Finnish Newspaper Fights Russian Disinformation with Video Game
As the Russia-Ukraine War continues to rage, the Russian government has sought to control the narrative by branding it a "special military operation" and clamping down on dissenting voices
Photo: Counterstrike: Global Offensive
Russian journalist Marina Ovsyannikova's daring on-air criticism of the war and subsequent escape to Europe exemplify the risks journalists face when they defy the Kremlin's line.
Russia's 15-year jail sentence for spreading "false information" and shuttering of media groups that criticize Putin further illustrate the stifling environment.
In response, Finland's largest subscription newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat (HS), has devised an innovative strategy to disseminate accurate information on the war to Russian citizens.
The paper, which already publishes news in Russian, has ventured into the world of online gaming to bypass the Kremlin's tight grip on information.
HS enlisted two independent designers to craft a hidden room within the popular first-person shooter game Counter Strike: Global Offensive, which enjoys a massive following among Russian males of military age.
The hidden room, symbolized by a burning car to evoke the concept of a war memorial, contains the paper's own reporting from Ukraine, including accounts of Russian atrocities against Ukrainian civilians.
Photo: Screenshot from Steam
Named "de_Voyna," the map resembles a war-torn Slavic city and directly confronts the Russian prohibition against using the term "war" to describe the conflict. Players can access the room to view reports and maps detailing the situation on the ground, potentially influencing the opinions of those who may be called to serve in a war they know little about.
The game designers, who have previously worked on Counter Strike maps, joined the effort for humanitarian reasons, saying that "the least we can do is to bring Putin's war crimes and Russian propaganda to light."
Helsingin Sanomat did not seek permission from Valve Corporation, the game's developer, to create the map, and it remains to be seen how long the platform will remain accessible within Russia.