LWYMMD: Nobody Told You that Trend Was an Op

High-visibility events, from major entertainment events to viral online controversies, are increasingly used within the information environment as opportunities for influence and narrative shaping.

This webinar, in collaboration with EU DisinfoLab, explores how actors in information manipulation exploit high-visibility cultural flashpoints to inject geopolitical narratives and shape public discourse. From coordinated engagement around Eurovision to the amplification of polarising online trends, the tactics follow a recognisable pattern: narrative seeding, meme-driven framing, and cross-platform amplification working in combination.

We unpack how these strategies operate in practice, how they intersect with domestic dynamics, and what distinguishes organic community behaviour from orchestrated interference.

Watch the recording here (note: the first eight minutes are missing due to technical issues).

With thanks to Maria Giovanna Sessa and the EU DisinfoLab team for a genuinely thoughtful conversation and for creating space for these discussions.