Composition and structure of the ideological matrix of Russian media

Abstract

Major Russian media outlets produce narratives which are subordinated to concepts and ideologemes defined by their systemic nature and strong structure. These ideologemes are the binding glue of the seemingly chaotic narratives of the current ideological war. The chief among these concepts is Russianness (“russkost’”), in turn connected with others such as the Russian civilization, Russians, the Western civilization, the Western man, Ukrainians and others, which together along with their correlates produce the insidiously enforced worldview. The content of these ideologemes, gleaned from publications of leading Russian media ideologists, diverges widely from the expected, carries a high evaluative load, is suggestive and strongly polarized