Ideological Representation of the U.S. Presidential Candidates in the Editorial Positions of the English Online Newspapers in Russia – A Critical Discourse Analysis A thesis presented to the faculty of the Scripps College of Communication of Ohio University and the Institute for Communication and Media Studies of Leipzig University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degrees Master of Science in Journalism (Ohio University), Master of Arts in Global Mass Communication (Leipzig University) Swetlana Maschinez May 2018 © 2018 Swetlana Maschinez. All Rights Reserved. This thesis titled Ideological Representation of the U.S. Presidential Candidates in the Editorial Positions of the English Online Newspapers in Russia – A Critical Discourse Analysis by SWETLANA MASCHINEZ has been approved for the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, the Scripps College of Communication, and the Institute for Communication and Media Studies by Bernhard S. Debatin Professor of Journalism Scott Titsworth Dean, Scripps College of Communication, Ohio University Christian Pieter Hoffmann Executive Director, Institute for Communication and Media Studies, Leipzig University ii Abstract MASCHINEZ, SWETLANA, M.S., Journalism; M.A., Global Mass Communication May 2018 3745809 Ideological Representation of the U.S. Presidential Candidates in the Editorial Positions of the English Online Newspapers in Russia – A Critical Discourse Analysis Director of Thesis: Bernhard S. Debatin Committee Members: Christian P. Hoffmann, Benjamin Bigl This study examines the ideological representation of the U.S. Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in the editorial sections of the three English-language online newspapers in Russia: Sputnik International, Russia Beyond the Headlines and The Moscow Times. Through Jäger’s framework (2015), van Leeuwen’s model of the social actors’ representation (2008), and van Dijk’s notion of ideological square (1995; 2006) as powerful tools of enquiry within Critical Discourse Analysis, several tactics could be identified that were applied by the online newspapers in order to influence public’s opinion about the candidates. The results of this study showed that state-owned Russian media outlets made increasingly favorable comments about Donald Trump while consistently ridiculing and offering negative coverage of Hillary Clinton. In addition, the enemy image of America as the hostile scapegoat for Russia’s negative actions and the country’s negative development since the collapse of the Soviet Union as well as a Cold War image of the current Russian-U.S. relations were constructed within the discourse. iii Table of Contents Page Abstract .............................................................................................................................. iii List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Motivation and Purpose of the Study............................................................................ 2 Outline of the Study ...................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 2: Context – The Russian Media ........................................................................... 6 The Russian Media ....................................................................................................... 6 A short history of the Russian media. ..................................................................... 6 Censorship and the Internet. ................................................................................... 9 The Russian press model. ..................................................................................... 11 Propaganda ............................................................................................................ 13 The Coverage of the Russian Press ............................................................................. 16 CDA studies of Russian media. ............................................................................ 16 Coverage of the 2016 U.S. Presidential candidates in the Russian press. ............ 19 Chapter 3: Theoretical Framework ................................................................................... 23 Editorials and Op-Ed Columns ................................................................................... 23 Ideology and Language ............................................................................................... 27 The ideology concept. ........................................................................................... 27 Ideology and politics. ............................................................................................ 30 The Critical Discourse Analysis ................................................................................. 32 General principles of CDA. .................................................................................. 33 History of Critical Discourse Analysis. ................................................................ 35 CDA and ideology. ............................................................................................... 37 Chapter 4: Methodology ................................................................................................... 42 Siegfried Jäger’s Critical Discourse Analysis............................................................. 42 The structure of discourses. .................................................................................. 42 A toolbox for discourse analysis. .......................................................................... 44 Social Actors Representation by van Leeuwen .......................................................... 46 Van Dijk’s Ideological Square .................................................................................... 48 iv Chapter 5: Analysis ........................................................................................................... 54 Applying the Critical Discourse Analysis Framework ............................................... 54 The conception and planning phase. ..................................................................... 54 The material identification and the data collection phases. .................................. 56 The analysis phase. ............................................................................................... 63 Social Actors Representation According to van Leeuwen ......................................... 97 Ideological Groups and Ideological Square .............................................................. 100 Chapter 6: Discussion ..................................................................................................... 106 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 111 Limitations and Future Research .............................................................................. 113 References ....................................................................................................................... 115 Appendix A: Social Actors’ Representation ................................................................... 131 Appendix B: Articles for the Detailed Analysis ............................................................. 138 Appendix C: Structural Analysis .................................................................................... 160 v List of Tables Page Table 1 Top 10 English Online Newspapers in Russia ..................................................... 57 Table 2 Inclusion and Exclusion of Social Actors in Sputnik International .................. 131 Table 3 Exclusion of Social Actors in Sputnik International ........................................ 131 Table 4 Nomination of Social Actors in Sputnik International ...................................... 131 Table 5 Categorization of Social Actors in Sputnik International .................................. 132 Table 6 Activation and Passivation of Social Actors in Sputnik International............... 132 Table 7 Passivation of Social Actors in Sputnik International ....................................... 132 Table 8 Individualization and Assimilation of Social Actors in Sputnik International .. 133 Table 9 Inclusion and Exclusion of Social Actors in RBTH .......................................... 133 Table 10 Exclusion of Social Actors in RBTH ............................................................... 133 Table 11 Nomination of Social Actors in RBTH............................................................ 134 Table 12 Categorization of Social Actors in RBTH ....................................................... 134 Table 13 Activation and Passivation of Social Actors in RBTH .................................... 134 Table 14 Passivation of Social Actors in RBTH ............................................................ 135 Table 15 Individualization and Assimilation of Social Actors in RBTH ....................... 135 Table 16 Inclusion and Exclusion of Social Actors in MT ............................................. 135 Table 17 Exclusion of Social Actors in MT ..................................................................