Mass Media and Modern Warfare

Dr Greg Simons, Swedish National Defence College, Sweden.

'...without doubt an impressive investigation figuring out not only the modern principles of terrorism but also a much-less researched area: the media involvement in this process. This cohesion makes the book full of intriguing facts and disclosures about specific details of the relationship between politics and the media in the Russian context. The author carefully investigates the past and the present of this evolution, and on this basis captures readers with a provocative conclusion that the modern Russian government is, in fact, still doing too little to stop the dispersal of extremism in the country.' Dmitry Strovsky, Ural State University, Russia 'The relation between military and security, politicians and media are in the forefront of the academic and theoretic debates. The book provides us with an exceptional comprehensive address of those matters illustrated with the vivid image of the Russian perception and practical use of the concept of the Global War on Terrorism.' Iulian Chifu, director, Conflict Prevention and Early Warning Center, Bucharest, Romania 'This is a profound and comprehensive study which deserves to be read, not only by those interested in Russian politics. International relations and global security nowadays more and more depend on media coverage of hot news whether they are local wars or terrorist acts. Bright, provocative analysis of the information warfare which is still going on.' Evgeny Pashentsev, National Economy Academy, Moscow, Russia 'Greg Simons has produced an insightful, comprehensive account of mass-media functioning and media coverage of terrorism in Russia. The book is a valuable contribution for anyone seeking to understand the battlefield of information warfare.' Daria Bazarkina, Moscow State Humanitarian University named after M. A. Sholokhov (MGGU), Russia 'Simons' book is full of intelligent comment and insight and is well worth reading to get a picture of how the media works in Russia today.' Politico 'Mass Media and Modern Warfare is a well-documented overview suitable for both Russian and non-Russian scholars. And while the book paints an overall glib picture of Russia's trajectory, it maintains an objective posture that adds credibility to its conclusions.' Russian Journal of Communication 'This book serves as a useful introduction to the topic of relations between the Russian state, the media, and terrorists. It is packed with numerous insights and information that will be useful for all students of Russian politics and specialists on the media. ... It does provide plenty of insights... makes a real contribution by laying out the relevant issues.' Slavic Review 'This work is a thorough account of the history of Russia's homegrown terrorism. It summarizes the span of the Russian war on terror starting with acts of terror that took part on Russian soil in the mid-1990s. This in itself is an important contribution, as many of those events may be difficult to recollect in detail, even for Russian residents, due to the sheer number, scale and remoteness in time of some of them. In sum, I would recommend this book as a useful source of reference for scholars studying terrorism and the media.' Media, War & Conflict '... a meaningful contribution to the analysis of the politicisation of warfare and the relationship between terrorists and the government, and how the terrorists have been actively manipulating the national media into promoting their interests in Russia since the late 1990s.' Political Studies Review

• Acknowledgments; Introduction; Chapter 1 Politicising the Media or Mediaising the Politician? Media-Political Relations in Russia; Chapter 2 Factors Motivating and Determining Censorship in the Russian Media; Chapter 3 The Use of Rhetoric and the Mass Media in Russia’s War on Terror; Chapter 4 The Russian Media at War; Chapter 5 Terrorism in Cyberspace; Chapter 101 Conclusions;