Thursday, February 20, 20251:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Bunche Hall, Rm 10383
The Center for European and Russian Studies invites you to a talk, entitled "Changing Russian Propaganda against Ukraine: Quantitative Textual Analysis of Newspapers in Russia (1997 – 2022)" with Masaaki Higashijima, Associate Professor of Comparative Politics at the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo. The talk will be followed by Q&A moderated by Professor Daniel Treisman, Professor of Political Science. This talk is open to all and will take place at Bunche Hall Room 10383 on Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 1 PM with registration requested.
About the Talk
Modern autocrats employ sophisticated propaganda techniques to bolster public support. With the increasing use of quantitative text analysis, scholars have primarily concentrated on domestic issues within relatively short timeframes. This paper analyzes long-term changes in Russia’s propaganda strategies, particularly focusing on foreign policy issues, including its relationship with Ukraine, by examining approximately 2.5 million articles published in six major Russian newspapers between July 1997 and March 2022. Using Structural Topic Modeling (STM) to estimate topic distributions, our analysis reveals that as Putin’s personalist rule became more entrenched, news articles increasingly shifted their focus from domestic affairs to diplomacy and international relations. Additionally, coverage of Ukraine frequently associates the country with Western nations and often frames it in negative terms, such as “fascist.” These shifts appear to be primarily driven by changes in the Russian government’s foreign policy stance, which were especially pronounced in state-owned media. Our findings illuminate the long-term evolution of propaganda concerning Ukraine in Russia and provide significant insights into the media control techniques employed by modern autocracies.
About the Speaker
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Masaaki Higashijima is an Associate Professor of Comparative Politics at the Institute of Social Science, University of Tokyo. He is currently affiliated with the Ellison Center for Russian, East European, and Central Asian Studies in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. His research focuses on comparative political economy, autocratic politics, regime change, and Central Asia. His work has been published in premier journals such as the British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, Journal of Politics, and World Development. He is the author of The Dictator’s Dilemma at the Ballot Box: Electoral Manipulation, Economic Maneuvering, and Political Order in Autocracies (University of Michigan Press, 2022), which received Honorable Mention for the Ed A. Hewett Book Prize for an outstanding monograph on the political economy of Russia, Eurasia, and Eastern Europe. Dr. Higashijima earned his Ph.D. from Michigan State University.
Venue
Bunche Hall 10383
(10th floor of Bunche Hall)
315 Portola Plaza
Los Angeles, CA 90095
Parking
You can find nearby parking at Parking Structure 4 or Parking Structure 5. Parking Structure 5 has an hourly rate of $8 per hour and Parking Structure 4 has an hourly rate of $4 per hour for visitors. Visit UCLA Visitor Parking for more information. Ride-share drop off is closest at the turnaround at the front of Royce Hall located at: 10745 Dickson Court, Los Angeles, CA 90095. Accessible Parking: If you have accessibility needs, you may park in the Pay-By-Space/Visitor Parking area on the rooftop (level 5) of Parking Structure 5 and proceed to the Self-Service Pay Station machine to pay by credit card.
Sponsor(s): Center for European and Russian Studies