Delfina Ertanowska
University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow
(Rzeszów, Poland)
EPISThinTanke.V.
(Munich, Germany)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37222/2786-7552-2025-7-8
Media and Memory Politics in the Digital Age: the Challenge of Fake News and the Role of Fact-Checking in the Context of Historical Disinformation about the Falsification of Ukrainian History in the EU.
In the digital age, mass media have become key actors in shaping memory politics, as they serve as the main platform through which societies construct and transmit interpretations of the past. However, the dynamic nature of the online environment creates favorable conditions for the spread of fake news, manipulation, and historical disinformation.
This article addresses the issue of historical falsification using the example of ethnic Ukrainian lands that are now part of Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary. It also examines the historical policies of these countries aimed at minimizing or distorting both the ethnic origins of their indigenous populations and their national identity. Particular attention is given to the modern language of hatred, which fuels growing antagonisms and societal polarization through both traditional media and social networks.
One of the most prominent examples of such falsification is the systematic use by Russia of the topic of Ukrainian history distortion in EU countries as a tool of hybrid warfare. Kremlin narratives exploit sensitive themes from the shared history of Ukraine and its neighbors – such as the Volyn tragedy in relations with Poland, the image of “Banderites” in Slovakia, and the issue of the Hungarian minority in Zakarpattia – in order to exacerbate interstate tensions and undermine EU solidarity with Ukraine.
The scientific significance of the study lies in understanding that historical disinformation is not only a tool of information warfare but also a means of influencing collective memory, capable of shaping public perceptions and political decisions in the long term.
Keywords: memory politics, media, historical disinformation, fact-checking, hybrid warfare.
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