Mediatized remembrance rituals in Ukrainian international communication during the Russo-Ukrainian war
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/CIMC.2024.36.54-65Keywords:
mediatization, international communication, remembrance ritual, emotional storytelling, Russo-Ukrainian warAbstract
This study aimed to investigate how international media interpreted and presented remembrance rituals involving foreign leaders in wartime Ukraine. A mixed-method approach was employed to analyze the coverage of two remembrance rituals involving Japan’s and Greece’s PM’s visits to Ukraine. A case study was amplified with content analysis of five media per case to shed light on techniques of media coverage. The findings demonstrate that Ukraine instrumentalized remembrance rituals to make foreign leaders live through emotional experience. The media relied on emotional storytelling and vivid visualization when covering the remembrance rituals. The results of the research are significant for international communication, scholars, and policymakers due to the relevance of sustaining a positive image for the Ukrainian success in defending against the Russian invasion.
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