Olena Zelenska's Strategy: How Ukraine's First Lady Leveraged Soft News, Hard News, and Social Media Conversations to Shape Her Country's Wartime Narrative.

This study examined Ukrainian and U.S. news media's portrayals of Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska before the full-scale Russian invasion and during the first year of war, as well as her own wartime narratives. Although pre-war domestic coverage emphasized the first lady's unofficial status in world affairs, the early wartime coverage framed her as Ukraine's ambassador empowered to address the country's defense issues. U.S. journalists relied on traditional, gendered first lady framing to describe Zelenska. Whereas Zelenska's messaging in social media and public addresses called attention to the atrocities of the war, U.S. media coverage focused on the emotional delivery and directness of her messages. As the war progressed, U.S. news media acknowledged Zelenska's media savvy, while Ukrainian news media praised her for challenging gender stereotypes at home and abroad. Journalists in both countries recognized that Zelenska's advocacy for her country's defense interests pushed the boundaries of a conventional first lady diplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]