Media analysis of the text on the example of Chinese strategy of information warfare

Van Zekai Master of the Department of International Journalism of St. Petersburg State University 199034, Russia, Saint Petersburg, nab. University, 7/9 NikonovS@mail.ru Mel'nik Galina Sergeevna Doctor of Politics Professor of the Department of Digital Media Communications of St. Petersburg State University 199034, Russia, Saint Petersburg, nab. University, 7/9 melnik.gs@gmail.com Labush Nikolai Sergeevich Doctor of Politics Professor of the Department of International Journalism of St. Petersburg State University 199034, Russia, Saint Petersburg, nab. University, 7/9 ns_labush@mail.ru

Baichik Anna Vital'evna Doctor of Politics Professor of the Department of International Journalism of St. Petersburg State University 199034, Russia, Saint Petersburg, nab. University, 7/9 annabaichik@gmail.com

Introduction

In a world where media platforms play a key role in shaping public opinion, information wars are becoming increasingly important. In conflicts such as those that took place in Hong Kong of China and Xinjiang of China, media tools were used by all sides to manipulate and influence people's opinions.

In the era of digitalization and the development of social media, people receive information quickly and from different sources. This makes the control and analysis of information extremely important for understanding how public opinion is manipulated ^[5].

The purpose of the study is to analyze the media analysis of China's "promotion" in the information war.

The objectives of the study are to:

· describe the essence of information warfare;

· to show the role of media analysis in the context of information warfare;

· to characterize the features of information warfare in the modern world;

· assess the impact of media on the information war in China;

· to analyze the challenges associated with media analysis in China's information war;

· use methods and metrics to analyze media content about the information war in China.

It is important for our research to determine the essence of the information warfare. Information technologies at the current level of development create broad opportunities for managing political conflicts both on the scale of one state and at the regional level. These technologies, which are actively used in information wars, have a number of advantages over traditional means of struggle due to their massive impact on the moral and psychological state of the population of the enemy country or individual parties, movements and political associations.

A special advantage of information warfare lies in the fact that the special services are unable to identify such an impact in a timely manner and take protective measures to ensure information security. Information propaganda, as an integral and significant part of the information war, creates an atmosphere of immorality and lack of spirituality, disorients the population, over which it becomes impossible to establish control by peaceful means ^[4].

The conceptual basis of the theory of information warfare is the theory of "soft power" by S. Man ^[8]. The term "soft power" has become widely used in the lexicon of politicians and scientists. It should be added that the foreign policy concept of the Russian Federation of February 12, 2013 is also based on the idea that "soft power is becoming an integral part of modern international politics ^[1]. In this case, "soft power" becomes a comprehensive tool for achieving political goals, which can be used permanently both in conditions of open armed conflict and in peaceful periods of cooperation. "Soft power" primarily includes those technologies that are least expensive, have weak recognizability and are highly effective in transforming the behavior of a political opponent using non-violent methods.

"Soft power" is considered by the theorist as the ability to influence other states in order to achieve their own goals through cooperation in certain areas aimed at persuasion and the formation of a positive perception ^[9].

Thus, information wars with their possibilities of manipulating public consciousness, the political situation and the emotional climate in other states provide opportunities for the destruction of its political and social values without the use of physical violence.

Let's try to define the role of media analysis in the context of information warfare. This role is extremely important and covers a number of key aspects:

First, it is the identification of manipulations and fake news. These aspects include content analysis, fact checking, and the use of technology.

1. Media analysis includes a detailed analysis of texts, images, video and audio materials to identify inconsistencies, contradictions or signs of falsification.

2. Using fact-checking to verify information and establish the reliability of statements, comparing data with independent sources and facts.

3. The use of specialized algorithms and programs for automatic or semi-automatic analysis of large amounts of data in order to identify anomalies and manipulations.

Secondly, it is an assessment of the reliability of sources. At this stage, it is important to verify the accuracy of the information and to contextualize the data.

1. Media analysis includes evaluating information sources based on their reputation, history of providing accurate information, level of community trust, and other factors.

2. Evaluate the data according to the context of their receipt and publication in order to determine their objectivity and neutrality.

Thirdly, it is the identification of trends and patterns, which includes the process of data analysis, as well as the use of analytical tools:

1. Collecting and analyzing data from various sources to identify common trends, patterns of behavior and information models.

2. The use of statistical methods, machine learning and other analytical tools to identify and interpret behavioral patterns.

And fourthly, it is the creation of information security strategies and countermeasures.

This includes the process of developing protective measures (using analysis data to develop strategies to counter fake news, manipulation and information attacks) and the process of taking preventive measures (developing proactive measures to detect and block unwanted information influences).

In the information war, the media respond to various challenges. In China's information war, it is the restriction of public access to relevant and truthful information. In addition, China has introduced a system of strict censorship. In China, many Internet resources are simply blocked; there are also internal resources that are available only to Chinese residents. All this makes media analysis on this topic much more difficult ^[3].

The second challenge is to post fake information, fake news. These tools are actively used in the information war. This creates challenges for media analysts in identifying genuine information and facts from false or distorted data.

The next challenge is the large amount of information that needs to be processed to obtain high-quality information. Sometimes there are so many information resources on the same information channel that their processing is problematic, it takes a very long time. Thus, in the information war, many different sources of information are used: from official news agencies to social media and anonymous sources ^[6].

The fourth challenge to media analysis in China's information war is systematic attempts to manipulate public opinion. The activities of media campaigns in the information war are often aimed at manipulating public opinion. This creates a problem of data interpretation, since analysts must be able to identify and distinguish between facts and pseudo-information put into circulation for manipulation.

All these challenges create problems and difficulties in conducting media analyses on the analyzed topic. But, at the same time, these challenges do not make media analysis an unattainable goal. Conducting media analysis using various metrics and techniques is still available.

Research methods

     The article uses a discourse analysis of the media text, identifies expressive linguistic means, the semantic meaning of words and expressions, and the communicative orientation of the text.

The source for the analysis is an article on the topic "Celestial Truth: who and why is waging an information war with the PRC." Let's consider the essence of the metrics and techniques used in the course of conducting a media analysis.

The headline "The Celestial Truth: who and why is waging an information war with the PRC" has a neutral or even ironic tone.

The headline is not overtly critical or absolutely supportive of the status of China (PRC). It is rather informative and analytical and can be a search for the truth or an explanation of a difficult situation. The use of the phrase "Celestial Truth" may mean an attempt to denote the real truth or the essence of events in China (Celestial is the poetic name of China), but in the context of information warfare, the author adds some irony or sarcasm, pointing out the difficulty of identifying the truth in this context ^[8].

The text has a critical connotation regarding accusations against China (PRC) for human rights violations in Xinjiang. He expresses doubts and criticism about such accusations, emphasizing possible ulterior motives and information operations on the part of the United States.

The analytical genre of the publication - the article – allows us to comprehensively characterize China (PRC) as the object of accusations of information warfare, presenting it as the central figure in these accusations.

The text is an analytical article with elements of critical analysis and interpretation of international relations and information warfare.

The essence of the text focuses on accusations against China (PRC) on human rights violations in Xinjiang and raising the issue of possible ulterior motives and information operations related to these accusations.

Let's present a more detailed analysis of the article:

1. The essence of the discussion is as follows.

The article mentions that the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has published secret documents that, according to them, demonstrate a mass surveillance system and the detention of about a million residents in detention centers.

The British and American governments have called on China to allow UN experts access to the region to independently assess the human rights situation.

China denies the authenticity of the documents, calling them fake, and claims that the events in Xinjiang are China's internal affairs.

2. Let's identify the main points.

The publication notes that Western countries, especially the United States and the United Kingdom, are actively criticizing China and imposing sanctions in connection with allegations of human rights violations in the Xinjiang region. Britain, as well as other countries, have strongly condemned Beijing earlier, accusing it of forcibly detaining people in the region.

It is mentioned that Xinjiang has historically been a troubled region with separatist sentiments, and the central Chinese authorities have responded to these trends by introducing measures to prevent radicalization and terrorist acts.

China's reaction and awareness: Chinese official sources react to the accusations and emphasize that China must fight the Western information war, which is shaping public opinion about it in the world community. At the same time, the article points to some uncertainty in Beijing in effectively working with the world's media and organizations for counter-communications.

The article contains both a geopolitical context and a mention of the role of information operations ^[2].

1. Geopolitical context: The article emphasizes that accusations of human rights violations can be used to put pressure on China in the framework of trade negotiations between the United States and China.

2. The role of information operations: Expert opinions link accusations against China with similar information operations in the past, which indicates the possible use of information warfare tactics.

The general conclusion of the analysis: This publication discusses the current accusations against China regarding human rights violations in the Xinjiang region, but also highlights the historical and political contexts of this problem. She also points out the differences between Western countries and Muslim countries in their approach to this problem and the existing contradictions in assessing the situation.

Conclusion

The Chinese concept of network warfare opens up further prospects and opportunities for the Chinese leadership and military specialists to work on the creation and implementation of the latest technology samples.

In the context of the information war in China, it becomes clear that modern technologies and social media have become a powerful tool for influencing public opinion and shaping the perspective of events. The information war in China has a global impact, attracting the attention of the international community. Global media and international platforms actively monitor and cover events in the region, which can influence the perception of the conflict beyond its borders.

The impact of the information war has a significant impact on public opinion. There is the use of various methods, including fake news, disinformation, to influence public sentiment and views.

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