DOI 10.55206/QGYR4841
Pavleta Nachevska
Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
E-mail: p.nachevska@gmail.com
Abstrasct: The media play a crucial role in shaping public agenda, particularly in the context of geopolitical conflicts. The ongoing hybrid war between Russia and Ukraine, which began before 2022, underscores the significant influence of the media in shaping public opinion. This study hypothesizes that the portrayal of aggression by one or the other side is a powerful mechanism for influencing public perceptions and garnering support. The focus of this research is on media publications from diverse countries, including members of the European Union, Russia and Ukraine, regarding the war. The central research question is to examine how mediatization manifests differently across these countries. The hypothesis posits that variations in media ecosystems, societal traditions, and cultural factors play a pivotal role in shaping the manifestation of mediatization in these contexts. Furthermore, the study explores how media outlets and journalists emphasize the potential for catastrophic consequences, thereby influencing public opinion and policy discussions. The central problem addressed in this research is that media outlets and journalists often highlight the potential for catastrophic outcomes, thereby shaping public opinion and influencing policy discourse. To investigate this, the study employs situational analysis as its methodology, aiming to capture the complexity and variability of media representations across different national contexts.
Keywords: media, mediatization, situational analysis, hybrid war, context, factors, manifestations.
Rhetoric and Communications Journal, issue 65, October 2025