About DebuNK
Why Macroscopic Analysis Matters
Authoritarian states are often reclusive to the outside world and flow of information is highly restricted and regulated by the government. Media and press are censored to varying degrees and messages are tailored in form and content to specific domestic and foreign audiences. Any single article, image or videoclip is permeated with lies and half truths, rendering it useless for information gain or analysis.
However, propaganda always aligns with official policy and pursues specific objectives to sway public opinion one way or another. Hence, a macroscopic analysis of the media landscape identifies narratives pushed, angles focused and information omitted. It therefore lends unique insights into a regime's past decisions, current state and even future ambitions.
Our Mission
Our product enables users to do exactly this. DebuNK continuously collects articles, images and video output from a set of authoritarian regimes (North Korea, Iran, Russia, China) and makes them accessible on one platform.
Platform Status & Capabilities
DebuNK is still under construction, and currently provides following analysis tools:
Search and Filter: Elaborate search and filter criteria enable users to narrow down articles to a specific set of criteria. These criteria include keyword and semantic and hybrid search text search, date range, source and location restrictions.
Building on the customizable selection a time line analysis enables our users to investigate the prevalence and frequency of topics and keywords across time.
A mapping tool enables our users to explore how reporting is spread across space.
More advanced tooling is under development.
Who We Serve
Our platform serves:
- Security & Intelligence: Government and defense organizations
- Defense Industry: Strategic decision makers and analysts
- Policy Research: Think tanks and policy institutions
- Academic Research: Scholars studying authoritarian regimes
- Journalism: Investigative journalists and media organizations
Disclaimer
It is worth underlining that DebuNK does not intend to uncritically disseminate the ideas and ideologies of any regime. Instead we intend to make the mechanisms and dynamics of targeted disinformation by state players public and scrutable. We seek to contribute to a better informed public, growing resilience against attempts of interference by adverse players.
Get Started
Begin exploring authoritarian state media and propaganda narratives: