The migration crisis in Europe: a case study of framing by RT and First Channel

ABSTRACT This article compares the output and functions of Russian national and international television broadcasts through a case study of this media coverage of the European Union and the migration crisis in European countries. The channels chosen for the study are RT, which has projected Russia's view of the world internationally, and the First Channel (FC) which is the most widely available TV channel inside Russia. The data examined confirms that the messages and frames presented by Russian television use various techniques to influence their audiences and are modified for internal and external audiences. However, in common they portray European authorities as incompetent and unable to maintain order in the context of the migration crisis. It is argued in the article that the main function of this portrayal of disorder in Europe is to facilitate the consolidation of the Russian state's domestic control and power.