Unreliable Storytelling in Reporting on Conflict Situations
In the digital realm of X (formerly Twitter), a polarising open-source intelligence (OSINT) account named Visegrád 24 has been making waves. Co-founded by Stefan Tompson, a Polish-South African individual with connections to right-wing content and US non-profit status, the account has been a subject of debate due to its lack of journalistic credentials and questionable content.
Stefan Tompson, while associated with conservative and right-wing global narratives, does not have an explicit journalistic or political background as detailed in the available information. The account's other founders or administrators, beyond Tompson, remain unnamed in the search results.
Visegrád 24's biography states that they "aggregate and curate news, politics, and current affairs." However, their content has been criticised for being war-mongering and propagating a right-wing perspective. Notable incidents include the false claim in March 2022 that Leonardo DiCaprio donated 10 million USD to Ukraine, and the subsequent false report in May 2023 that the Freedom for Russia Legion downed a Russian Mi-8 helicopter in the Belgorod region of Russia.
The account's actions have drawn criticism from the journalism community, with many good reporters who verify and authenticate their stories feeling ignored in the face of Visegrád 24's unreliable information. Jan Smoleński, a political scientist and lecturer at the University of Warsaw, comments that Visegrád 24's purpose is to promote and advance the right-wing perspective from Poland and the CEE region.
A study published by the Center For an Informed Public at the University of Washington reveals that Visegrád 24 received a staggering 371,770,355 total views on their posts about the Israeli-Hamas conflict. This highlights the account's significant reach, despite its lack of journalistic credibility.
It is important to note that Visegrád 24 does not conduct original reporting. Instead, they republish actual reporters' reporting, raising questions about the account's role in the dissemination of information. The account's content has been found to be less reliable during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, further fuelling concerns about its credibility.
Open-source intelligence accounts like Visegrád 24 gather information via publicly available sources such as broadcast TV and radio, social media, and websites. However, the account's tendency to spread unreliable information and its right-wing perspective have raised concerns about its impact on public discourse.
Visegrád 24 is not associated with Visegrád Insight, a central European analysis and media platform. The account's co-founder, Stefan Tompson, has been identified as a key figure in the account's operations, but the extent of his involvement and the identities of other administrators remain unclear.
In conclusion, Visegrád 24 is an open-source intelligence account with a significant reach, co-founded by Stefan Tompson. Despite his connections to right-wing content and US non-profit status, Tompson's detailed journalistic and political history remains unclear. The account's content has been criticised for its unreliability and right-wing perspective, raising concerns about its impact on public discourse.
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