Should we be scandalized by the photo report on the wife of the Ukrainian president in the prestigious fashion magazine vogue ? The question arises in the light of the controversy raised by the publication of a long article accompanied by several photos featuring the first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska.
Posted at 12:00 p.m.
Since its publication on July 26, this report has caused some controversy, particularly in Europe and the United States. On the one hand, you have the whistleblowers who do not hesitate to describe as indecent the media operation while the Ukrainians do not stop suffering from the horrors of war. On the other hand, many of them defend this communication strategy at a time when media appetite is running out of steam in the face of a military conflict that is bogged down.
The strategic role of communication
Communication has always played a strategic role in the unfolding of wars that have shaped the history of humanity. Propaganda still remains today a formidable weapon of war in the service of the States in question. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict is no exception to the rule.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is himself a master in the art of using the media, particularly social networks, to get his messages across, to the point of playing the good role against the evil Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In five months, he has become one of the most famous heads of state on the planet, powered by the Twitters and Instagrams of this world and thanks to his extraordinary communication skills.
From a media point of view, the operation of the magazine vogue is a smoking gun. The periodical may no longer have the influence it had in the past, but the brand vogue remains prestigious. In addition, the use of the services of the famous photographer Annie Leibovitz recognized for her photos of the greatest celebrities in the world adds to the value of the operation.
A double-edged weapon ?
But what about the communication strategy advocated by the Zelensky-Zelenska couple?
Doesn’t the media operation risk turning against Zelensky? The fact of occupying the field of communication, as the number one Ukrainian has done brilliantly since the beginning of the war, is it not a double-edged sword, that generated by the cynicism of the infotainment?
We are not here in front of a simple interview granted to a major news media, but indeed in a media operation skilfully orchestrated and perfectly targeted towards an international public, the magazine vogue being distributed not only in the United States, but also in a large number of countries in the world.
Playing the fashion card is no coincidence either. Olena Zelenska has charisma and is certainly an interesting subject for stylized photos as the vogue.
Moreover, the role of first ladies in times of war should not be underestimated. Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, played a significant role during World War II, especially with troops and women supporting the war effort.
Through this operation, Ukraine is once again trying to convince the international community to help it fight Russia by stepping up economic sanctions against the invader and calling for increased military aid. But as spectacular as it is, the power of communication has its limits. To date, the communication will not have prevented the destabilization of the world order and the economic upheavals that we have been experiencing for several months.