Toolkit for the Formation of Narrative Strategies of the Russian-Ukrainian War (Using the 2022-2023 Media Language as an Example)

Abstract

(en) The article clarifies the scope of the concepts of narratives and subnarratives, comprehensively characterizes the narratives of Russian propaganda updated as of February 24, 2022. On the basis of processed materials of social networks and texts of traditional mass media, the peculiarities of the formation of narrative strategies of the Russian-Ukrainian war are determined. The analytical-synthetic method, methods of comparison and fact-checking served as the basis for the thematic classification of false messages, which are combined into eight blocks: 1) disbelief; 2) demonization of Ukraine and Ukrainians; 3) justification of aggression; 4) split; 5) intimidation; 6) ennoblement of the enemy; 7) shifting blame; 8) scaling of the conflict. Focusing on the priorities of multi-vector research made it possible to identify seven ways of suggestive influence on the recipient with the help of language tools: 1) introduction into a common synonymous series, which contributes to the formation of additional negative connotations of the word; 2) specifying seme, the functional range of which usually correlates with the purpose of language units of the first variety; 3) statements in the form of truisms, thanks to which the information appears as obvious and does not require proof; 4) conceptual metaphors aimed at justifying the war, contempt for Ukrainian national symbols; 5) euphemisms, with the help of which it is possible to either reduce the scale of the committed negative action, or to hide the negative consequences of the actions of opponents; 6) presuppositions leading to shifting the blame for the war onto Western countries and international alliances; 7) dehumanizing and demonizing vocabulary, which takes part in modeling situations that cause hatred and justify aggression.