The Phenomenon of Post-Truth in National Media as a Structural Factor in Russian-American Relations

This thesis paper examines the peculiar notion of post-truth in national media rhetoric of two countries, the United States and the Russian Federation, as a factor that shapes their actions and pre-determines their relations on a structural level. A brief review of the theoretical basis and the history of post-truth as a global phenomenon is followed by a sum-up of the relations between the two great powers over the past years and a discussion of the place of national media in forming the post-true discourse permeating this bilateral communication. The two case studies revisit Crimea and Syria to exemplify how post-truth in media shapes the identities and policies of the two countries and becomes more than a simple tool designed to justify their own actions. Key words: United States, Russian Federation, US, Russia, post-truth, international relations, national media, constructivism, media empowerment theory, Syria, Crimea, identity