THEY SOUND JUST LIKE TRUMPISTS:

The websites of several prominent Western news outlets have been targeted by a pro-Russian influence operation that uses the websites' comment sections to distort public opinion, research conducted in Britain shows.

The study by Cardiff University's Crime and Security Research Institute found pro-Russian comments often receive an unusually high number of favorable responses. These comments in turn are fed back to Russian-language media outlets and used as the basis for stories to suggest Western public approval of Kremlin policies or discontent with Western governments or institutions.

The operation, which the researchers said was ongoing, has targeted 32 media outlets in 16 countries, including The Washington Post and Fox News in the United States, and the Daily Mail, Daily Express, and The Times in Britain.

The Cardiff team said it began examining the comments in April but the operation was just the latest part of a long-running campaign to support Russia's narrative about the end of liberal democracy and the failure of NATO.

Almost 250 stories were found to contain pro-Kremlin or anti-Western sentiments in the comments sections about matters of relevance to Russia since April.

Some articles suggested extensive support in the West for Russia, President Vladimir Putin, or a particular policy.

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