6. Wednesday, July 16, 2025, 7:30 am (NY): "'Under Western Eyes' A book presentation"

Katharina Wiedlack's 2025 book, Vulnerable Minorities and the Russian State in New Cold War Cultures (Aacademic Studies Press), examines the New Cold War between Anglophone Western and Russian media, focusing on its coverage of minority representations. It interrogates how the Anglophone media constructs images of vulnerable bodies and groups in Russia, juxtaposing them with the vengeful state and power-hungry president. Paradoxically, as Wiedlack will show on examples from the book, in their efforts to highlight American liberalism, various news outlets and entertainment media amplify homophobic, heteronormative, and racist narratives emanating from Russian sources and support Putin’s self-portrayal as a formidable adversary of the West.