Choosing Propaganda: Understanding News Selection in Russia
CERS graduate student lecture by Ashley Blum (UCLA, Political Science).
Владимир Путин на мультимедийной выставке, посвящённой 10-летию начала вещания телекомпании RTTV – Russia Today. С главным редактором телеканала Маргаритой Симоньян. Photo: Пресс-служба Президента Российской Федерации; cropped. CC BY 4.0.
Tuesday, February 23, 202112:00 PM - 1:00 PM (Pacific Time)
Zoom Webinar
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ABSTRACT
State news sources, particularly on television, are the most popular sources of information on politics and current events in Russia. In recent years, Russians are increasingly turning to the internet for their news, where they can find both state and independent news outlets. However, the audiences for most independent news outlets remain small. Given the extent of censorship and distortion in state media, why are so many consumers still gravitating toward state sources, and how do they process the information these state sources report? In this talk, I will present the results of two original surveys, one in person and one online, about audience preferences over news content and news sources. The results provide insight into how people navigate the Russian media landscape, in which identifying the most reliable sources and information can be a complex task. I discuss how audiences weigh concerns about bias with concerns about source capacity and access to information. I also consider the role of varying political beliefs and topic interests in shaping audience preferences among news sources.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ashley Blum is a Ph.D. candidate in the political science department at UCLA. She studies comparative politics and political psychology. Her dissertation is about the Russian media landscape and how Russians find sources of information about politics and current events.
Cost : Free and open to the public. Registration required at above link.
Sponsor(s): Center for European and Russian Studies, UCLA Russian Flagship Center