is to provide the reader with as much material as possible to peruse, without explicitly choosing sides. Possibly, this is also an attempt to play to the interests of the Austrian voting public, which are quite broad and eclectic.

The far-right media cluster is the mouthpiece of anti-vaxxers and the Kremlin

In Austria there are a number of media outlets with a more clear anti-Ukrainian and anti-vaccination agenda, but with a less widespread readership.

The three main media that disseminate explicit narratives are: Auf 1, "Wochenblick", and Report 24. The media included in the so-called "Upper Austrian cluster" are especially strong in this region as the FPÖ is in the local government there, with MFG joining the local parliament in 2021. Similar narratives about "conspiracies" and pro-Russian propaganda are being promoted there.

“According to right-wing extremism researcher Bianca Kempf of the Documents Archive of the Austrian Resistance (DÖW), all three) media outlets have in common “the overspread of disinformation and conspiracy narratives: as the pandemic has grown, “resistance” against “coronavirus” has become central to dictatorship.” Last but not least, it uses anti-Semitic codes, for example, when it comes to "globalists" or "financial elite", the expert believes. For weeks now, anti-feminist, anti-LGBTIQ content has been circulating there again, opposing "gender madness", alleged "early sexualization" or "globogomo" says derstandard.de.

Auf 1 and Report 24 regularly spread false information about Coronavirus measures and vaccinations since its founding, unsubstantiated claims are being made about alleged bioweapons research laboratories in Ukraine. The attack on Ukraine is described as an understandable reaction: "It should be pretty clear that [Putin] would not tolerate the decadent goings-on on his doorstep forever, especially when it comes to the expansion of NATO to the Russian border."

The articles of "Report 24" look comparatively “smarter” if you evaluate them against, for example, the reporting style of Auf1. The narrative is constructed quite cleverly (but still not sophisticated), with interrogative constructions in the titles and implied meanings. In such reports, it is customary to use conjectures and to build entire arguments on them. They talk about fears associated with unwanted, dangerous and disgusting practices such as drug use, illegal arms trafficking, corruption, murder, and physical violence. One gets the feeling that everything connected with the Ukrainian war is an abomination. These strategies are encountered in other media, though in milder manifestations, and will be referred to again.

However, the audience coverage of these media is relatively small - it does not exceed one million per month.

The television broadcaster Servus-TV has more serious coverage (sometimes reachingone and a half million unique users and over 3 million visits), which is close to Querdenker (the term refers to individuals or groups, notably associated with opposing government COVID-19 measures) and owned by Red Bull, the energy-drink maker. Servus-TV’s main narratives about Ukraine include: 1) the country does not spare its soldiers and will fight to the last man, and 2) Ukrainians also commit war crimes. The broadcaster gives a platform to controversial pro-Russian political activist Robert Stelzl, who claimed that it would be a big mistake for Austria to take part in the sanctions against Russia. While these media are aggressive, more serious concerns arise from media eXXpress with an even higher audience reach.

eXXpress - could it be Ukraine’s main enemy in the Austrian media?

eXXpress is an Austrian media holding company, which in terms of anti-Ukrainian rhetoric and audience reach deserves closer attention. It differs from previous major media outlets, where anti-Ukrainian narratives are rather situational and media with a more pronounced conspiracy agenda are less influential. Gross and consistent cases of information manipulation on eXXpress are indisputable.

With the monthly visit rate approaching 5 million unique users its public presence is comparable tothat of Heute or Kronen Zeitung. With these numbers it holds 13th place in the Austrian ranking. Half of its readership is from Austria, up to 20% from Germany, and there also appears to be a substantial audience beyond Europe, mostly in China and Russia.

eXXpress consists of a web-portal and a TV channel that has been broadcasting since June 2021. Politically, it is close to the ÖVP and FPÖ, it also campaigns for its candidates.

One of its founders and now acting editor-in-chief Richard Schmitt once had a close connection to Heute and especially to Kronen Zeitung, where he participated in the editorial decision-making. He repeatedly spreads untruths about investigative authorities and investigative media. Nevertheless, the federal government still provides eXXpress with millions in tax money from the digitization fund.

What techniques of manipulation of information does eXXpress use?

Apart from being untruthful and tendentious, eXXpress reporting is also highly manipulative. It takes information out of context and rearranges facts, reinforcing them with editorial additions and interpretations. The outlet makes a lot of effort to create a picture of quality and credibility of information it provides. The reports tend to appeal to expert opinions, supply charts and excerpts from reports, but never providing references and external links.

Here are some examples:

"War in Ukraine: That's how bad the European economy is now".

Further, under a subheading "perplexed energy policy", the text claims that one of the reasons for the actual low decline in demand for fossil fuel in Europe, apart from a mild weather, is that "deindustrialization has already begun". This is “verified” by claiming that "experts are warning", without naming or quoting any experts, thus implying without supporting evidence that the issue is definitely one to be concerned about.

The media writes that the changes in the economic situation in the country and Europe as a whole are tied to the war in Ukraine. Factually, this statement is difficult to refute. The problem lies in the discursive construction, where Ukraine itself is guilty of unfavorably changing economic situation in the region and worldwide.

It doesn’t use direct language, but alludes to the words of others, transmits the message tacitly, which still exerts influence on the reader but also allows space to evade criticism.

Publications at eXXpress address the fear of individuals to face the rise in consumer spendings. For instance, the same article reports that “persistently high inflation, high interest rates and low economic growth are causing problems for Europe”. Depending on the context into which this claim is situated, the understanding of causal relationships will be different.

When examined closely, the article provides a variety of different reasons that contribute to the growing precarity and instability, but in essence they are not necessarily connected to the ongoing war, and the narrative is simplistic and doctors conclusions.

Another publication titled “No cash, blackout, tumult: Europe is preparing for a “horror winter”.

The article is supplemented by a somewhat disturbing picture of a fire lit in the middle of a street in a European city, with strange men with their heads covered by black hoods throwing rubble into the blaze. The image invokes disorder and danger. At the same time, the text refers to reputable journalistic outlets such as Reuters to provide a sense of credibility to the argumentation.

Returning to the issue of rhetoricwhich eXXpress uses in direct connection to the war in Ukraine, there are titles such as “78% of Ukrainians hold Zelensky responsible for corruption in Ukraine”, where focus is placed on the problem of corruption in the country.

Another example is: "Good end to the war? Only 49% are still optimistic". The article purports: “18 months after the start of the war, Ukrainians' hope is dwindling more and more every day. Only 49 percent are optimistic that the war will end well. However, the Ukrainian population agrees on one thing: no national territory will be given up for peace with Russia!”. The thesis comes down to saying Ukrainians don't want compromises, but they don't have much hope anymore either.

They also share a provocative video: This is how every Ukrainian family gets €3,500 from us.

In the video, a Ukrainian woman explains how refugees in Germany can receive not only an apartment and social benefits, but also several thousand euros. Clearly, the desired ' reaction from Austrian viewers is indignation.

How eXXpress engages and mobilizes people

eXXpress reporting refers to anything with potential to increase condemnation amongst the Austrian public. An accumulation of reports of this kind create a comprehensive array of negative associations with Ukraine and anything connected to it. A feeling of criticism and disgust reduces the capacity to feel compassion and reflects negatively on the incoming information. In turn, this plants the seeds of disinformation on fertile ground forfurther manipulations to bear fruit in the future.

Most of the articles are immediately followed by an interactive section with questions. For instance: "Is Austria's neutrality in danger due to the war in Ukraine?", printed in large font and bold. The options for an answer are as follows: "Yes. We should engage in negotiations as a neutral country -- and nothing else!", "No. But it is important that we implement sanctions TOGETHER as Europeans.", or "Neutrality is no longer appropriate anyway.

“For many people it's enough: a new major campaign to return Austria to absolute neutrality”; “It is high time for you to act according to the wishes of the sovereign” – this is how the authors of an open letter to the federal government begin, which calls for Austria to return to absolute neutrality. 40,000 citizens have already signed this initiative in just a few days. The publication contains a direct call for action, shares a link and agitates the reader to participate immediately and ferociously.

Against this background the call of the media to support those affected by the explosion of the Kakhovka Reservoir in Ukraine looks quaint : “The eXXpress community shows its heart: You too can help the flood victims in Ukraine.” One could assume the loyal readers will be happy to join forces to act compassionately, but the publication seems to have had an opposite effect. Perhaps this was the intent all along?. The comments section is flooded with comments putting the blame for the calamity on the “warmongers in Brussels” and Zelensky “who provoked the war”.

Whose voices are invited?

What is also striking is the frequency with which Russia-friendly voices are offered a platform for performance.

On its instagram page, the eXXpress shared a video with one of the videos by Margarita Simonyan, one of the chief Russian propagandists. It was placed on the page without any critical comment or disclaimer. On the contrary, it suggests that “the war in Ukraine and Europe's help for Kiev are already annoying” and adds that Simonyan is “honored by Putin.”

There is a whole series of articles about Karin Kneissl's, views on the war. The commentator on the Putin propaganda channel RT-News and now head of a Russian think tank, who became known worldwide for her wedding curtsy to the dictator in southern Styria, and has been spreading the regime's stories and romantic photos from Moscow on her Twitter account for months. “Austria is not neutral” , writes Kneissl. “The sanctions wouldn't work”, and “Vladimir Putin has no place in the International Court of Justice in The Hague”.

In June 2023, a “letter to the editor” by the Russian ambassador in Vienna, Dmitry Lyubinsky, was published in eXXpress. In it, a number of Russian propaganda statements about an attack on Ukraine in 2022 and a Russian-Ukrainian war are reproduced without reservation. Lyubinskiy engages particularly intensively with the topic of Austria's neutrality, which "contributed to the country's remarkable social and economic prosperity" but is now under threat due to the decisions of the government.

This case is a good illustration of the discursive and managerial approaches of the outlet. Even more crucially, it touches upon the issue that is unique to the Austrian case, and speaks to the minds of the majority of the population of the country, negating the notional differences in convictions usually distinguished.

This way, a voice from Russia's official channel seeps into the reporting. On top of that, without any discretion or motivation to apply a sensible approach. The information is just reproduced as it is in the statement of the envoy, additionally framed by interpretations of the editors. All of these reports have two things in common: they are journalistically inaccurate, and they convey the Kremlin's lies under the guise of appeal for "balance".

For sources, eXXpress relies on the Russian Embassy's Telegram channel, the Russian news agency RIA, Ambassador Ljubinskiy's Facebook profile or Russian television. Russian propaganda seeps into countless stories. One of them is the story of the categorical exclusion of Russian runners from the Vienna City Marathon. A complete hoax – in reality the registration was open to runners of all nationalities. This can be easily proven by the fact that Russian “VCM Ambassador” Leon Terentiv was among the participants, offering his running support with the slogan “Stop the war in Ukraine” .

Editor-in-chief Schmitt also calls on people on his Twitter account to sign the letter to the government which demands to adhere to the venerated principle of neutrality. The supporters include well-known names from the right-wing scene and also the conspiracy blog report24.

An attempt to undermine the authority of the EU and national government?

In eXXpress, not only Ukraine, but EU and “left”politicians are blamed. The publication indicts governments that “do not listen to what people want”.

eXXpress reports about "The extremely rising salaries of EU politicians and officials as well as the billions spent on Kiev", "Electricity prices are skyrocketing here and inflation is affecting millions of Austrians", "EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell (75) is not cold enough. Now is the time to prove that we are ready to die for the ideals of democracy".

The theses that Ukrainians are parasites and that the government's efforts towards the protection of ordinary Austrians are insufficient are also actively promoted. For example, eXXpress claims that there are 14 thousand Ukrainians of conscription age in Austria – "this will be 28 battalions for the Ukrainian armed forces", the article reports.

Articles from eXXpress become source for Russian propaganda

What is potentially worrisome, is that these materials of eXXpress with tendentious headers and often unsubstantiated claims are being reproduced in Russian-language news aggregators, thus embracing a wider audience. For instance, InoSMI.ru website is one of the resources that may be used by those who don't know foreign languages, don't know how to use the available technology for online translation or the like, to look into what is being said on various topics in the European countries or elsewhere.

The fact that the information continues dissemination in this way may have further implications, as it may be used for the reproduction of propaganda narratives inside Russia or the vast population of people who use Russian as a predominant language in their lives worldwide (e.g. this is a reprint and translation of this on eXXpress). Importantly, InoSMI.ru says "The materials of InoSMI contain assessments of foreign media only and do not reflect the position of the editors of InoSMI", thus transferring the responsibility for the shared information on the source.

For some readers, this may create an effect of legitimation of the information provided, as it is produced by a "western" outlet. This claim is also not substantiated – the translated versions distort the meanings found in the original publication. For instance, this article in the original version is titled: “Zelensky fires culture minister: He spent too much money on Holocaust memorial”, while the Russian translation reads “Zelensky fires culture minister: He spent too much money on “Holodomor” museum”, which speaks to different events in history. This example is worth attention particularly because the events of Holodomor in Ukraine are described as genocide of the Ukrainian people inflicted by the early Soviet rule, while in the historical discourse in Russia these events are either overlooked for the most part or not incriminated, and the attempts to do so are debased.

Conclusions

Right-wing media (Auf 1, "Wochenblick", Report 24, eXXpress, and ServusTV, Heute and Kronen Zeitung to an extent), have a close connection with FPÖ (Austrian Freedom Party) and MFG (People Freedom Fundamental Rights), who often engage in the dissemination of conspiracy theories. They are especially strong in Upper Austria, where FPÖ is in charge of local self-governance, with MFG being a member of the local legislative organs since 2021. However, the target of these media is the entire German-speaking area, with Germany and Switzerland included.

MFG is often referred to as “anti-vaccination party”, as it emerged out of the Querdenker movement. There is constant talk of the “Corona dictatorship” or “Corona lie”, of “vaccination junkies”, “criminal child vaccinations” and vaccination as an “instrument of subjugation and control”. Media like Auf 1, "Wochenblick", Report 24 also proliferate Russian propaganda.

Not to forget, even some of largest media in the country, like Kronen Zeitung and Heute insistently transmit a message that the displaced from Ukraine are well-off and therefore do not need support. This misconception is based on the reality that some wealthy Ukrainians do live in Vienna and also by the fact that there are many highly skilled and highly educated people among the displaced from Ukraine who arrived recently. This does not mean that those arriving do not deserve help.

The narrative that the country is neutral is widely used for the left-wing audience. This is where some pro-russian inclinations such as vehement denial of the possibility for the West to provide help for Ukraine stem from. With such convictions in mind a “Forum for Peace” was organized in Vienna in 2023. The agenda of the event was “peace at any cost”, even if that means territorial concessions for Ukraine. And NATO was called the main warmonger.

The forum participants were predominantly people whose world-view formed during the youth protests of the 1960s, and much later during the anti-globalisation movement of the 2000s. The criticism was so high that some participants refused to take part in the forum. Among them, the Organization of the Austrian Trade Unions, who refused to rent the premises.

This indicates that in Austria there is no consensus about Ukraine even among the left. However, the ultra-right pioneers and their supporters are much more unequivocal. Their views, much more consistent and heavily influenced by the Russian, are transmitted both through tabloids and a considerably developed cluster of right-wing media.

The article was written as part of a project aimed at combating misinformation spread by the Russian Federation about refugees from Ukraine in the EU. It involves large-scale monitoring of online media in several EU countries, including Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and Moldova. The media monitoring was conducted in November 2023. The project is supported by CRDF Global.