Shaping the narrative of (dis)information, a view from the Czech Republic

Abstract

This paper examines how narratives concerning Ukraine are constructed and adapted within the Czech public sphere through the interaction of media visibility, social capital, business interests, and access to political institutions. Rather than approaching disinformation exclusively as the dissemination of false content, the study focuses on the social and institutional environment in which narratives acquire legitimacy and political influence. It analyses the public discourse and professional networks of two prominent Czech entrepreneurs and philanthropists, Libor Winkler and Jan Barta, between 2014 and 2026. The research combines social network analysis with a qualitative examination of approximately 3,000 media outputs retrieved from the Newton Media Archive, comparing narrative developments before and after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The paper highlights the importance of examining the relationship between values-based communication, elite networks, and material interests when assessing how influential public narratives about Ukraine are produced and sustained.