Obsessive Gender Concerns Leading Sweden Astray

This chapter presents a narrative analysis of the Russian state-affiliated news media RT and Sputnik’s coverage of Sweden from July 2019 to January 2021 with regard to gender. Using the method of analysis developed by Wagnsson and Barzanje (A framework for analysing antagonistic narrative strategies: A Russian tale of Swedish decline. Media, War and Conflict, 14(2), 239–257, 2021), the analysis projects how disinformation targeting a foreign country is constructed by RT and Sputnik. The analysis also pays attention to the use of storytelling techniques which contribute to distinguish disinformation from journalism. It demonstrates how a gender narrative is used to disinform and to denigrate Sweden as part of the Russian security strategy. RT and Sputnik explain how Sweden is weakened as a result of the feminization of politics and society and how preoccupation with gender issues causes tensions between Swedes, and between Swedes and the Swedish Muslim community. A number of sub-narratives were identified that taken together made up the narrative. These sub-narratives structure the presentation of the analysis and include: Sweden is unsafe for women; Feminized societal security; The armed forces, firefighters, and the police; Gender as an absurd Swedish obsession; Muslim traditions clash with feminism and gender equality; Women moving ahead: are they taking over? The vulgarity of women; and finally, The wounded (un)sexy space. Across these sub-narratives the most significant story telling techniques were the instigation of polarization combined with emotionality (i.e. emotionally charged coverage).