FRG MASS MEDIA AS A FACTOR FOR FORMING THE IDENTITY OF "RUSSIAN GERMANS"

Aim. The purpose of this article is to assess the impact on the identity of the "Russian Germans" of this community positioning in the German media.

Methodology. The work’s methodology is based on a combination of classical content analysis with elements of comparative and structural analysis. The empirical base of the study was a pool of 232 publications from 6 national media of Germany (Deutsche Welle, Spiegel, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Rundschau, Handelsblat and Bild) for 2021, formed in random sample order.

Results. The author comes to the conclusion that there is a trend towards the stigmatization of "Russian Germans” in the German mass media. The latter are labeled as bearers of values and behaviors labeled as alien to the majority of the population. They are simultaneously trying to position this diaspora as a "fifth column" acting in the interests of Russia within the framework of the European Union and the Russian Federation. At the same time, the distance between the “Russian Germans” and the bulk of the German population is estimated to be smaller than in the case of the Albanian, Turkish, Afghan and Syrian diasporas. "Russians" are less frequently present in media materials as a source of an everyday threat (in the role of criminals or terrorists). Also, they are distinguished from the "Asian" and Albanian diasporas by the presence of a greater similarity with the native population in terms of appearance and behavior patterns. The distance is also shortened by the similarity of "Russian Germans" with the traditional "internal dissidents" – immigrants from the GDR who failed to fully integrate into the new society. Due to this, the German media contribute to the preservation of the separate identity of the "Russian Germans". But the image of the phantom threat from the "Russian Germans" formed by the mass media is not as bright as in the case of other "dangerous diasporas". This prevents the allocation of Germans who came from the former Soviet republics into an independent category in the form of "important others".

Research implications. The results obtained became the basis for the development of practical recommendations for the Russian authorities on building communication with the "Russian Germans” community in Germany. It was emphasized that a dialogue with it should be built within the framework of the implementation of a comprehensive program covering both migrants from the post-Soviet space and people from the former GDR. The stigmatization of “Russian Germans” and immigrants from East Germany in the German media should be widely reported in the Russian-language mass media of Germany and niche communities in social networks. This will help consolidate these groups and turn them into a social base for opposition to anti-Russian forces in the German elites. The negative image of the "Russian Germans" as the "fifth column of Moscow" can be destroyed by a large-scale promotion of depoliticized elements of "soft power", and move all, by products of popular culture.

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