Poddnamn: Axess TV
publicerad: 2024-10-28 11:52
Global Axess 2024 – Jade McGlynn: Why Russian Liberals Lost the Information War
In the last 10 to 15 years, Russia has seen draconian crackdowns on free speech, journalism, and protest. Yet, on closer inspection, perhaps it was always like this. In 2011 there was a relatively open media environment, but Russia’s liberal Yabloko party was supported by just one per cent of the population. Despite being launched by President Medvedev and featuring prominent hosts, the liberal Dozhd TV was watched by only two per cent of Russians. Similarly, Novaya Gazeta was read by barely one 25th of the audience that consumed pro-Kremlin publications, such as Arguments and Facts. Even today, while there are uncensored platforms such as Telegram and YouTube in Russia, the pro-Kremlin channels are overwhelmingly popular. Simplistic claims that Russians are simply ‘brainwashed’ skirt the uncomfortable truth of liberalism’s failure to effectively communicate and resonate with audiences. Successful communication requires speaking in a language familiar to the audience and gradually introducing new ideas within their cognitive framework. This is a skill that liberal societies appear to have lost, a problem with consequences far beyond Russia – globally, people echo and seek out disinformation and conspiracy. Platforms and algorithms play a role, but understanding why audiences choose to click or switch on the content in the first place is a crucial step if liberal media is to gain back lost ground.

Jade McGlynn is an author and Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow at the Department of War Studies, King’s College London (KCL) as well as at the Centre for Grand Strategy, KCL. Her research focuses on Russia’s war against Ukraine since 2014, propaganda, identity, and memory politics. She holds a DPhil from the University of Oxford and is the author of two books: Russia’s War and Memory Makers: the Politics of the Past in Putin’s Russia. Jade is a Senior Associate of the Europe Programme at CSIS and splits her time between the UK and Ukraine (Kharkiv).

Justin Oliver Webb is a British journalist who has worked for the BBC since 1984. He is a former BBC North America Editor and the main co-presenter of BBC one’s Breakfast News programme. Since August 2009, he has co-presented the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, and also regularly writes for the Radio Times.
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