Modern Media on Threats and Challenges of International Terrorism in the South Caucasus

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of regional media coverage of the risks and threats of international terrorism in the South Caucasus on the example of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The processes of the emergence of cells, banned international terrorist organizations in the region, their role in the escalation of ethno–political conflicts of the 90s of the XX century and the Second Karabakh (44–day) War of 2020 of the XXI century are noted. The article examines in detail the diversity of the principles and approaches of the media in the coverage of problems related to international terrorism. The peculiarities of the counter-terrorism policy of the South Caucasus states are revealed in the context of their influence on the geopolitical situation in the region, where the topic of terrorism becomes an element of mutual accusations of the conflicting parties. The purpose of the article is to identify unacceptable manipulation of information related to terrorism during ethnopolitical conflicts. Based on the analysis of publications and video reports of regional media, the author comes to the conclusion about the urgency of the problem of the expansion of militants into the territory of Russia and the contradictory information coverage of the problem in the media. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that the principles, approaches, and information strategies used by the media of the South Caucasus in covering this problem have been identified. The differentiated activity of the media in the process of covering the threats and risks of international terrorism and its classification is indicated. Trends in the use of the topic of terrorism and terrorist organizations in information propaganda campaigns, including in the framework of information and propaganda projects of an anti-Russian nature, are identified.