Discourses of blame in strategic narratives

The case of Russia’s 5G stories

Datos Bibliográficos

ID23199850
AutoresSten Hansson (0000-0002-1748-1969, University of Tartu; Estonian Military Academy, Tartu, Estonia, autor de correspondencia), Mari-Liis Madisson (0000-0002-9986-4647, University of Tartu; Estonian Military Academy, Tartu, Estonia), A Ventsel (0000-0001-8414-0163, University of Tartu)
Año2023
Volumen32
Número1
Páginas62-84
Fecha de publicación2023-01-02
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaEuropean Security (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0966-2839 • E-ISSN: 1746-1545
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/09662839.2022.2057188
OpenAlexW4224086022
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas8
Referencias citadas64

Governments spread strategic narratives via media to influence foreign audiences and policy makers. A frequent but understudied feature of strategic narratives is the discursive construction of blame. In this article, we use the coverage of the adoption of 5G cellular technology in Russian state-funded news portals as an example to show how to interpret blame narratives about international security issues. We combine methods and insights from the discourse-analytic studies of blame and the research into the uses of strategic narratives in international relations to reveal how various articulations of blame are used to (de)legitimise particular actors and actions, sow discord, and foster alliances. Our analysis sheds new light on blame discourses that are more sophisticated and indirect than straightforward accusations and may serve multiple strategic goals at once. It also contributes to scholarship on Russia’s strategic communication about China as well as the United States and its allies.

Blame · Foreign policy · Linguistics · Media studies · Narrative · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Scholarship · Sociology · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Law · Media Studies and Communication · Psychology · Social Media and Politics · Social Psychology