Kremlin Disinformation Discourse: Media Coverage of the Plane Hijack by Belarus on 23 May 2021

Abstract

This paper approaches Kremlin disinformation from a theoretical perspective encompassing key tenets of media discourse analysis, Systemic Functional Linguistics, the Appraisal theory, and research on propaganda and disinformation. On 23 May 2021, the Ryanair flight 4978 flying from Athens to Vilnius was intercepted by a Belarusian warplane and forced to land in Minsk. Afterward, a Belarusian dissident journalist, Roman Protasevich, was detained. This paper aims to contribute to Kremlin disinformation research with insights from Systemic Functional Linguistics and the Appraisal theory. The Appraisal theory is used to discern the specific disinformation strategy employed in compromised media publications covering the forced landing. The main disinformation strategy observed in the dataset revolves around deflecting the targets of moral and axiological evaluation and undermining audience’s sense of truthfulness.