“Ordinary people” is a tactic by which propaganda convinces the audience that the position of the propagandists coincides with the position of the majority and reflects common sense. Thus, propagandists seek to gain the trust of the audience by trying to communicate with them in the same language. That is, in the most simple words, understandable to a wide audience. Also, as part of this tactic, propagandists try to explain the concepts or processes they need using supposedly understandable examples, that is, close or known to the target audience.

Russian propaganda is using the “ordinary people” tactics, spreading the message that hunger will come all over the world through Ukraine. This is how propagandists take a topic that concerns the majority and assure that because of the war in Ukraine and even more because of the resistance that it is showing to Russia, first Ukrainians themselves, and later people in other countries, will die of hunger. For example, the Russian edition of RIA Novosti (RIA news) published an article entitled “Europe is running out of food”, which says that soon a food crisis will come in Europe. In fact, there will be food in Europe, but it may rise in price (which has already happened during the year of the big war against Ukraine) due to general inflation and fuel prices. In addition, due to the destroyed logistics, the range of goods may decrease.

That is, within the framework of tactics, Russia chooses a topic and, using most understandable examples, explains: because of the war in Ukraine, people will remain hungry, this is bad. This thesis is intended to reflect supposedly common sense. With the help of such messages and tactics, propagandists seek to establish the opinion that if a famine occurs, it will be Ukraine and the defending Ukrainians who are to blame.