The media image of a war veteran in the regional online discourse: objectivity, bias and journalistic standards
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/2522-1272.2025.87.14Keywords:
media image; regional media; war veterans; journalism standards; stigmatisationAbstract
The article analyses the specifics of forming the media image of war veterans in regional online media. The relevance of the study is reinforced by the fact that local media reflect the real context of veterans' lives, and personal stories personify the war. They serve as a source of real, verified narratives capable of countering fake news about veterans. Accordingly, the aim of the study is to identify the thematic and conceptual dynamics and problematic issues of the representation of the media image of veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war in regional online media through analysis of the specifics of its formation; identifying the narratives that dominate the local information space, and identifying potential risks of disinformation, stigmatisation, and distorted representation of veterans in the context of contemporary information challenges. It has been proven that the issue of the media image of veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war is understudied in Ukrainian science. In the scientific discourse of EU countries, the issue of the media image of veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war is also considered rather superficially. In the course of the study, more than 1,000 publications about veterans in five influential online media outlets in Transcarpathia were reviewed. Those that deviate from the norm in some way — with negative connotations, excessive heroisation, and examples of compliance with journalistic standards — were analysed and described in detail. It has been noted that regional media journalists promptly report on opportunities for veterans, events involving them, and social issues, but most of the material on news resources is reprinted from other media, while there are very few original publications and analytical materials on veterans' issues. Approaches to solving the problem of forming an objective media image of war veterans are proposed. A correlation has been established between media coverage of veterans' issues and their support at various levels of society.
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