The Russian Media Coverage of the ‘Ukrainian Issue’: the Priorities of Informing

Abstract

The current political crisis in Ukraine has become markedly visualized not only due to the very contradictory situation in this country but also following its coverage in the Russian media. The situation initiated new information tendencies which seem to be illustrative for understanding not only the relationship between Russia and Ukraine, but also the development of the media sphere and its role in the contemporary Russian politics. This article envisages the reasons of why the Russian media look fully dependent on the political hierarchy in this country. Following this, journalism in Russia seems to be fading and giving way to propaganda which has nothing in common with media non-partisanship. Following this, the media coverage of the events in South-Eastern Ukraine explicitly shows that this information gravitates to a simplified understanding of the conflict and stimulates the existence of stereotypes and myths as being a background for media manipulation. The coverage of the Ukrainian situation is being reflected in the presence of manipulative tools in the media as a mechanism of controlling people’s mindsets which is detrimental for Russian society and the media themselves.