Anton Shirikov
I study authoritarian propaganda and disinformation: how modern autocracies build and keep loyal audiences, how state narratives travel into democracies like the United States, and how citizens can learn to read biased media critically and seek out diverse sources. This work grows out of my long-standing focus on Russian and post-communist politics. My research has appeared in the American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics, Political Communication, and the Quarterly Journal of Political Science, among other journals, and has been covered by major outlets including The Washington Post, PBS NewsHour, the Financial Times, and USA Today.
I earned my Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2022, and I was a postdoctoral scholar in Russian politics at Columbia University from 2022 to 2024. Previously, I worked as a journalist and editor in Russian independent media.
How Propaganda Wins
A new model of authoritarian propaganda, employed by popular autocrats such as Vladimir Putin, that borrows the methods and tactics of partisan media to engage with audiences and maintain their trust. Forthcoming at Cambridge University Press, 2027.
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