Representation of Sensitive Themes in Russian Modern Mass Media

In this study, the concept of discourse as power institution is the theoretical framework and justification of selected methodology. In this context, the mass media was chosen as the channel and the main source of cultural codes and ideological framework. This study explores how strategies of representation of sensitive topics form different ideological discourses in the space of online resources, for example, different thematic mass media: The Village, Afisha, Wonderzine, Telekanal Dojd, Lenta.ru, Diletant. The object of the research is language units, which are presented in cases with a religious orientation: a discussion of the film “Matilda”, the discourse around the St. Isaac's Cathedral and Russian Orthodox Church, and the bust of Nikolai II in the Crimea; the subject is sensitivity to these topics. The aim of the study is to identify the linguistic strategies present in contemporary Russian media, which describes the sensitivity of the topic and to analyze if these strategies are homogeneous. The methodology involves discourse and content analysis as well as fixation of the connection between media through shared linguistic methods. The analysis revealed that media uses the same strategy of representing sensitive topics: personalization of text, inclusion of citations and a large number of actors and opinions of the public figures. Thus, the media incorporates the discourse status positions of the participants in situations that reinforce ideological frameworks and cultural norms.