The Russians Are Coming (To Our Media) - good or bad?
January 15th, 2009 by Mark Hanson 
I’ve been taking a close interest in the extent to which Eastern European leaders, especially Dimitry Medvedev, have been making attempts to position themselves strategically in the UK media - an FT comment piece here, an interview on Today programme there.
Why bother? Well, the likes of Medvedev need to work their international audience in order to get things done globally, so explaining their actions and pitching a more positive narrative that challenges the old KGB villain-type image will help.
They’ve gone a stage further now with a social media strategy, an interactive video blog that enables Medvedev to give something of his personality (we’ll see whether that’s a good thing or not!) and get into a dialogue. Full marks for trying.
Pulling back, its fascinating to see how international figures use foreign media to play back into their homeland. US globetrotting political consultants like Sawyer Miller were masters of this. Check out how the firm used the US media in the Philippines to unseat Ferdinand Marcos.
They figured that the domestic TV channels, being state controlled, were unlikely to play fair so they used the US TV networks and the likes of the New York Times, which were recieved along with so much US culture, out in the Philippines, and to influence the White House, who at the time were protecting Marcos.
Currently there’s a mini-power game taking place amongst Russian political officials and exiled oligarchs. Whether its billionaires ingratiating themselves into Western society or looking to expose dodgy dealings in their home nation.
In this spirit its fascinating to see the bid for the Evening Standard by ex-KGB agent and Russian billionaire, Alexander Lebedev. He’s known to be an opposition figure in Moscow, a critic of the regime.
It was thought that the days of a rich man looking to own a national newspaper, funding large losses, in return for access and prestige was ebbing away as multi-media strips away the power of the old brands. Perhaps there’s now a new generation of rich men seeking that sort of trophy?
Guido makes an amusing comparison with a figure from years gone by.
Tags: Evening Standard, internation media strategy, lebedev, medvedev social media strategy, Russia, tim bell, why lebedev bought evening standard
January 15th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
It’s interesting to see how former Soviet satellite countries - accustomed to a strait jacket on communications - are evolving (or not) in their use of social media and PR in general:
http://www.prblogger.com/2009/01/public-relations-in-the-czech-republic/