Multi-layered censorship in times of Rally Around the Flag: The case of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh war
(2025) MKVM13 20251Media and Communication Studies
Department of Communication and Media
- Abstract (Swedish)
- During the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, media coverage was heavily restricted and aligned with official narratives. Throughout the 44 days of fighting, the Armenian public was exposed almost exclusively to patriotic content—even from independent outlets—circulated under the constant presence of the official slogan, “We will win.” As a result, when the war ended in a significant defeat for the Armenian side, with substantial human and territorial losses, society was suddenly confronted with a reality that contradicted the media’s messaging, leading to a widespread sense of shock.
This thesis examines how the phenomenon of rally around the flag and multi-layered censorship shaped journalistic practices during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war... (More) - During the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, media coverage was heavily restricted and aligned with official narratives. Throughout the 44 days of fighting, the Armenian public was exposed almost exclusively to patriotic content—even from independent outlets—circulated under the constant presence of the official slogan, “We will win.” As a result, when the war ended in a significant defeat for the Armenian side, with substantial human and territorial losses, society was suddenly confronted with a reality that contradicted the media’s messaging, leading to a widespread sense of shock.
This thesis examines how the phenomenon of rally around the flag and multi-layered censorship shaped journalistic practices during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war in Armenia. It argues that censorship in transitional contexts cannot be understood as purely top-down or state-imposed phenomenon; instead, it should be seen as a network of interconnected pressures, including legal constraints, public pressure, and journalists’ own nationalistic sentiments.
Drawing on theories of nationalism, especially national attachment and uncritiqued patriotism, the study shows how media coverage shifted from critical inquiry to reinforcing national unity. In a politically tense and emotionally charged environment, the public played an active role in shaping media content by pressuring journalists to maintain patriotic narratives. This feedback loop between the state, public, and media led to a strong rally around the flag effect that weakened journalism’s role as a democratic watchdog.
The case also shows that in post-Soviet, hybrid regimes, nationalism rooted in collective trauma can intensify during war having unprecedented influence on journalism. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how wartime media functions in contexts that are neither fully authoritarian nor fully democratic and highlights the need for further comparative research across similar regions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9198734
- author
- Voskanyan, Lusine LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MKVM13 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- media, censorship, rally around the flag, conflict
- language
- English
- id
- 9198734
- date added to LUP
- 2025-07-03 16:22:52
- date last changed
- 2025-07-03 16:22:52
@misc{9198734,
abstract = {{During the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War, media coverage was heavily restricted and aligned with official narratives. Throughout the 44 days of fighting, the Armenian public was exposed almost exclusively to patriotic content—even from independent outlets—circulated under the constant presence of the official slogan, “We will win.” As a result, when the war ended in a significant defeat for the Armenian side, with substantial human and territorial losses, society was suddenly confronted with a reality that contradicted the media’s messaging, leading to a widespread sense of shock.
This thesis examines how the phenomenon of rally around the flag and multi-layered censorship shaped journalistic practices during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war in Armenia. It argues that censorship in transitional contexts cannot be understood as purely top-down or state-imposed phenomenon; instead, it should be seen as a network of interconnected pressures, including legal constraints, public pressure, and journalists’ own nationalistic sentiments.
Drawing on theories of nationalism, especially national attachment and uncritiqued patriotism, the study shows how media coverage shifted from critical inquiry to reinforcing national unity. In a politically tense and emotionally charged environment, the public played an active role in shaping media content by pressuring journalists to maintain patriotic narratives. This feedback loop between the state, public, and media led to a strong rally around the flag effect that weakened journalism’s role as a democratic watchdog.
The case also shows that in post-Soviet, hybrid regimes, nationalism rooted in collective trauma can intensify during war having unprecedented influence on journalism. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how wartime media functions in contexts that are neither fully authoritarian nor fully democratic and highlights the need for further comparative research across similar regions.}},
author = {{Voskanyan, Lusine}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Multi-layered censorship in times of Rally Around the Flag: The case of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh war}},
year = {{2025}},
}