Framing the Ukraine crisis: A comparison between talk show debates in Russian and German television

This article examines the framing of the Ukraine crisis in German and Russian television political talk shows. Informed by peace journalism and constructive journalism, it investigates how Russian and German shows frame the Ukraine crisis and to what extent constructive and destructive frames are used. Qualitative content analysis of 20 shows (10 Russian and 10 German) enables examination of frame content and their constructive or destructive character. While constructive frames address situational causal interpretations and constructive problem treatments, destructive frames blame one party for the crisis and apply either no treatment or a destructive one. Findings reveal that shows in both countries provide different frames on both the situation inside Ukraine and international tensions between Russia and the West. While large parts of both strands of the debates are destructive in character, the country’s shows include more constructive frames in different periods of the crisis.