Russia's communication strategies about Crimea in Spanish-language Sputnik and Russia Times (2014-2018)

We analyze Russia's communication strategies in the period leading up to and following the seizure (2014-2018) of the Crimean Peninsula in the Spanish editions of its digital platforms, Sputnik and Russia Times. Drawing from theories of political communication, we show how Russia used storytelling and framing to build an international image and political brand consistent with, and try to justify, its foreign policy actions. Specifically, Russian messages transmit no room for doubt about the legality of any of its strategies in Crimea. We argue that this communication strategy is consistent with the concept of 'sharp power' to describe Russian projection in the world. Cultural and emotional appeals designed to generate positive emotions about Russia, i.e., 'soft power', were far less common. In recent years, Russian projection of sharp power appears to have increased in the Spanish-speaking world, particularly in South America. In addition to helping explain Russian foreign policy, our findings contribute to broader debates about political branding and truth in a 'post-truth', multipolar world

Migration Flows and the Future of Democracy and World Order

The political salience of policy issue arenas related to the movement of people, including immigration, citizenship, and asylum, has increased in recent decades and is likely to continue to escalate for the foreseeable future, because of both real dynamics of migration flows and because of political dynamics including reactions to the Covid-19 pandemic. Existing governance regimes at the global, regional, and national levels somewhat order the migration issue arena and do much humanitarian good, but they also generate new problems and injustices. The perception of disorder in migration and citizenship are likely to continue to present challenges for liberal democracy and for international cooperation. This article outlines the contours of challenges of governing the movement of people since the end of the Cold War

Inmigración, Ciudadanía y Políticas Públicas

In public policies there is growing attention to the problem of migration between nations. The article is based on exposing the relevant questions about immigration and citizenship and their constant, permanent and changing presence over time. It becomes crucial, then, to explain issues such as rights resulting from migration policies and their effects on Western democracies in recent years. In this context, numerous investigations and discoveries of transformations in the numbers of migrants and changes in the migratory policies of the different States arise.  En políticas públicas existe una creciente atención por la problemática de las migraciones entre las naciones. El artículo se basa en exponer las preguntas relevantes acerca de la inmigración y la ciudadanía y su presencia constante, permanente y cambiante en el tiempo. Se torna crucial, entonces, explicar cuestiones como los derechos resultantes de las políticas migratorias y sus efectos en las democracias occidentales durante los últimos años. En este contexto, surgen numerosas investigaciones y descubrimientos de transformaciones en los números de los migrantes y los cambios de las políticas migratorias de los distintos Estados

RUSSIA’S COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES ABOUT CRIMEA IN SPANISH-LANGUAGE SPUTNIK AND RUSSIA TIMES (2014-2018)

We analyze Russia’s communication strategies in the period leading up to and following the seizure (2014-2018) of the Crimean Peninsula in the Spanish editions of its digital platforms, Sputnik and Russia Times. Drawing from theories of political communication, we show how Russia used storytelling and framing to build an international image and political brand consistent with, and try to justify, its foreign policy actions. Specifically, Russian messages transmit no room for doubt about the legality of any of its strategies in Crimea. We argue that this communication strategy is consistent with the concept of ‘sharp power’ to describe Russian projection in the world. Cultural and emotional appeals designed to generate positive emotions about Russia, i.e., ‘soft power’, were far less common. In recent years, Russian projection of sharp power appears to have increased in the Spanish-speaking world, particularly in South America. In addition to helping explain Russian foreign policy, our findings contribute to broader debates about political branding and truth in a ‘post-truth’, multipolar world.    

Planetary stewardship in an urbanizing world: beyond city limits

Cities are rapidly increasing in importance as a major factor shaping the Earth system, and as such must take corresponding responsibility. With currently over half of the world population, cities are supported by resources originating from primarily rural regions that are often located around the world far distant from the urban loci of use. The multiple and complex environmental and social challenges the world faces require interconnected solutions and a coordinated governance approach to planetary stewardship. There is a new opportunity to conceptualize a key component of planetary stewardship as a global system of cities that develop sustainable processes and policies in concert with its non-urban areas. The potential for cities to cooperate as a system and with rural connectivity could not only increase their capacity to effect change and foster stewardship at the planetary scale but also increase their resource security