Another war, another flood of disinformation. The fake news about the war between Israel and Hamas is spreading like wildfire. Millions of social media accounts continue to relay Russian propaganda. This is the war that Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is fighting.

BETC’s new campaign for RSF is built with real social media posts. The collection of lies demonstrates journalism’s importance in combatting disinformation. It highlights Russian propaganda messages denying the facts about the invasion of Ukraine that have been posted and shared on social media, sometimes tens of thousands of times. The video’s message is that only the work of journalists on the ground can enable us to thwart disinformation, manipulation, and propaganda. It was created by BETC with support from the Dutch foreign ministry, produced by BETC’s production arm, POP, and directed by Chloé Dupeyrat.

The new work follows RSF’s campaign video released at the end of 2022 about the propaganda speeches delivered by Vladimir Putin on Russian television. It aims to get viewers to appreciate journalism’s importance in raising awareness and in motivating the public about issues that are critical for their future.

“The work of journalists on the ground, in Ukraine, in the Middle East and throughout the world is needed to report the reality of the facts and reduce the impact of propaganda, manipulation, and rumour. As part of a 360-degree strategy that includes satellite broadcasting, the challenges of artificial intelligence, work in the field and influencing decision-makers, RSF is developing innovative solutions in order to promote trustworthy reporting and protect journalism,” stated Christophe Deloire, RSF secretary-general.

In Ukraine, RSF teams are still providing material, psychological, and financial assistance to journalists who need it. In Lviv and Kyiv, the press freedom centres created by RSF continue to receive dozens of reporters every day. To thwart the propaganda broadcast by the Kremlin, RSF has also launched an unprecedented initiative – the provision of independent TV content to Russian-speaking audiences by satellite.

The campaign video also intends to help RSF raise part of the funds it needs to continue its work in Ukraine and the rest of the world. Targeted at the general public, it will be carried by TV channels, shared on social media, and made available to all websites that want it.

Credits:

Client: RSF (Reporters Without Borders)
Client Team: Christophe Deloire, Emilie Poirier
Ad Agency: BETC Paris
Production Company: POP (Prose On Pixels)
Director: Chloe Dupeyrat
Sound Company: GUM