Putin's Propaganda Legacy

This article evaluates the propaganda legacy of the eight-year presidency of Vladimir Putin. Drawing on NGO reports, public opinion surveys, and the scholarly literature, the article describes the organization, channels, and chief messages of the vertical propaganda machine put into motion in Russia as well as this system's visible and invisible workings. The propagandistic treatment of the Second Chechen War and the campaign against terrorism are examined. The counter-propaganda of the Kremlin's "real" opposition during these years, as well as its communication channels and the mobilization campaigns aimed at national and international civil society, are also analyzed.