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Changes in coverage of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict in TV Nova's main news bulletin from February 2022 to February 2023
Kolačná, Martina ; Jirák, Jan (advisor) ; Křeček, Jan (referee)
The aim of this thesis is to analyze the media portrayal of the war Ukraine in the main newscast of TV Nova, namely in the evening news session Televizní noviny. The thesis will describe how the conflict evolved within the course of a year in the specified television program and how the television covered the progress of the war at the beginning and after a year of its duration. Through content analysis, the thesis primarily focuses on the news that provided people with current information about the war and the events of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict. It examines the frequency of news reports on Ukraine as well as their length and placement as they were featured in TV Nova's most watched newscast during the first year of the war. Depending on this, the theoretical part of the thesis will deal with Czech television news and on what principles it works, research dealing with people's relationship to the media, etc. TV Nova will be described with an emphasis on news and their news session Televizní noviny, which is currently the most watched evening news session in the Czech Republic. The author assumes that with the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, there has been an increase in the coverage of news about Ukraine in TV Nova's news programs and that throughout the year, there will be...
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The influence of external actors in the Western Balkans: the influence of China and Russia in Serbia
Culka, Jiří ; Weiss, Tomáš (advisor) ; Žíla, Ondřej (referee)
This thesis aims to examine the influence of external actors in the Western Balkans, first in general terms, and then the influence of two important power actors, Russia and China, on Serbia as an important target actor. The thesis first offers a general discussion of the influence of external actors on policymaking of third countries in the first chapter, presenting its essential characteristics in selected substantive characteristics. It then introduces the external actors in the Western Balkans themselves, including the EU, and their influence in the region. The second chapter then presents the thesis's own theoretical framework for analysing the influence of external actors and introduces the tools used in each area of influence. It also discusses the operationalisation of the thesis, the narrowing of the thesis topic, the research question itself and the rationale for its selection. Finally, the third chapter presents the thesis's own comparative case study of the influence of Russia and China as external power actors on Serbia as the target actor, based on the theoretical framework presented in the previous chapter. Finally, it then reaches a synthesizing conclusion, presents key findings regarding the influence of the choice of goals/interests of power actors on the choice of instruments of...
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Chinese reaction to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Rothschein, Tomáš ; Kazharski, Aliaksei (advisor) ; Šenk, Michal (referee)
The main objective of Diploma Thesis: "Chinese reaction to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine" is to determine whether and how has the war in Ukraine influenced Sino-Russian relations. To determine this, the paper focuses on a research question: "Why did China not oppose Russia's invasion of Ukraine despite its long-lasting tradition of non-interference policy?". To answer the question, the paper contains a complex analysis of the evolution of the modern Sino-Russian relations, its converging and diverging tendencies, the history and relevance of the Chinese policy of non-interventionism and indicators proving close Sino- Russian cooperation despite the ongoing war effort. The tracked indicators are composed of joint-military exercises, number of official visits, official statements, and perceived patterns of behaviour in the UN Security Council. All of these factors would subsequently be analysed through the prism of Neoclassical realism. The results of the study indicate the partially fading importance of the non-interference policy, which can be outweighed by the realist cost/benefit calculations. Consequently, the said balance of power logic and attempts to maximalise state power were concluded to be the motor behind the post-invasion Sino-Russian rapprochement.
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Russia's self-presentation on Evening with Vladimir Solovyov on the example of the Kherson retreat
Beníšková, Evelína ; Šír, Jan (advisor) ; Korablyova, Valeriya (referee)
This bachelor thesis examines the way Russia presents itself in the propagandistic TV show Evening with Vladimir Solovyov. The research is set against the backdrop of the retreat of Russian troops from Kherson, which took place in November 2022 and was a significant event within the context of the Russian war against Ukraine. The core of the thesis investigates how Russia is portrayed by the show's guests and how the principle of contrasts is utilized, defining Russia indirectly by contrasting it with the West. Firstly, the thesis introduces the concept of propaganda, providing a closer explanation of the term, and focuses specifically on Russian propaganda to clarify the analytical framework. Subsequently, the context of the war in Ukraine is presented, contextualizing the retreat of Russian troops from Kherson. Four episodes of the show, which were recorded and broadcasted immediately before, during, and after the retreat from Kherson, are then analyzed. The author examines how Russia is presented in these episodes and how definitions of the West are used in its portrayal. Statements by the propagandists describing the West are identified, indirectly characterizing Russia as well. Then, specific definitions are compared with their opposites through post-structuralist analysis. Finally, the thesis...
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The Impact of the Murder of Alexander Litvinenko on British Policy towards Russia
Fomenková, Klára ; Váška, Jan (advisor) ; Kasáková, Zuzana (referee)
The bachelor thesis titled "The Impact of the Murder of Alexander Litvinenko on British Policy towards Russia" deals with the issue of British policy towards Russia in response to the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, which significantly cooled bilateral relations. The thesis focuses on the analysis of the security and diplomatic actions of the British government and their connection with economic strategies, which is interpreted through the theoretical framework of the thesis - the theory of Canadian political scientist Kalevi Holsti. Holsti's theory, which discusses the interaction of states' security and economic measures in the face of external threats, provides a guide to understanding the shape of the British response. To illuminate the context, an overview of the British policy towards Russia prior to the event is provided, as well as a detailed account of the life and tragic death of Alexander Litvinenko. The period of around one and a half year after the murder is examined to avoid the influence of other events on British policy. Based on the secondary literature studied and the primary sources available, the outcome of this thesis is an analysis of the British government's policy towards Russia in the wake of the incident and an assessment of the unevenness of the response across different...
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Small states and foreign policy challanges: foreign policy of the Baltic states towards Russia
Bílý, Tomáš ; Karlas, Jan (advisor) ; Jeřábek, Martin (referee)
Small States and Foreign Policy Challenges: Foreign Policy of Lithuania and Estonia towards Russia Abstract This diploma thesis deals with the use of foreign policy strategies of small states by Lithuania and Estonia in the context of foreign policy towards Russia. In this regard, the work is focused on the analysis of foreign political disputes with Russia, which represented key challenges for these Baltic states with regard to sovereignty and territorial integrity following the collapse of the Soviet Union, specifically then on cases of the withdrawal of Russian military units, the delimitation of the Estonian-Russian state borders and the regulation of Russian transit to the Kaliningrad region. From a methodological point of view, the work is conceived as a case study aimed at developing knowledge about the phenomenon of foreign policy strategies of small states. Its first part is devoted to the presentation of the theoretical concepts of the small state and the foreign policy strategies of small states. The second part of the work is focused on the assessment of the use of the mentioned strategies by Lithuania and Estonia within the examined cases with the aim of ascertaining which of the foreign policy strategies of small states Lithuania and Estonia tried to apply in the context of the analyzed cases...
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Russian information warfare in Slovakia
Juhászová, Bianka ; Charvát, Jan (advisor) ; Kubátová, Hana (referee)
The thesis is devoted to a detailed analysis of the impact of the Russian information war on the Slovak information environment. Emphasis is placed on current data in this area and the thesis focuses on information operations after 2022. The themes and narratives that Russia uses for influence in its information warfare are examined. The aim is to provide a comprehensive picture of what themes and narratives Russia is using to manipulate the Slovak audience and a framework to analyze these attacks. Using this framework, it is possible to examine the themes of Russian disinformation in Slovakia and the goals that Russia may pursue through these information operations. The thesis also provides a theoretical foundation on information warfare, its development in the Russian Federation, and the main themes of its current form. In the practical part, the theoretical knowledge will be applied to the analysis of two specific cases of information operations from the period of the election campaign in Slovakia in 2023. The methodological approach includes a content analysis of Slovak media, social networks, disinformation websites and platforms. This will be complemented with data from various opinion polls and academic studies of the Slovak information space.
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Winter Olympics in Sochi: Russian national identity and the authoritarian state.
Bartoš, Marek ; Kolenovská, Daniela (advisor) ; Svoboda, Karel (referee)
The following thesis analyses the role of the organization of the XXII. Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in the process of consolidation of the Russian authoritarian regime and the formation of national identity between 2007 and 2014. The preparations for the Sochi Olympics and their implementation coincided with the transformation of the Russian political system, which was rapidly adapting to the consequences of Vladimir Putin's unconstitutional return to the presidency. This paper is based on the hypothesis that hosting a global sport mega-event (SME) such as the Olympic Games provides authoritarian regimes with the means to reinforce existing official discourses of identity and ideology, suppress domestic and foreign criticism, and create an environment for corruption to flourish. In this way, it contributes to the consolidation of the regime's power structures and the legitimacy of its rule. Systematic state support for national professional athletes, highlighting their achievements in international competition, and unprecedented economic and political investment in the success of the Olympics have the potential to reinforce patriotic sentiments and build positive links between the state and the citizen. An analysis of these mechanisms can contribute to the debate on the relationship between...
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Transformation of the Russian arms industry
Junek, Michal ; Svoboda, Karel (advisor) ; Šír, Jan (referee)
The Russian military-industrial complex is a strategically important part of the Russian state from an economic and security point of view. With its economic importance, scientific and technical capacity, number of employees, and history, it plays an irreplaceable role, not only for Russia itself, but also as one of the leading players in the global arms market. The present work deals with the Russian military-industrial complex in the period from the 1990s to 2022. The 1990s are characterized by a crisis that accompanied the Russian military-industrial sector. This paper examines the transformation and the impact of the trends that can be observed in the Russian arms industry in this and later periods. Trends in the global military-industrial sector and their application to the Russian environment are described. The aim of this case study is to identify the impact of changes in the Russian military-industrial complex with respect to its position as one of the leaders in the global military-industrial environment. The transformation in the sequential period did not lead to an increase in the innovation potential of the actor, despite the considerable resources spent by the Russian state and its efforts to establish itself in foreign markets. On the contrary, there has been an increase in the...
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Transformation of Russian political regime: Putin's hybrid regime.
Kuliashov, Vladimir ; Romancov, Michael (advisor) ; Doboš, Bohumil (referee)
This thesis is devoted to the analysis of the transformation of the political regime in modern Russia after the collapse of the USSR. It considers the theoretical foundations of the study of political regimes and their transformation, as well as the concept of hybrid political regimes. The analytical part of this paper is devoted to the study of the historical context of political regime transformation in post-Soviet Russia, analyzing the economic, demographic and political specifics, as well as analyzing why the process of democratic transformation of the country was not completed in the Russian Federation at the turn of the century. Further, the thesis analyzes the transformation of the political regime in the period from 2000 to the present day, which is inextricably linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin. All tendencies of authoritarian strengthening and changing the course of foreign and domestic policy are analyzed, that is, in other words, the paper investigates how the regime was transformed step by step. Also, special attention is paid to the analysis of different periods of this transformation and on the basis of all the studied data, a brief assessment of the possible transformation of the regime in the future is given. The conclusion briefly summarizes all the results of the thesis,...
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