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From Phys.org:

'Slopaganda': How AI-generated content becomes a political weapon

by Tilburg University (Netherlands)
April 21, 2026

An Iranian propaganda video depicts Donald Trump, Netanyahu and
Satan as Lego figurines, the White House combines real footage of
airstrikes with clips from films and video games, and the
American president shares AI-generated videos of himself as a
fighter pilot. It sounds like satire, but it is the new reality
of political manipulation. Researchers call this phenomenon
"slopaganda."

The term was coined by philosopher Michal Klincewicz of Tilburg
University, together with his Australian colleague Mark Alfano
and Amir Fard, an independent media researcher. In their paper
"Slopaganda: The interaction between propaganda and generative
AI," they describe how artificial intelligence is giving
propaganda a dangerous new face. "By propaganda we mean
communication intended to manipulate beliefs, emotions and
attention for political ends," explains Klincewicz. "Add
generative AI, and the result is slopaganda."

Not to deceive, but to associate

Slopaganda does not necessarily aim to mislead on factual
grounds. Nobody genuinely believes Trump pilots an F-16. But that
is not the point. "Slopaganda is not about facts, it is about
sentiment and image-making. It is designed to create an
association," says Klincewicz. "Satan next to Trump. America next
to evil. Through repetition, those associations stick, even when
the viewer knows the content is fake. That makes it particularly
dangerous for democratic societies. Citizens are flooded with
content whose origins they cannot verify." The features that set
slopaganda apart from other forms of slopaganda—scale, speed, and
personalization—make this association tactic work.

The Netherlands is no exception. Dutch politicians are
increasingly the subject of manipulated images and AI-generated
quotes on social media. And anyone who believes they can always
spot fake news is overestimating themselves—which is one of the
ways in which slopaganda finds its mark.

The real danger: Nobody believes anything anymore

That is what concerns the researchers most. "People are getting
better at spotting fabricated material, but as a result they are
also becoming more likely to wrongly distrust genuine images and
information. When it becomes difficult or impossible to identify
trustworthy sources, you can choose to believe whatever brings
you comfort, excitement or outrage."

What can be done?

The researchers identify three avenues for intervention.
Individuals can develop digital literacy: learning to recognize
AI-generated content, verify sources, and block accounts that
systematically spread slopaganda. Klincewicz, Alfano, and Fard
also advocate mandatory watermarking of AI-generated content.
"And major tech companies such as OpenAI, Google and X must be
held accountable through taxation or regulation."

https://phys.org/news/2026-04-slopaganda-ai-generated-content-political.html
 

Shortwave Radio now changes to MFSK64 ...


 

RSID: <<2026-04-23T23:37Z MFSK-64 @ 9265000+1500>>
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This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK64

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From New Atlas:

Is Finland's new car-free bridge the longest of its kind in the
world?

By Abhimanyu Ghoshal
April 20, 2026

Finland's just inaugurated its longest bridge, and not a single a
car or motorcycle will ever be allowed on it.

That's because the Kruunuvuori Bridge, officially opened to the
public over the past weekend, is designed only for pedestrians,
cyclists, and trams (which will begin rolling out early next
year).

This 0.74-mile (1.19-km)-long bridge is the last of the three
Crown Bridges to be built, connecting Helsinki's eastern island
suburbs with the city center. They allow residents from those
areas to easily access everything the city has to offer, without
compromising on their lifestyle that's strongly tied to spending
time out in nature.

This one links the Kruunuvuorenranta residential area on the
waterfront, the island of Korkeasaari, the district of Laajasalo,
and central Helsinki.

Designed by UK-based bridge specialists Knight Architects and
structural engineers WSP Finland, this striking bridge is
cable-stayed from a 443-ft-tall (135-m) pylon. According to WSP,
its horizontal curvature is "based not only on structural
reasons, but also on improving the user experience – by walking
on a curved bridge, a person can better perceive the
destination."

There are some thoughtful features built into the structure. The
towering pylon's entire facade lights up with colored LEDs that
change according to the time of day, as well as the seasons. If
you're walking or cycling along the bridge, specially designed
railings at the south edge should offer you protection from harsh
winds from that direction. And lastly, patterned plastic piping
on the cables will cause any ice that accumulates on said cables
to simply flake off.

It took a total of 100,000 hours of design work to bring this all
together. This bridge has a planned lifetime of 200 years, which
means it's been designed with specific structural design and
material choices, and its maintenance is scheduled as such.

That includes engineering the reinforced concrete structures in
the water exchange area to handle high stress, and reducing
fatigue in steel joints and stiffeners. Expensive stainless steel
on the outer layer of rebar on the piers in the sea help prevent
corrosion. The clip above from construction partner ULMA
showcases some of the work that's gone into building the bridge.

Work on the light rail system is ongoing. The idea is to quickly
move traffic through the Laajasalo area ahead of its population
doubling, as a new residential district called Kruunuvuorenranta
opens up. This will also reduce the projected strain on the
eastern branches of Helsinki's metro system.

With that, Finland is now home to what's being described as one
of the largest public transport bridges in the world. In fact, I
couldn't find a longer one that combines pedestrian and light
rail tracks, and we're not counting rail-only bridges – so if you
know of any I've overlooked, drop it in the comments.

With its citizen-friendly design and forward-looking engineering
approach, this might be one for other countries to emulate in the
years to come.

https://newatlas.com/architecture/finland-helsinki-pedestrian-bridge-kruunuvuori/
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Image: A view of the bridge with its upcoming tram system
alongside pedestrian and cycling paths ...

Sending Pic:198x141C;

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This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK64

Please send your reception report to radiogram@verizon.net

 

This week's images ...
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Students on catamaran sailboats set sail for a lesson in
Valras-Plage, France. tinyurl.com/2582aapn ...

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Sunrise behind Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth east of Edinburgh,
Scotland. tinyurl.com/2ck4z4ur ...

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A family of geese swim in the Main River, Frankfurt, Germany.
tinyurl.com/2xzfghhx ...

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Yagi birds in Lochgilphead, Scotland. tinyurl.com/2aqlunt8 ...

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An Aegithalos caudatus lands on a fence in West Linton, Scotland.
tinyurl.com/2aqlunt8 ...

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A post box topper in Helensburgh, Scotland, celebrate 100 years
since John Logie Baird's first mechanical 'televisor' system in
1926. He was born in Helensburgh. tinyurl.com/2aqlunt8 ...

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A yellow monkeyflower in Catalina State Park, Tucson, Arizona.
tinyurl.com/2ahda3ge ...

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A Stonechat at Ardrossan North Shore, Scotland.
tinyurl.com/2aqlunt8 ...

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A flower at the North Carolina Arboretum near Asheville.
tinyurl.com/2y3lergy ...

Sending Pic:202x131C;
 

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Our painting of the week is "Lupine Patch" (1913) by William
Wendt (German/American, 1865—1946). tinyurl.com/2d9vzfdg ...

Sending Pic:201x200C;
 

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Shortwave Radiogram returns to MFSK32 ...

 

RSID: <<2026-04-23T23:58Z MFSK-32 @ 9265000+1500>>

This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK32 ...


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I'm Kim Elliott. Please join us for the next Shortwave
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RSID: <<2026-04-24T11:30Z MFSK-64 @ 15770000+1500>>

♫
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🇺🇸

Michael Lookofsky, aka Michael Brown, of The Left Banke was born
April 25, 1949.

He died in 2015.

 

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🇺🇸
♫
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♫

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Brown_(rock_musician)

Please report your decode to themightykbc@gmail.com and
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Images today are of the traditional fishing village Spakenburg. First image is of the Oude haven with a Botterwerf (Old Harbour with Botter shipyard). The second image shows the traditional 'klederdracht' (traditional costume),
nowadays almost only worn by the elderly. Spakenburg is situated only 5 miles away from where I live.

Best 73
Peter John


de k