Logo: to the web site of the Swedish Defence University

fhs.se
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • harvard-cite-them-right
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Russia’s Narrative Power Play in the Covid-19 vaccine era: A narrative enquiry into the strategic narrative of Sputnik V according to RT
Swedish Defence University.
2022 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
Abstract [en]

Researchers have shown that vaccines are likened with countries’ power and international influence during the Covid-19 pandemic whereby they have raised a note of caution for what this may mean for the portrayal of vaccines. This thesis explores how Russia has narrated the Russian vaccine Sputnik V to bring further insights to how they try to influence foreign beliefs about the Russian state and international relations. Using the theory of strategic narrative, the thesis conducts a narrative analysis to explore how the state-sponsored media outlet RT portrayed the vaccine in relation to actors, settings, conflicts, and resolutions as well as it delves into how the narrative was constructed by contesting others and promoting the self. The analysis identified five subplots which together portray Sputnik V to be a good vaccine that undeservingly has received a bad reputation. The result adds to research on Russia’s strategic narration as it shows that RT contests other actors by narrating them as weak, suppressed and in need of direction even though the focus is on Sputnik V. It also shows how RT mixes this narration with self-promotion by portraying how Russia cooperates with other actors to produce and distribute vaccines. The thesis also shows that RT alternates between emotional and factual language depending on if the narration contests other actors or promotes the self. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2022. , p. 54
Keywords [en]
Russia, Sputnik V, strategic narrative, narrative analysis, RT
National Category
Political Science (excluding Public Administration Studies and Globalisation Studies)
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:fhs:diva-10703OAI: oai:DiVA.org:fhs-10703DiVA, id: diva2:1635463
Subject / course
Political Science with focus on crisis management and security
Educational program
Master's programme in Politics and War
Uppsok
Social and Behavioural Science, Law
Supervisors
Examiners
Available from: 2022-02-16 Created: 2022-02-07 Last updated: 2025-09-29Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

No full text in DiVA

By organisation
Swedish Defence University
Political Science (excluding Public Administration Studies and Globalisation Studies)

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar

urn-nbn

Altmetric score

urn-nbn
Total: 379 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • harvard-cite-them-right
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf