In a lecture last summer, Professor Valeriy Solovey of the Russian Foreign Ministry university MGIMO examined the techniques of media manipulation used by Russian state TV in its coverage of the tumultuous events that led to the overthrow of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych last February.
He described how fast-moving images of fire, violence and frightened people shown over "alarming music" were used to create in viewers an extremely negative impression of what was taking place.
This is a classic example of neurolinguistic programming, said Solovey, and is designed to send people into a "trance-like state" where their critical faculties are depressed and the subconscious is open to suggestion.
