The European Dispositif in Ukrainian Media Discourse. Its Role in “The Theatre of Conflict”
摘要
This study examines the construction of the European dispositif in Ukrainian media discourse during the early months of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Drawing on Michel Foucault's concept of dispositif, we analyse Twitter content and associated articles from two prominent Ukrainian media outlets, European Pravda and UkrInform, from January to May 2022. We employ a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative analyses. Our findings reveal a rapidly evolving narrative of Europe's role in the conflict. The European dispositif emerged as a complex construct, simultaneously portrayed as a sanction enforcer, a future home for Ukraine in the EU, and a key military and humanitarian supporter. While European Pravda provided more detailed coverage of EU policymaking for an international audience, UkrInform focused on ground-level reporting for domestic readers. Despite these differences, both outlets consistently framed Ukraine as part of the European community.