Ключевое слово: «fake news»

This paper explores how false information propagates rapidly across Russian-language social media platforms such as VKontakte and Telegram. Through linguistic and content-based analysis of seven verified disinformation cases from 2023–2024, the study identifies recurring rhetorical tactics: emotionally charged language, fabricated expert endorsements, and pseudo-scientific assertions. Findings indicate that emotionally intense posts under 150 words generate 2.7 times more user engagement than neutral, fact-based messages. Platform algorithms further amplify this effect by boosting content that features visual emphasis (e.g., capital letters, emojis, hashtags) and polarizing phrasing. The research concludes that misinformation proliferates not due to user gullibility, but because digital ecosystems systematically prioritize shareability over accuracy. A prototype detection framework based on linguistic red flags is proposed for future implementation. This contribution advances media literacy research in non-Western digital environments.