The Image of the Terrorist Threat in the Official Russian Press: the Moscow Theatre Crisis (2002) and the Beslan Hostage Crisis (2004)

High profile terrorist acts in Russia have punctuated Russo — Chechen relations in recent years. A number of analyses of these acts have already been produced, with regards to the political and crisis management aspects of the development of the Russo — Chechen relations (Alexseev 2002; Stepanova 2004; Dolnik & Pilch 2003; Lynch 2005). However, less work has been published on the presentation of these events in the Russian official media. Since official political commentary on the subject of Chechnya has been curtailed since 1999, media analyses of such events have in themselves become important information sources and at times key turning points in Russian governmental discourse on Chechnya and terrorism in Russia.