Interview by Igor Mintusov, director of the Niccolo M Political
Consulting Center
Igor Yevgenyevich, how important is your work that aims to shape the
country's image? What are the specific features of your activity in Russia?
A state's image needs to be formed in a systemic and consistent way.
Something in this respect is done by the Press Ministry and something by the President's
Administration. Of late, the business community represented by the Russian Union of
Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) has also launched some image activity by
earmarking a certain amount of money for the purpose. I have the impression, however, that
work is still somewhat slow-moving. In Russia the PR agencies are grouped in two
structures. One is the Russian Public Relations Association (RASO). It is a nonprofit
nongovernmental organization whose members are PR agencies, individual financial companies
as well as private persons. The other organization is the Public Relations Consultants
Association (AKOS). Today, it incorporates 15 leading Russian PR companies.
Now then, what can be suggested for improving Russia's image abroad?
The first suggestion: Russia's image abroad should be the concern of professionals. The
second idea: this entire work should not be done as it is conducted now: in a private and
lobby-like fashion. With AKOS' assistance we would like to develop our own program of
Russia's image building in other countries. The matter is, however, that we don't know
exactly, who needs it in the Kremlin, the government and the business community.
In today's world, information warfare is nothing exotic any more. What
is Russia supposed to do in order to make a favorable impression of itself abroad and,
moreover, not to discredit itself?
Properly speaking, there is no and cannot be any image protection
program. In fact, what is protection? It is a response to negative materials that somebody
has "plugged." Accordingly, one should be prepared for them in the
"online" mode. In principle, it is the direct duty of the President's Press
Service and the Foreign Ministry's Press Department. Specialists are supposed to be
employed there who are called upon–-in the event of hostile information campaigns–-to
work out adequate counter-measures. To reply or to keep silent? To respond with an
official statement or an unofficial pronouncement? At the political level, this issue is
more or less successfully handled by the Foreign Ministry, yet at the PR level this is not
the case. For instance, if a journalist has published a derogatory article on Russia in a
Western newspaper, he won't get any response at the PR level: after all, Igor Ivanov
cannot make statements on every publication in The Washington Post or Le Monde.
The Soviet Union had a ramified propaganda and counterpropaganda
system. Do you consider it necessary to revive similarly state-run structures or should
the nation's image be spruced up just by joining forces?
As a matter of fact, the former and the latter are equally important.
I'll answer you as an election campaign consultant. Which is more effective: to build a
favorable image of one's own candidate or rebuff the opposition's attacks by creating the
rival's negative portrayal? I say it again: what matters is both the one and the other. In
the United States, for example, there is always someone who deals with the opponent by
meticulously scrutinizing his life story and public pronouncements. This work is termed
"opposition research."
Do you have the feeling there exists opposition research on Russia in
other countries at the state level?
Definitely, such research is done. This kind of work is more
comprehensive and serious than pre-election opposition research, however. All information,
positive and negative, is brought together. And then, depending on the prevailing
political line, this or that type of information is used. Sometimes, information creates a
background, against which politicians form a definite opinion on the country concerned.
Sometimes it happens, though, that a politician utters an opinion, on whose basis relevant
information is selected. That's why it is essential for every state to carry out work in
order to build its positive image. This activity should be continuous and systemic. There
is no single moment when nobody is busy shaping the image of a country. The matter is only
who does it, the country itself or the opposite side. In this respect embassies have a
crucial part to play, because work with local media and the arrangement of various
information events are their direct duty. For my part, I take the view that the Russian
embassies haven't as yet performed effectively enough in this area. Underfinancing is one
of the reasons for that. The other reason is due to the old staff that isn't skilled
enough to work with journalists. Besides, it is also very essential to keep in touch with
foreign mass media operating in Russia. The need for holding regular and most varied
image-building events is the third component.
Igor Yevgenyevich, some are of the opinion that in the 21st century,
which is that of the Internet, TV broadcasting, magazines, and books, which provide
information on different countries, prove irrelevant. What do you make of such statements?
I would look at this issue from the sociological point of view. Take
statistic data on the country concerned and you'll find out how much information reaches
people from TV channels, magazines, newspapers and the Internet. If, for instance, 3
percent of the population gets information from the Internet, then 3 percent of the
financial and organizational resources should be thrown on the Internet. If 70 percent
uses TV information, then you need to work with TV. The Internet is becoming an effective
way of influencing the media themselves, primarily because it is the main source of
information for 90 percent of journalists. And yet, magazines, radio and TV channels
remain an effective information source for the end user abroad.
What strategy should, in your view, choose the Russian PR specialists
to polish this country's image?
Russia is a huge country with lots of events occurring there. In other
countries we need to systematically highlight all positive events and trends and showcase
our accomplishments. It's high time for Russian politicians, journalists and the business
community to get aware of their involvement in building this country's image. Patriotic
rhetoric alone is not enough for this purpose, what is needed is thought-out and
consistent work.
Russia's Image: To Be or Not to Be?