На русском языке:
БелТА опубликовала пост со ссылкой на правый австрийский телеканал
На беларускай мове:
БелТА апублікавала пост са спасылкай на правы аўстрыйскі тэлеканал
In BelTA telegram channel there was a reference to the Austrian TV channel AUF1. The authors of the report present this source as an independent view of the Western press. And if they praise the merits of Lukashenko, then here it is, «a sprout of justice among the field of lies of dirty Western media». The editors of motolko.help decided to learn more about this channel.
Austrian TV channel AUF1 first aired on May 31, 2021. From the outset, it presented itself as an independent, uncensored media outlet («alternative view»). It was founded by Stefan Magnet, a follower of neo-nazi ideology, who is editor-in-chief of the channel.
Magnet previously worked (or still works) for Wochenblick, another right-wing extremist publication. The publication has been repeatedly accused of spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines. For example, they published information that in Israel, 70% of severe cases of COVID-19 are among fully vaccinated.
Wochenblick is also accused of having close ties to the right-wing populist FPÖ party. This party, by the way, is also accused of involvement in right-wing extremism and neo-nazism. The proximity of the new channel to Wochenblick is also evidenced by the fact that Elsa Mittmannsgruber, its editor-in-chief, now works for AUF1. There, she hosts a program with guests who oppose measures to combat the pandemic.
AUF1, despite its early life, has already become famous for its complete scientific illiteracy in its programs. For example, they deny global warming. And when arguing about the dangers of COVID, of course, they look for a «trace of an ideological conspiracy» in the pandemic.
In addition to the connection with propaganda and neo-nazis, it is worth mentioning that the channel bought bots in Telegram and since the beginning of June has already gained 92,500 subscribers. This is a unique audience growth for an unknown channel.
Despite the fact that the editors of motolko.help have only learned a little about the Austrian TV channel AUF1, it looks like an encyclopedia of Russian propaganda tools.
We also noticed that BelTA periodically quoted the Austrian newspaper Wochenblick in materials related to the pandemic.
