Students will read and analyze different media interpretations of the news in Russia that drive the political discourse inside and outside the country. Among the goals of the coursework will be obtaining skills of differentiating texts based on editorial policies, political preferences of the authors and general political/social/cultural context. Students will be conducting comparative analyses of textual strategies of media sources in different languages, including semantic and stylistic characteristics. Russian TV analytical programs will be analyzed along with printed and electronic media sources. Students will participate in teaching modules delivered by visiting experts under the auspices of the Graduate Initiative in Russian Studies in addition to traditional course work.