UNDERSTANDING SPUTNIK NEWS AGENCY INTERNET TRAFFIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

Sputnik news agency remains one of the main-channels used by Russia to conduct disinformation campaigns across its borders, affecting both Romania and the Republic of Moldova virtual communities. This research offers a practical methodological solution for measuring communication outcomes and describing audience and its behavior and it shows that, at the end of 2018, Sputnik was a peripheral news platform for the Romanian informational space and a growing threat for the Republic of Moldova, where it occupied a leading position. The evaluation was conducted with data extracted through Alexa service provided by Amazon and Gemius data - the Moldovan Audit Office of Circuits and Internet.