Duped by Russia, freelance writers ensnared in disinformation campaign

When freelance journalist Laura Walters submitted a 1,000-word article about Chinese political influence in New Zealand to her editors at non-profit media outlet Peace Data, the response was emphatic.

“It’s hard to believe how totalitarian countries are finding ways to meddle even in the strongest democracies around the globe,” wrote Peace Data communications manager Alice Schultz.

But that e-mail itself now appears to have been a small part of one such meddling attempt.

Acting on a tip from the FBI, Facebook and Twitter identified Peace Data as part of a Russian political influence campaign targeting voters in the US, Britain and other countries.

The website tricked journalists into writing articles about topics including the US presidential election, the coronavirus pandemic and alleged Western war crimes, Facebook said.

Correspondence and interviews with six journalists commissioned by the website shows how the writers were approached on social media, paid, and sometimes encouraged to insert political angles into their work.

A person who identified themselves as Bernadett Plaschil, an associate editor at Peace Data, said via e-mail: “We're really confused by these accusations and deny all of them.” The person declined to speak via phone or video call.

The news follows warnings that Russia is attempting to sway the outcome of November's US election after what US intelligence officials said was a concerted effort to boost the campaign of President Donald Trump in 2016.

Russia has repeatedly denied those allegations.

“I actually referenced the Russian 2016 interference in the article I wrote,” said Walters, who was paid to write the story for Peace Data in June. “I appreciate the irony right now.”

Peace Data “staff” approached Walters and other authors online and paid promptly via internet money transfers, the writers said.

All of the journalists contacted said they had no knowledge about the website's Russian backing.

Some said they viewed the work as an easy way to earn money during the coronavirus outbreak. Others were aspiring reporters looking for a break.

Russia's use of fake organisations to ensnare unwitting agents as part of its propaganda efforts dates back to the Soviet Union, said Thomas Rid, a professor at Johns Hopkins University.

As efforts to catch online influence operations have increased since 2016, “defaulting back to some of the old school tactics appears to be what they are doing to try to stay hidden”, he said. — Reuters