The whirl of conspiracy theories that enveloped Catherine, Princess of Wales, before she disclosed her cancer diagnosis last week probably didn’t need help from a foreign state.
But researchers in Britain said Wednesday that a notorious Russian disinformation operation helped stir the pot.
As in those cases, Professor Innes said, the influence campaign appeared calculated to inflame divisions, deepen a sense of chaos in society, and erode trust in institutions — in this case, the British royal family and the news media.
“The story was already being framed in conspiracy terms, so you can appeal to those people.
And people who support the royal family get angry.”
Persons:
Catherine, Princess of Wales, Martin Innes, Volodymyr Zelensky, Innes, ”
Organizations:
Cardiff University, Ukraine
Locations:
Britain, Wales, —