Mariia Chernysh. Content-analysis of Euromaidan and Antimaidan propaganda скачать в хорошем качестве

Mariia Chernysh. Content-analysis of Euromaidan and Antimaidan propaganda

Content-analysis of Euromaidan and Antimaidan propaganda Mariia Chernysh Graduate student Department of Sociology National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Abstract In modern society information is a powerful weapon. This content-analytical research was aimed to study two opposite information campaigns [of Euromaidan and Antimaidan], that were organized by Ukrainians for Ukrainians and spread with the help of the Social Web. For this analysis 4 major groups in social network “Vkontakte” were selected (two representing each social movement). From these groups the pictures, which are the most similar to traditional propaganda posters (e.g. Cold War period), were quantitavely analyzed to identify main distinctive features of existent propaganda. Totally 113 propaganda posters (58 of Euromaidan and 55 of Antimaidan) were analyzed. The goal was to disassemble elements of each poster according to chosen categories and compare the quantitative indexes of these categories. Each poster was analyzed according to: its media type (whether it is image only or image with text); emotionality (positive or negative attitude, behavior, peaceful or aggressive mood of poster); text characteristics (usage of mottoes, definitions, quotations, appeals, paraphrased text in propaganda message); background (national banner, banners of other countries, monotonous background or other background image); used symbols and modus of their connotation (Ukrainian, EU, Russian or other state signs); impersonation of countries and their modus (image of symbolic buildings, gestures, signs, territories associated with other countries and attitude towards them); presence of social movements participants and modus (image of and attitude towards politicians, protestors, participants of Euromaidan and Antimaidan); presence of humor. The study showed that virtually all propaganda posters of both movements had common or similar elements in each category. After the so-called “Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity” Ukrainian society is separated and facing the need of ideological unity of the country, thus understanding differences and similarities in these two propaganda campaigns is needed to create and develop the new state’s informational policy that will be positively perceived all over Ukraine