Unearned prestige: How The Economist covers the war in Ukraine

The author analyzes 405 articles from The Economist published between January 2022 and July 2023, concluding that the publication's reporting aligns with a 'NATO Narrative' that portrays Russia as the sole aggressor. The analysis finds a heavy reliance on Western official sources and a systematic omission of 'Dissident Discourse' regarding NATO's eastward expansion and U.S. involvement in Ukraine. The document further argues that The Economist functions as part of the Anglo-American ruling elite, historically advocating for military intervention and 'war journalism' over 'peace journalism'.

• The Economist's coverage of the war in Ukraine largely adheres to a 'NATO Narrative' which frames the conflict as an 'unjustified, brutal and unprovoked attack' by Vladimir Putin, while ignoring a 'Dissident Discourse' that considers the role of NATO and the U.S. in the escalation.
• The publication is accused of omitting key geopolitical factors, such as the U.S. role in the 2014 overthrow of Viktor Yanukovych and the violation of promises made to Mikhail Gorbachev that NATO would not expand 'one inch to the east'.
• An analysis of a sample of 40 news reports reveals a strong bias toward Western sources: over 80% included at least one source from Western countries, and over three-quarters quoted official State sources, while only 13 reports included voices from the global South or international institutions like the UN.
• The Economist's editorials consistently advocated for military escalation and Western aid, maintaining an optimistic view of Ukrainian victory and Russian weakness until December 2, 2023, when it conceded Putin seemed to be winning.
• The author argues that The Economist is not merely a reflection of ruling elites but a part of them, citing its history of supporting U.S. military involvement in Vietnam, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and the overthrow of Salvador Allende in Chile.
• The document concludes that The Economist practices 'war journalism'—focusing on physical violence and elite sources—and calls for a shift toward 'peace journalism' which prioritizes nonviolent conflict resolution and the human impact of war.

APA

Hackett, R., & Chishtie, F. (2024). Unearned prestige: How The Economist covers the war in Ukraine. World Association for Christian Communication. https://waccglobal.org/unearned-prestige-how-the-economist-covers-the-war-in-ukraine/

Chicago

Hackett, Robert, and Farrukh Chishtie. Unearned prestige: How The Economist covers the war in Ukraine. World Association for Christian Communication, 2024. https://waccglobal.org/unearned-prestige-how-the-economist-covers-the-war-in-ukraine/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hackett |first1=Robert |last2=Chishtie |first2=Farrukh |title=Unearned prestige: How The Economist covers the war in Ukraine |publisher=World Association for Christian Communication |date=18 November 2024 |url=https://waccglobal.org/unearned-prestige-how-the-economist-covers-the-war-in-ukraine/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hackett2024unearned, author = {Hackett, Robert and Chishtie, Farrukh}, title = {{Unearned prestige: How The Economist covers the war in Ukraine}}, institution = {World Association for Christian Communication}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://waccglobal.org/unearned-prestige-how-the-economist-covers-the-war-in-ukraine/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }