Media representations of conflicts in Africa: the case of Russian newspapers

Abstract

The article analyses publications in leading Russian daily periodicals - the Komsomolskaya Pravda, Izvestia, and Kommersant newspapers - for the year 2023, which cover conflicts and confrontations of various kinds in African states. The analysis revealed that media attention is primarily focused on the political shifts that accompany the establishment of a new multipolar order on the global arena, wherein Africa is seen as a significant actor supporting Russia. Besides, Russian newspapers represent internal regional conflicts in Africa as well, though such topics are covered substantially less intensively and continuously compared to the Russia-related hostilities. This allows to conclude about the formation of positive media representations of Africa even in negative contexts, i.e. against the conflict-prone background. The agenda built around Africa is marked by Russia-centricity, and the issues of African region are viewed through the lens of the Russian context.

Keywords

• multipolarity
• global south
• positive image of africa
• external conflicts
• internal conflicts
• editorial policy