One of the strange things about violent and authoritarian regimes is they don't like the glare of negative publicity.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
The media dwells mostly on negativity.
The media chooses to portray the most extreme and violent aspects of a place. I do the opposite and portray the normality.
There is such a thing as bad publicity.
It could be that all awful dictators are frustrated artists - Mao with his poetry and Mussolini with his monuments. Stalin was once a journalistic hack, and I can personally testify to how frustrated they are. Pol Pot left a very edgy photo collection behind. And Osama seems quite interested in video.
You can't cheer when political officials punish the expression of views you dislike and then expect to be taken seriously when you wrap yourself in the banner of free speech in order to protest state punishment of views you like and share.
In almost any country, probably in Russia in particular, it's fashionable to criticise people in power. If you come out in support of someone like me, you're going to be accused of trying to ingratiate yourself.
The media loves negative spin.
Sometimes good countries are so traumatized by events that they lose their bearings and embrace bad leaders.
You know journalists. You know the media. They are going to hang on to anything negative they possibly can.
It's unbelievable that people have the time and inclination to be as negative as they are on a public platform about people who accomplish whatever they do in the public eye.