ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses the intersection between foreign perceptions and media systems through an analysis of US and Russian television coverage of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny’s poisoning, the protests in his support, and his imprisonment from 2020 to 2021. In US television news, Navalny is portrayed as a valiant freedom fighter akin to famous Soviet dissidents. On the main state-run Russian television channel, Navalny is ignored or belittled. The media narratives in both countries distort the situation, but the Russian coverage more aggressively uses techniques of propaganda and strategic silencing than the American news. Our study reflects on the enduring power of media systems rooted in national history to dictate the framing of political events for national audiences. While both countries employ familiar stereotypes, we find that the globalization of the media sphere makes it difficult for the Russian state to control the coverage in the same stringent manner as Soviet propaganda. However, a lack of interest in or attention to Russian affairs makes US coverage limited and superficial, giving the Russian media the opportunity to control the Navalny frame to a large degree for their own audience.
