The puzzle this paper aims to solve is twofold: firstly, this study investigates how Russian and European media were used as an instrument of information warfare. Secondly and in more depth, it is examined to what degree the framings of the Russo-Georgian War in Russian and European media constitute information warfare. Here, the first question serves as to provide the necessary foundation on which the answering of the second one can build on.
The relevance of this paper is to contribute to the discussion on media bias on the Russian but also on the European side. While European media such as The Economist, The Guardian and the BBC claim that Russia is waging an “Information War” against the West, in EU countries such as Germany, there is a growing dissatisfaction of a considerable amount of people with the media coverage on Russia. By examining Russian and European media on the use of propaganda, this paper aims to address these concerns.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. STATE OF THE ART
2.1 Literature Review
2.2 The “new” wars in the Information Age
2.2.1 The old vs. new wars debate
2.2.2 Media and Propaganda Warfare
2.2.3 The relation between media and government
3. METHODOLOGY
3.1 Sampling and case selection
3.2 Propaganda techniques in Media
3.3 Data collection
3.4 Data analysis
3.5 Model of Measurement
4. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 The Moscow Times
4.2 Russia Beyond the Headlines
4.3 The Daily Telegraph
4.4 Süddeutsche Zeitung
4.5 Extent of Information Warfare in the framing of the Russo-Georgian War
5. CONCLUSION
6. REFERENCES
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This study investigates how Russian and European mass media functioned as instruments of information warfare during the Russo-Georgian War of 2008. The central research question examines to what degree the framing of this conflict in four selected broadsheet newspapers constitutes information warfare through the systematic use of propaganda techniques.
- Analysis of the "old" vs. "new" wars debate within the Information Age.
- Application of the seven propaganda devices defined by the Institute of Propaganda Analysis.
- Comparative study of media coverage between Russian and European print outlets.
- Examination of the relationship between government stance and media framing.
Excerpt from the Book
2.2.1 The old vs. new wars debate
War has been a central feature throughout human history. As society is developing, so is warfare, hence it is a fluid concept (Sheehan, 2014, p. 215). In relation to changes in society and warfare, Toffler (1984) outlines three great waves of change: firstly, the Agricultural Revolution; secondly, the Industrial Revolution and thirdly, the Information Revolution.
As main theorist of classic “old” wars, Clausewitz is considered. His work “On war” was first published in 1832 and forms the basis for modern military thought (Bassford, 1994, p. 3). According to the classic view on war, the form of war can change but its nature cannot. Here, war is seen as “a mere continuation of policy by other means” (Clausewitz, 1873, p. 12). Further, the actors in classical war are states which pursue the goal of achieving a rational political purpose. The methods by which classic war is conducted are large-scale military confrontations which entail the conduct of symmetric warfare. Classic war is financed by states through taxation or outside patrons (Kaldor, 2014, p. 3).
With societal change, the notions of the classical view on warfare were challenged as not being applicable anymore. Kaldor leads academia in defining “new” wars in contrast to “old” wars, stating that new wars are “post-Clausewitzean” (p. 1). As proof, she gives four characteristics which are intrinsic to new wars: firstly, actors are not limited to armed forces by states but are fought by “varying combinations of networks of state and non-state actors” (p. 2). Secondly, while old wars were fought out of political interests and ideologies, new wars are about identity politics. The underlying reasons are the effects of globalization such as new communications technologies, migration and the erosion of political ideologies. As a third point Kaldor addresses the change of methods in warfare. She states that whereas old wars were conducted symmetrically by military means, today warfare is asymmetrical as territory is captured by political means. Hereby, a decisive factor is the control of the population which is also done by violence. As last argument, Kaldor claims that the forms of finance have changed as she calls warfare a “mutual enterprise” (p. 1).
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: Introduces the entanglement of mass media and contemporary conflict, establishing the study's focus on information warfare and the Russo-Georgian War.
2. STATE OF THE ART: Reviews existing literature on media framing and defines the theoretical concepts of "new" wars, information warfare, and the government-media relationship.
3. METHODOLOGY: Details the criteria for media selection, the application of the seven propaganda techniques for discourse analysis, and the quantitative measurement model.
4. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION: Presents the empirical results for each newspaper and analyzes the extent of propaganda usage across the observed timeframe.
5. CONCLUSION: Synthesizes the findings, noting that media warfare exists in both Russian and European press, and discusses the limitations and future research potential of the study.
6. REFERENCES: Lists the academic sources, news articles, and archives consulted for the research.
Keywords
Russo-Georgian War, Information Warfare, Media Framing, Propaganda Techniques, Identity Politics, Mass Media, Content Analysis, Newspaper Circulation, Political Bias, New Wars, Perception Management, Government-Media Relationship, Public Opinion, Asymmetrical Warfare, Broadsheets.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this paper?
The paper examines how Russian and European mass media were utilized as instruments of information warfare during the Russo-Georgian War in 2008, specifically by analyzing propaganda techniques.
What are the central themes discussed?
Key themes include the transformation of warfare in the Information Age, the role of media as an agenda-setter, the concept of "new" wars, and the influence of government foreign policy on journalistic output.
What is the primary goal of this research?
The goal is to determine the extent to which the reporting in four specific newspapers constitutes information warfare through the systematic application of propaganda devices.
Which scientific method is applied?
The study uses content analysis, specifically applying the "seven common propaganda devices" established by the Institute of Propaganda Analysis, combined with a comparative framework to evaluate frequency and usage.
What does the main body of the work cover?
It covers theoretical frameworks, methodology for case selection and data collection, followed by a detailed discussion of the findings for each newspaper and a comparative analysis of how the conflict was framed.
Which keywords characterize the work?
Core keywords include Information Warfare, Russo-Georgian War, Media Framing, Propaganda Techniques, and Identity Politics.
How were the media outlets chosen?
Outlets were selected based on high circulation, the broadsheet format to ensure an intellectual approach, and the necessity to include diverse ideological orientations to minimize political bias.
Why was the Süddeutsche Zeitung's data result considered "striking"?
The analysis showed that this specific newspaper remained entirely free of the analyzed propaganda techniques during the timeframe, contrasting significantly with the other investigated outlets.
What differentiates RBTH and The Moscow Times in this study?
While both represent the Russian media sphere, RBTH is noted to be sponsored by the state-owned Rossiyskaya Gazeta, whereas The Moscow Times is owned by a private international group, leading to differing degrees of propaganda usage.
- Citation du texte
- Inga von der Stein (Auteur), 2016, The Media as an Instrument of Information Warfare, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/337247
