Associate Professor Erik Nisbet co-authored a column in The Conversation highlighting his findings from a study about media and Russian public opinion about Putin's foreign policy. The column discusses the manipulation of Russian public opinion through the government's control of the press and the media. This manipulation has been displayed in Russia's ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

The column also discusses opinion polls and their importance in Russia. They are largely unhindered by government interference but reflect the "information bubble" created by the Russian government. 

The findings suggest two strategies for correcting Russian beliefs. One approach is to promote messages designed to affirm Russian nationalist identity while also providing information about the costs of Russia's aggressive intervention in the region. A second strategy would be countering hawkish Russian messages with new information that is not closely tied to national identity or political attachment.