The use of media opportunities during the presidential elections in Russia in 1996 and 2000

The study of the processes that took place during the elections of the President of the Russian Federation in 1996 and 2000 is relevant today, when our country is on the verge of new elections in 2018. With the election of the country's leader, not only the new political reality is determined, but also the trajectory and algorithm of socio-political and socio-economic development of the country are formed, considering the many challenges and threats that arise today and will arise in the world tomorrow. The author of this article analyzes the use of media opportunities as an important resource for influencing the public opinion during the presidential elections in 1996 and 2000. Comparing features of the elections, the author concludes that in 1996 the nature of the relationship between the authorities and the mass media was complicated, since the media at that time was largely an independent institution of the political system that influenced the formation of the public opinion. However, the representatives of the political and economic elite supported the incumbent President Boris Yeltsin in his decision to be re-elected for a second term and managed to attract the media resources to achieve this goal. By the time of the election in 2000, the Russian media were already under the control of the authorities as well as financial and industrial groups, and therefore the use of effective technologies allowed Vladimir Putin to construct the image of a determined politician and ensure his victory within a short time.

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