The Beast: A Case Study on How a State-Funded Propaganda Machine Shapes Politics

🔍 Source & Transparency Note

This article is based on investigative reporting by Open (2022–2023), particularly their "Salvini Spende" series. The data was originally verified through Meta’s Ad Library — a public archive of paid content on Facebook and Instagram.

However, accessing this data is not straightforward. By default, Meta Ad Library only shows active campaigns, making past ads invisible unless you manually adjust the filters. This creates a false impression of transparency: the archive exists, but it’s buried under poor UX and deliberate obscurity.

The fact that we must rely on journalists to archive what platforms make hard to find is not normal. It’s a warning sign for democracy.

This post does not claim original reporting. Its purpose is to amplify this investigation beyond Italy, where "The Beast" remains largely unknown.

Journalism must be shared — not just produced.

Ok, let's go.

Mass media and political propaganda aren't just abstract concepts; they are tangible machines, operated by people and often funded by public money. They manipulate information and public opinion on a massive scale.

In Italy, one of the most effective and notorious examples is 'La Bestia' (The Beast) — a social media 'popularity factory' created by Luca Morisi for Matteo Salvini’s League party. Even though Morisi has now left, the system he built remains a prime example of modern political communication and manipulation.

What is "The Beast"?

"The Beast" is not a single, secret algorithm. Instead, it's a sophisticated system that blends technology with human effort. At its core, it's a collaborative software suite used for cross-posting, graphic design, and event promotion. However, what truly makes it powerful is the team of around 35 people who work 24/7 to read, analyze, and interpret online sentiment.

Their goal is to understand what people are thinking and feeling, then flood the web with content designed to inflame emotions, influence user interactions, and rally support for Salvini.

Key features of The Beast's strategy:

• Simple, but impactful content: They use basic photo collages, short slogans, and posts that mock political opponents.
• The "man of the people" persona: They share photos of Salvini in everyday situations (eating Nutella, petting cats) to make him seem relatable to the average Italian.
• Automated and human-powered mobilization: In its early days, "The Beast" used a tool called "Become Salvini's Spokesperson," which automatically retweeted his content. Now, they use large fan groups on platforms like Facebook and Telegram to mobilize thousands of real people to comment, share, and defend their leader. These groups are also home to trolls who use multiple accounts to influence discussions.
• Gamification: The system even created a simple social game called "Win Salvini," where users could earn prizes—like a phone call from Salvini or a coffee with him — by liking and sharing his posts. This turned political engagement into a contest, further boosting interaction.
• The "TV-Web-Territory" formula: "The Beast" masterfully coordinates online and offline activity. Before Salvini appears on TV, his online supporters are mobilized to tune in. During the show, they live-tweet and share clips to create buzz. This cycle raises his media profile, leading to more TV appearances and even wider reach.

Why is this relevant?

The case of "The Beast" shows us that modern propaganda isn't just about fake news. It's about a highly coordinated, well-funded, and professionally managed machine that actively shapes public discourse.

It uses a mix of emotional appeals, simple messaging, and strategic community-building to create a powerful, self-sustaining echo chamber. This isn't a secret, diabolical algorithm—it’s a carefully crafted system of political communication that has set a new standard in Italy and offers a clear example for anyone trying to understand how such machines operate in the digital age.

The Public Cost of Virality

This machine doesn’t run on passion alone. It runs on money — and much of it comes from public funding. According to investigative reports by Open and Fanpage.it, individual posts by Matteo Salvini have been promoted online with budgets reaching €30,000 each. In 2022 alone, the League spent over €600,000 on Meta platforms (Facebook, Instagram).
These are not private donations. They are funds allocated to political parties through Italy’s public financing system — meaning every Italian taxpayer indirectly pays for this propaganda engine. The Beast isn’t just a communication strategy. It’s a state-subsidized attention machine.

Where Does the Money Come From?

The funding for these campaigns comes from multiple sources, all tied to public money:

• Public party financing, allocated by the state based on electoral results.
• The 2x1000 tax designation, where citizens choose to give a portion of their taxes to a political party.
• Reimbursed election expenses, paid by the state after campaigns.

While this system is legal, it means that the digital propaganda machine of "The Beast" is ultimately sustained by taxpayer funds — not private investment. Salvini is not a company. He doesn’t sell products. The attention he buys online is paid for by the Italian public, whether they support him or not.

Why This Matters Beyond Italy

The Beast is not just an Italian anomaly. It is a prototype. A model of how digital propaganda, public funding, and emotional engineering can be combined to manufacture consensus at scale. Other leaders and parties across Europe and beyond have studied — and copied — its methods. Understanding "The Beast" is not about criticizing Salvini. It’s about recognizing a new form of power: industrialized attention, funded by taxpayers, designed to bypass reason. And if we don’t name it, analyze it, and resist it, it will become the new normal.

The Beast is Not Alone: A Global Pattern

While "La Bestia" is Italian in form, it is part of a global trend. From the United States to Russia, Brazil to Hungary, political powers are building industrial-scale machines to manipulate public opinion:

• In the U.S., Cambridge Analytica used stolen Facebook data to micro-target voters in 2016 — a case of data-driven psychological manipulation.
• In Russia, the Internet Research Agency (the "Troll Factory" of St. Petersburg) employed hundreds of workers to pose as Americans and inflame social divisions.
• In Hungary, Prime Minister Orbán’s government captured the media landscape using state funds and propaganda agencies like Komesz.
• In Brazil, Bolsonaro’s "Digital Militia" weaponized WhatsApp to spread disinformation through encrypted networks.

These are not isolated cases. According to the Oxford Internet Institute, over 80 countries now have organized operations to manipulate social media.

The tools differ — bots, trolls, fake news, AI — but the goal is the same: to manufacture consent, bypass reason, and consolidate power. "La Bestia" is not an anomaly. It is a node in a global network of digital control.

📬 Want more?

This is the first in a series of investigations into state-funded propaganda machines worldwide. Next: Cambridge Analytica. Subscribe to the newsletter for updates (no spam, just thinking).