Nuclear anxiety as an instrument of war: The use of news media to shape and respond to the disinformation campaign surrounding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has galvanized anxiety over a possible nuclear catastrophe, with threats ranging from deliberate attacks and shelling of nuclear power plants to the potential use of nuclear weapons. Russia’s occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), Europe’s largest such facility, raises fundamental questions about using NPPs in crisis and risk communication, and disinformation campaigns. Building upon interdisciplinary research bridging Communication and International Relations Studies, this article employs content analysis to examine how Ukrainian and Russian media outlets engaged in a rhetorical battle of frame perceptions about the threat of nuclear catastrophe related to ZNPP. They explore how Russia’s propagandists used news media to stir nuclear anxiety as part of a broader disinformation campaign, and investigate strategies employed by Ukrainian media agencies to manage the risk of nuclear anxiety and respond to Russian disinformation. The article contributes to conversations in the field of crisis and risk communication related to how political stakeholders use news media to influence audiences’ perceptions, and specifically how political actors use nuclear anxiety politicization and disinformation to gain political influence. The findings provide insights into developing effective news media strategies responding to threats of large-scale nuclear, biological, or chemical catastrophes and cyber-attacks on nuclear infrastructure.