Framing the Pussy Riot between the USA and Russia

Abstract

This research analyzes news stories of the American New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Russian Izvestiya and Argumenty i Fakty toward the Russian punk group Pussy Riot. The study used qualitative framing analysis to (1) extract the frames and framing devices employed by the newspapers in their coverage of the Russian group, and (2) to identify if the coverage aligned with the official positions of the corresponding governments. The time frame was when Pussy Riot performed inside a Moscow cathedral in February 2012 until a week after the court's decision to jail three members in August of the same year. The findings show the American newspapers aligned with the official stand of the US government toward Pussy Riot. Each American newspaper employed two frames with their framing devices emphasizing solidarity with the group and opposition toward the Russian handling of the case. Each Russian newspaper also employed two frames but they did not align with the official stand of their corresponding government. The frames and their devices emphasized on the argument whether the church performance was an act of hooliganism or of free expression. Heavy celebrity endorsements supporting Pussy Riot were included in the American news stories while the Russian stories were more focused on the latest developments of events.