Linguistic markers of stereotypical thematic vectors in the Russian-language media image of Nigeria

The article is devoted to the identification and description of linguistic signs of distortion and bias in the media image of Nigeria, which is created in the Russian virtual information media space under the influence of false stereotypes formed in the public consciousness of the Russian audience. Using the example of the activity of Russian-language network news resources, the author considers the duality of the media's interaction with the audience, which - duality - manifests itself in the media's support for the prevailing stereotypes of public consciousness through selectivity of informational reasons and lack of interest in comprehensive coverage of the life of a distant foreign country. Studying the theme and style of news reports related to Nigeria on the web pages of various leading Russian news feeds on the Internet, the author identifies the specifics of this activity inherent in various news agencies, their preferences in information campaigns and concludes that they are key participants in the formation of a biased media image of Nigeria, what he sees as a danger to the image and information security of this state. As a result of the study, the author concludes that thematic limitations and negatively colored assessment vocabulary determine the concentration of reduced meanings that accompany the formation of a Nigeria media image in Russian Internet resources.