The image of Russia in western media discourse

One of the most effective factors in shaping the image of a country is its representation in an actualized media space, which acquires the properties of discourse. But representatives of the establishment, above all the political and financial ones, who constitute the most influential part of the audience for high-quality press, can radically influence editorial teams, demanding corresponding relevance in covering events. Journalists who deal with political issues are under all-round pressure, and it is difficult for them to be objective. Unfortunately, the modern world is returning to the situation of a hard confrontation between Russia and the West. The systemic sociopolitical conflict, which deeply affected the economic, military, scientific production, cultural, civilizational and humanitarian areas, is already clearly defined: the masses are involved in the confrontation between the West and Russia. The goal of the western media system, which in fact has long been become a means of propaganda, is to create a negative image of Russia. They see Russia not just as a competitor in the sociopolitical and economic fields, but already, in fact, as a global adversary. As Russia becomes more independent, as its military-industrial potential increases, and its international influence becomes more and more noticeable, the activity of the western media system, aimed at a deliberate demon-ization of Russia, increases. In the western mass media system, leading high-quality newspapers set the tone. In Europe, these are The Financial Times, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Neue Zurcher Zeitung, and in the USA, The New York Times. These publications have their own web portals, which significantly increases the level of their political influence, turning them into powerful multimedia complexes. Journalists J. E. Barnes and M. Rosenberg, who published the correspondence "Kremlin Sources Go Quiet, Leaving C.I.A. in the Dark About Putin's Plans for Midterms", dealt with national security issues in The New York Times. Journalists wrote that the main threat to the independent holding of elections in the US comes from Russia. But no conclusive evidence was given. Quite actively involved in the anti-Russian rhetoric is the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, one of the most influential newspapers in the world. The journalist of this newspaper, P. Carstens, published a report "Convincing Deterrence" about the largest NATO exercises in Norway in the past 30 years. The report says that military exercises are directed against Russia, from which comes the threat to the Western community. At the same time, P. Carstens praises German soldiers, speaks of their excellent equipment and combat skills. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, one of the most influential newspapers in the world, is quite actively involved in the anti-Russian rhetoric. Its journalist P. Carstens published a report "Convincing Deterrence" about the largest NATO exercises in Norway in the past 30 years. The report says that military exercises are directed against Russia, from which comes the threat to the Western community. At the same time, P. Carstens praises German soldiers, speaks of their excellent equipment and combat skills. All this is not a spontaneous attack on Russia, but a thoughtful and rather effective propaganda. There is every reason for stating that western high-quality newspapers are no longer a means of objective analytics and independent opinions, but more and more often a means of propaganda. Journalism, turning into a tool of propaganda of self-serving and not always moral ideals, loses its humanitarian principles.

Keywords

Authors

References