[R-G] The PR battle for the Caucasus

[Anthony Fenton]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/documentaries/2008/10/081029_caucases_doc.shtml

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/docarchive/docarchive_20081103-1039a.mp3

The PR battle for the Caucasus

The South Ossetian conflict, which began in early August this year,  
not only sparked a military war between Russia and Georgia, but a  
propaganda battle.

It even made the front-page of PR Week magazine in the UK.

Both countries have hired Western PR companies to help put across  
their messages.

Georgia was first off the mark with what many say is a concerted  
effort to portray its fight with Russia as a conflict between "David  
and Goliath" and Russia as the major aggressor.

 From the outset, media channels of the Western world - primarily in  
the US - have been bombarded with press releases, interview offers and  
text messages.

Some critics say that they have become more and more exaggerated and  
less in touch with reality.

The Russians followed suit with their own PR effort. Adopting a very  
different style, they began primarily by using their own media outlets.

Experts say that the Russians have been more targeted with their  
approach.

Perhaps less concerned with their image abroad, they are said to have  
been more accurate in their version of events.

James Rodgers examines this ongoing media war between Georgia and  
Russia - featuring archive clips of key events and interviews.

The programme analyses who is winning the propaganda war and includes  
interviews with those who spun the war as well as with those who were  
spun to.

First broadcast 3 November 2008