Russia in Transition: Coverage by American Newspapers in the 1990s

American foreign correspondence about Russia during
the 1990s focused on neo-liberal political and
economic reforms designed to Westernize the formerly
Communist state. Some stories imagined the transition
abstractly, relying on the preconceived and
ideological notions of outsiders as well as national
conceptions of Russian territory. Other stories
emphasized regional geographies and historical events
that were materially meaningful to Russians. These
remarkable differences in ontology lead to a broad
analysis of the geographic and textual underpinnings
of newspaper-journalism about Russia. This book
explores representations of Russian territory in
transition including Russian and international
conflicts over economic development and political
power. The resulting critical geopolitics lays bare
both grandiose and local geographies promulgated in
American foreign correspondence and the textual
devices that made the events in Eurasia
understandable for a general, American audience. The
analysis is informative for professionals in
international relations, media or cultural studies,
and geopolitics and also for anyone interested in how
American journalists explain foreign places.

Autorentext

Dr. West is a professor of Geography at Southern ConnecticutState University. He received his Ph.D. from San Diego StateUniversity and the University of California, Santa Barbara. Hisresearch interests include Russia, location analysis in commerceand politics, and enrollment management and policy atuniversities. Email: weste1@southernct.edu

Klappentext

American foreign correspondence about Russia duringthe 1990s focused on neo-liberal political andeconomic reforms designed to Westernize the formerlyCommunist state. Some stories imagined the transitionabstractly, relying on the preconceived andideological notions of outsiders as well as nationalconceptions of Russian territory. Other storiesemphasized regional geographies and historical eventsthat were materially meaningful to Russians. Theseremarkable differences in ontology lead to a broadanalysis of the geographic and textual underpinningsof newspaper-journalism about Russia. This bookexplores representations of Russian territory intransition including Russian and internationalconflicts over economic development and politicalpower. The resulting critical geopolitics lays bareboth grandiose and local geographies promulgated inAmerican foreign correspondence and the textualdevices that made the events in Eurasiaunderstandable for a general, American audience. Theanalysis is informative for professionals ininternational relations, media or cultural studies,and geopolitics and also for anyone interested in howAmerican journalists explain foreign places.