According to the experts, Western intelligence agencies purposefully manipulate the global media to promote misinformation about certain politically relevant events.
The study was, in particular, focused on reports about the Syrian conflict published by German, Austrian and Swiss media. As result of their research, the experts came to a conclusion that most of the German media's publications are based on reports of the three international news agencies: AP, AFP and Reuters.
Due to the lack of foreign correspondents German, Swiss and Austrian media have to rely on information from other sources, the newspaper noted.
"Not only texts but also pictures, audio and video files, which we see in our media every day, come from the same agencies. What is perceived by the […] audience as a contribution by the local newspaper […] are actually (translated) reports from New York, London, Paris and Berlin," the study said.
The researchers also found that 82% of articles, comments, and opinions are written to support the position of the US, the EU and NATO. Moreover, Western intelligence agencies maintain direct contacts with large media sources and provide them with the "right information," the researchers say.
In this case, the articles indicate that the information comes from a source "close to the government or military circles."
"Our media from Vienna to Washington often report on the same subjects and even use the same formulations," the study said.
Thus, many Western media outlets have become a means for the dissemination of propaganda and disinformation, the researchers concluded.
