Disinformation Without Deception: Russian Narratives in West Africa

Why It Matters

Russian strategic narratives can shift African public opinion without overt deception, posing a subtle threat to democratic resilience and foreign‑policy dynamics in the region.

Key Takeaways

• Russian narratives reshape West African attitudes toward the West.
• Strategic narratives combine overt media, covert influencers, and offline events.
• Survey experiment shows attitude shifts even when content isn’t recognized as Russian.
• Identity and issue narratives resonate more than system-level propaganda.
• Full‑spectrum operations amplify Russia’s influence across Sahel and West Africa.

Summary

The final installment of Harvard’s misinformation speaker series featured Dr. Samantha Bradshaw, a technology‑security scholar, who examined how Russian strategic narratives are resonating with audiences in West Africa. Bradshaw framed the research as a response to a gap in the disinformation literature, which has largely focused on American and European publics, and outlined a mixed‑methods study—focus groups and a survey experiment—in Côte d’Ivoire and Mali.

Her findings challenge the conventional view that disinformation works only by deceiving people with false facts. Exposure to Russian‑linked content shifted attitudes toward the United States, France, and Russia even when respondents recognized the material as Russian. The effect was strongest for identity‑based and issue‑specific narratives—such as critiques of Western moralism and promises of security—rather than abstract system‑level propaganda.

Bradshaw highlighted striking data: approval of Russia rose from 47% to 73% in Côte d’Ivoire and from 44% to 94% in Mali over five years. She illustrated the “full‑spectrum” approach that blends overt state‑backed outlets (RT, Sputnik Africa), covert influencers (e.g., pan‑African personality Natalie Yam), and offline grassroots networks like the Russian‑African Partnership protests.

The research suggests that policymakers must monitor not just fake news but the broader narrative ecosystem that can reshape public opinion without overt deception. Understanding the layered tactics of Russian influence is essential for safeguarding democratic discourse across the Sahel and broader West African region.

Original Description

Disinformation is often assumed to work by deceiving audiences, but influence can occur even when misleading content is recognized as such. This talk examines how Russian strategic narratives circulating on social media resonate with audiences in West Africa. Drawing on mixed-methods research in Côte d’Ivoire and Mali, the talk explores whether and how exposure shifts perceptions of foreign powers. The findings highlight how disinformation operates through resonance with existing grievances rather than belief, underscoring the importance of context-sensitive approaches.

This event was part of the Speaker Series on Misinformation, co-sponsored by the Shorenstein Center for Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School and the Network Science Institute at Northeastern University.

Samantha Bradshaw is a scholar of technology, security, and democracy. She is the director of the Center for Security, Innovation & New Technology (CSINT) at American University (AU) and an Assistant Professor at AU’s School of International Service. Her research has been published in leading academic journals, and featured in global media outlets such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN and Bloomberg Magazine. Samantha regularly speaks on expert panels, delivers keynote addresses, and advises governments and international organizations. Previous speaking and advisory engagements include UNESCO, NATO, and the G7.