From Mountains to Social Media Valleys: A Thematic Analysis of Information Warfare through Telegram Data in the Nagorno-Karabakh War

Abstract

The emergence of information warfare (IW) has brought about a revolution in the realm of military affairs. Existing research has already demonstrated how successfully weaponized information can be effectively used against an adversary with the most impressive military gear like never seen before. Yet, with the ever-evolving field of information and communication technologies, the scientific community still lacks a comprehensive understanding about IW, especially in the field of social media/instant messaging (SM/IM) information dissemination platforms. The aim of this research project is to further the knowledge about IW as executed through SM/IM media, specifically in the context of the long-standing Nagorno-Karabakh war. Using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, the present study examined over 8000 individual news posts in two influential Telegram channels pertaining to the conflict. The resulting main themes were Historical, Political and Economic factors, Emotional Provocation and The Blame Game, all consistent with patterns observed in both traditional and contemporary media. The impact of the said themes on the behavioural and belief outcomes of the consumers, as well as the subsequent course of the conflict remain a subject for future studies.

Keywords

• information warfare
• Disinformation
• misinformation
• information weaponization
• social media
• instant messaging