2020/12/23 by Dmitry Chernobrov, Emma L Briant, Emma Louise Briant · 4 citations
Social Sciences · #Media Studies and Communication #Public Relations and Crisis Communication #Social Media and Politics
paper · doi:10.1177/0263395720966171
openalex publication_date 2020/12/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
The period of growing tensions between the United States and Russia (2013–2019) saw mutual accusations of digital interference, disinformation, fake news, and propaganda, particularly following the Ukraine crisis and the 2016 US presidential election. This article asks how the United States and Russia represent each other’s and their own propaganda, its threat, and power over audiences. We examine these representations in US and Russian policy documents and online articles from public diplomacy media Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and RT. The way propaganda is framed, (de)legitimized, and securitized has important implications for public understanding of crises, policy responses, and future diplomacy. We demonstrate how propaganda threats have become a major part of the discourse about the US–Russia relationship in recent years, prioritizing state-centred responses and disempowering audiences.