Media Twins: the Formation of the Image of the Russian Orthodox Church in Mass Media

 

For citation: Garbuznyak A.Yu., Solodovnikova O.B. (2017) Mediynye dvoyniki: formirovanie obraza RPTs rossiyskimi SMI [Media Twins: the Formation of the Image of the Russian Orthodox Church in Mass Media]. Mediaskop 3. (in Russian). Available at: http://www.mediascope.ru/2363

 

© Alina Yu. Garbuznyak

PhD, Associate Professor at the Chair of Journalism, Faculty of Advertising, Journalism and Design, Moscow University for the Humanities (Moscow, Russia), a.garbuznyak@yandex.ru

© Olga B. Solodovnikova

PhD, Editor at the "Politics and Society" Department of The Ogonyok magazine (Moscow, Russia), olga.ogoniok@gmail.com

 

Abstract

This article considers an image of The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in the russian national press. Framing theory helps to better understand the correlation between the media image of ROC and the context where it appears. Analysis of key words (tags) in the publications reveals three models of church representation in the media. They are "political actor", "economic actor" and "object of cultural heritage". Plus one extra model representing the ideal image of church. Each of them is expected to behave in a certain way. A political actor is always driven by political interests, strives for power. An economic actor is concerned with financial benefit. An object of cultural heritage is in need of conservation and restoration.

The idea "Church – political actor" dominates. On the one hand, this is due to the actual cooperation between representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and state authorities: the clergy together with politicians attend official meetings, support actual political ideology, comment the most important political events. On the other hand, such phenomenon as framing takes place: journalists neglect analysis refering to simplified schemes come from political discourse.

Keywords: Russian Orthodox Church, framing, agenda, context, media image, discourse.

 

Notes

Ashkerov A. (2015) Prazdnik kak liturgiya [The Feast as a Liturgy]. Izvestiya, no. 87, May 19.

Dobrynina E. (2015) Vera i pravda [Faith and Truth]. Rossiyskaya gazeta, no. 79, April 15.

Filina O., Mescheryakov S. (2015) Krutoy zames [Cool Batch]. Ogonyok, no. 45, November 16.

Kipshidze V. (2016) Khristianskaya eres' prav cheloveka [The Christian Heresy of Human Rights]. Nezavisimaya gazeta, no. 62, March 30.

Latukhina K. (2015) Znaki istorii [The Signs of History]. Rossiyskaya gazeta, no. 164, July 28.

Latynina Yu. (2016) Patriarkh Kirill i ego slova – v mnogovekovom trende [Patriarch Kirill and His Words − in the Centuries-old Trend]. Novaya gazeta, no. 31, March 25.

Loshak V. (2015) Ne popast' v lovushku [Don't Fall into the Trap]. Ogonyok, no. 14, April 13.

Martynov K. (2016) Patriarkh i Konstitutsiya eretikov [The Patriarch and the Heretics' Constitution]. Novaya gazeta, no. 31, March 25.

Prokhanov A. (2015) Blagogovenie pered ghizn'u [The Reverence for Life]. Izvestiya. no. 169, September 11.

Rebrov D. (2016) Anna Shmaina-Velikanova: «Dukh khristianskogo gumanizma − sredi prostykh veruyushchikh» [Anna Shmaina-Velikanova: «The Christian Humanism Spirit – Among Ordinary Believers»]. Novaya gazeta, no. 31, March 25.

Rubtsov A. (2015) Kal'kulyatsiya sovesti [Calculation of Conscience]. Novaya gazeta, no. 127,

November 18.

Shamir I. (2015) Paskhal'niy podarok [The Easter Gift]. Izvestiya, no. 66, April 15.

Smirnov K. (2015) Mne snitsya Nerl'. Iz lichnogo dnevnika [I Dream of Nerl. From a Private Diary]. Novaya gazeta, no. 116, October 21.

Soldatov A. (2016) Svyateyshiy posol [The Holy Ambassador]. Novaya gazeta, no. 14,

February 10.

Titov E. (2016) Khristos ostanovilsya v Stavropole [Christ Stayed in Stavropol]. Novaya gazeta, no. 23, March 4.

Tserkov' i gosudarstv [The Church and the State]. Levada-Tsentr, 2016, February 19. Available at: http://www.levada.ru/2016/02/19/tserkov-i-gosudarstvo-2/

Tserkov' i SMI: gde istochnik protivorechiy? [The Church and Mass Media: Where is the Source of Contradictions?]. Zhivaya Voda, 2007, no. 11.

Tsipko A. (2015) I snova maniya grandioza [Again, Delusions of Grandeur]. Nezavisimaya gazeta, no. 20, December 2.

Yakovleva Ye. (2015) Trydnoe chudo [The Difficult Miracle]. Rossiyskaya gazeta, no. 163, July 27.

Yakovleva Ye. (2015) Yeparkhialniy dom – 2. [The Diocesan House – 2]. Rossiyskaya gazeta, no. 162, July 24.

 

 

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