Взгляд Британцев на Россию через призму широкоформатной прессы.

BRITISH OUTLOOK ON RUSSIAN PEOPLE
THROUGH THE QUALITY PRESS
DEPENDING ON ITS POLITICAL STANCE

The work was carried out

by the pupil of the 9 B form,

School № 60

Li Ekaterina

Teacher: Nekrasova T. Y.

 The explanation of my choice of the theme I would like to begin with carrying out of an interesting parallel, in my opinion. It is important for every person, what other people think of him or her, how our friends would treat us if we acted like this or like that. The opinion of other people forms a certain image. There is a certain stereotype which is difficult to change. Therefore to any person it is important, what opinion about him/her exists among other people.

The same happens with the states. Development of any state and a person is in many respects similar. For normal functioning the state should show itself to good advantage. It should have authority among other countries, have cooperation with them and be with them in good relations.

         And it became interesting to us, what opinion citizens of that country which language we study have concerning our state. As for the source of information we have decided to take quality British press, and here are the reasons.

Mass Media is the 4-th branch of power.

Today Mass Media is well developed. Therefore important news and events are quickly shined by means of mass media. As it is known in politics there are 3 branches of power: executive, judicial and legislative. The press is informally considered as the fourth branch of power. Such an honorable place mass-media has occupied with an ulterior motive: they really have a considerable impact on formation of public opinion concerning events occurring in the world.

During the analysis of the British press, diverse on the political stance, we have decided to reveal distinctions and similarities according to the sociopolitical events occurring in Russia.

 There is a division of leading newspapers of the West into two kinds: quality and popular papers. We used the first type as the Quality paper or "the solid" newspaper is calculated on the informed reader; publishes a lot of the foreign, internal political and economic information, and analytical materials.

 During our research, for convenience, we have divided newspapers into three groups: right, left and centrists (according to their political stance).

Left Wing

The main aim of left wing parties and individuals can be said to be social equality for all. This is why at the far left, parties such as Communists can be found.

Right Wing

Right wing parties are often thought of as capitalists. The main aim of right wing parties, the rights of the individual are held in high esteem. These come first, over and above the rights of society as a whole, which is clearly at odds with left wing politics.

Centrists

There are also parties and individuals which occupy the centre political ground. In modern times in the UK, this can be said to include the UK’s three main parties most of the time, especially Labour and Conservative. We divided some quality newspapers according to their political stance, for example:

Right newspapers: Daily Telegraph, The Times

Left newspapers: The Independent, The Observer

Centrists newspapers: The Guardian

 During information search we have found sites which represent translation of articles of the British newspapers. It has appeared that we are not the first who has decided to carry out the analysis. Researches have been done on material in the Internet – resource of InoSmi.ru. Among most widespread stereotypes about Russia they stress out  BARBARITY , VIOLENCE, WILDNESSES '. REDUNDANCY IN EVERYTHING, DRUNKENNESS –

It is very insulting that in the British press there is an opinion about us as brutal, drunk, wild, bears.

   Known English journalist Mary Deevski within the limits of Day of Russia at the London school of economy has declared that «image of Russia in the British mass-media improbably negative, unfairly negative and in many respects deformed".

Here, for example, some articles confirming our statements.

●Medvedev is the man.

Tony Halpin (The Times) writes that explosions in Moscow show that president Medvedev occupies fitting place. It describes Medvedev rigid, but moderated, well matched to the thoughtful Russians understanding complexity of problems of the country.

●Humanity of Russian.

To one of the stereotypes which have developed about Russian people became their tolerance and roughness. Such conclusion has made the research centre of the company E-generator.ru., being based on the qualitative British newspaper. However, in newspaper The Times (April 13, 2010), article Tony Halpin devoted to tragedy, the Poland which has happened with the president Lech Kaczynski has been published. The citation: «Sympathy of Russians to grieving Poles - both at official level, and in streets - for passed two days has made more for eradication of mutual suspiciousness, than any diplomacy since that moment as Poland left shade of Moscow after crash of Soviet east block.

●Endurance to difficulties.

Richard Biston in newspaper The Times writes that daily difficulties accustom Russians to lead usual life even after explosions in the underground. He notices that all in some hours after the happened tragedy of the underground again has earned in habitual mode and that such it would be difficult to present in New York or in London. Also the journalist writes that Russian people – strong and hardy as the government doesn't care about the citizens and their social security.

Conclusion

During our research we haven't seen any bright contrast of division of newspapers depending on their political directions. Still sometimes we came across articles in which the difference in performing the information depended on its political stance. For example, the Times(conservative-right wing) describes Medvedev as a president with enormous power, a man of decision, appreciates his determined actions, statements and declarations. Per contra The Independent (liberal-left wing)performs him as a leader with liberal agenda, though we should mention that they doubt whether this may be red herring. The Guardian (left-central) enlightens news both in neutral, positive and negative ways.

The articles are written by the highly specialized persons knowing history, socially - political development of Russia (from some articles it is visible that some journalists used to live in Russia, hence they have absolutely other understanding of things, in comparison with those who hasn't lived in Russia).

Proceeding from this, we have come to a conclusion that the opinion about us depends not so much on political orientations of newspapers, but on the views of a concrete person. An appropriate proof for this statement is Mary Deevski's article about which we have already spoken.

We should also say that the British press abuses in a greater degree the government, instead of simple people. For example, in the country corruption is very strongly developed, and the government doesn't undertake special efforts to struggle against it. Sure, citizens are also to be blamed, however the government should do something with it.

The British press often specifies coincidences between our past (the Soviet Union in particular) and present historical development: ruin of intelligence, absence of democracy, comeback of the Stalin epoch, dual power.