Reuters – Gregory Feifer shares a fascinating look at Vladimir Putin’s public-relations tactics in his latest article. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov was recently reported to have been enjoying a lavish and expensive honeymoon on a yacht and to have worn a $620,000 watch at his wedding ceremony, spending several times the yearly salary of a typical civil servant, only shortly after the nation has officially entered a recession and wages have begun to decline. Putin’s government did not respond to the scandal with apologies, but opted to destroy European food in a demonstration of its ban on Western products. Feifer explains that Putin’s approval ratings remain incredibly high among Russians despite incidences like Peskov’s because of Putin’s focus on restoring Russia’s traditional political system and his claims of protecting Russians from the West. Read “A $620,000 Watch Tells What Time it Is in Vladimir Putin’s Russia” for more of Feifer’s insights on Putin’s public-relations strategy.
