This event in Spain and Portugal on April 28th, 2022, was disturbing for global news coverage, with a significant portion of the content circulating through multiple languages and platforms. The primary disinformation stems from the incomplete nature of the power outage, which was attributed to a Russian cyberattack or mysterious atmospheric phenomena from 11:56 AM in Portugal. This highlights the potential for false narratives and incitement of conspiracy theories when dealing with natural disasters.
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Initial Disinformation放出 (April 28, 2022):
- By early morning, sources on social media (English, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Italian, Indonesian, Arabic) shared linked to CNN, Reuters, and others, suggesting either a false narrative or a Russians’ disinformation campaigns. Notably, EU Commission and CNN expressed skepticism, questioning whether this was a global cyberattack or an isolated event.
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Subsequent Propagation (April 30, 2022):
- Following CNN’s correction later that same day, other outlets (BBC, Sky News, TV Direct Hash, YouTube) sharing clips of a "rare atmospheric phenomenon" attributed to a "rare atmospheric phenomenon" accounting, attributing网红 closures to an induced atmospheric vibration. These were then painted by users in multiple languages on platforms like TikTok, WhatsApp, and Twitter/X.
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satellite images and more Disinformation (same day):
- While more recent satellite images compared merely with past weather data, principals like COPE, PRavda, etc., continued to disseminate conflicting or incorrect satellite images that claiming "depths in Spain and Portugal were now in darkness" or "Induced atmospheric vibration," both linked to REN’s attributed cause.
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Deception Wizards and Fact-Checking Efforts:
- The disinformation campaigns were orchestrated by various media outlets, with pragmatic fact-checkers and social media users halting their dissemination in search of truth. Operations like Maldita.es and others actively acquitted these content, while Red Eléctrica Española (REE) revealed taking decisive steps in understanding the blackout, though unaware of its root cause, indicating an uncertain investigation process.
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Contrast with True News (April 29, 2022):
- However, on April 29th, content attempted to whitewash the real event. Platforms like Pikabu andDIGKaz truthful disclosure releasing fake videos critical to promoting green policies around Europe, which issued the exact facts about the most famous coal Thermal plant in La Robla (León). This countered the Western-centric narrative and prompted increased scrutiny and contexting.
- Final Article and its Controversy (April 30, 2022):
- The true TNW document, on the other hand, released a video in several languages confirming the demolition of the coal Thermal plant in La Robla. This was a September 2021 operation as part of The Independent, now investigating their claims due to flukeSU accusations from the EU.
This comprehensive summary highlights the complex interplay of media misalignedness, disinformation campaigns, and prolonged discord during this significant event in global news coverage.
