Beyond Bullets: The Role and Effectiveness of Media in the Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Abstract

This authors note is taken directly from my paper, written in 2023 during my first semester for my UN1015 Composition journal article final, and covers both what the paper is about, and what inspired me to write it.
This paper analyzes the usage of media in the Russia-Ukraine conflict starting with the 2014 annexation of Crimea, and follows the evolution of media usage up until the conflict in its form today. I first became interested in this topic after the expansion of the conflict in February of 2022, and was given the opportunity to explore the topic more in our composition class. The paper begins with an overall history of the conflict, then gets more specifically into the methods and usage of media by both sides, describing their focuses and strengths and weaknesses. Following this, I analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each side’s method, then determine which side is more effective both with and without taking into account external factors. As a result of my research, I have determined that without taking into account external factors, both Russia and Ukraine’s methods are equally as effective; however, when taking into account other external factors, Ukraine comes out slightly ahead in terms of effectiveness.