Russian Business People and the U.S. Media

The paper analyzes American newspaper articles (2009 -2014) on Russian business and on well-known business persons. Having analyzed materials from the ‘New York Times' and ‘USA Today', the authors came to the conclusion that the most frequently cited representatives of business in Russia in the American press are Roman Abramovich, Mikhail Prokhorov, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, and Boris Berezovsky, while other billionaires are often overlooked. The research also examines the topics of the articles, the general tone, and some linguistic means of featuring these businessmen. The authors concluded that despite the scandalous and sensational news about the above-mentioned tycoons, the journalists refer to both negative and positive features and are very reticent being judgmental. . Discussing the role of the oligarchs play in Russian economy, politics, and public life, they portray the businessmen accurately enough and provide the readers mainly with factual information and cogent arguments.