Nov 22- How (Not) to Interpret Russian Political Talk Shows, Maxime Aluykov

As published in the Moscow Times, November 19, 2022.

Maxime Aluykov, How (Not) to Interpret Russian Political Talk Shows- The Moscow Times

ollowing the rules of both propaganda and entertainment, these talk shows alwa

ys reflect the Kremlin’s key ideological concepts, but in a format that is highly engaging.

Julia Davis @JuliaDavisNews

Meanwhile in Russia: a lawmaker argues that the strikes against Ukraine's critical infrastructure are meant to express Russia's "holy hatred" towards Ukrainians and prompt them to overthrow Zelensky. Others pontificate that freezing Ukrainian civilians will prompt a capitulation.

Employees of state-run Channel One have confirmed that a key factor in selecting guests for some shows is the degree to which they can yell, not least as part of the fierce competition for viewers. Such commercial considerations need to be borne in mind when apparent hate speech and threats of nuclear war are seen on air – they're often more reflective of the channel's need to drum up ratings than the Kremlin’s attempts to convey new talking points.