Propaganda: Shaping narratives in times of war

Propaganda: Shaping narratives in times of war

A journalist, philosopher, and historian discuss the challenges of propaganda in contemporary conflicts, using Russia as a key example.

By Knowledge in Crisis

Date and time

Monday, May 5 · 6 - 8pm CEST

Location

Central European University Vienna

51 Quellenstraße 1100 Wien Austria

About this event

  • Event lasts 2 hours

Propaganda has long been a powerful tool for shaping public opinion, influencing international discourse, and justifying military actions. It has played a key role in spreading extremist ideas, especially in past totalitarian regimes like Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union.

In Russia’s war against Ukraine, propaganda has been a central instrument for creating narratives that legitimize aggression, undermine democracy, and manipulate perceptions both domestically and internationally.

At this event, we’ll explore what propaganda is and how it works—particularly in the digital age—using Russian propaganda as a key example. Join us to deepen your understanding of the challenges posed by propaganda in contemporary conflicts, and to critically engage with competing narratives in times of war.

Here's the lineup:

Volodymyr Yermolenko, Philosopher, Journalist, and Editor-in-Chief at Ukraine World

Teresa Marques, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Barcelona

Juliane Fürst, Professor of Contemporary History at Central European University and ZZF Potsdam

With moderation by Fabio Lampert, Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Vienna

Organized by

Knowledge in Crisis is a research project supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) under the Clusters of Excellence programme (10.55776/COE3). We're a collaboration between the University of Graz, the University of Salzburg, and the University of Vienna, led by Central European University.