Local News and NATO. When the brigade arrived in Daugavpils, Grani covered the visit, reporting on the setting of the event, the crowd in attendance, the persons hosting and taking part in the event, and the implications of the march. The article was titled “NATO in Daugavpils: American Strykers and enthusiastic children”. The article began by highlighting the mesmerizing effect that the military vehicles had on children and adults, who braved poor weather for the event. Grani’s analysis of the ‘Dragoon Ride’ focused on the high profile visitors to Daugavpils—including American soldiers who only spoke English156, the Mayor of Daugavpils who reassured citizens of their safety, and Latvia’s Defense Minister who dispelled questions and comments about “the patriotism of Latgalians”157 and shared his view of the strategic importance the military exercise served , when set against the recent escalation of Russian military activities.158 A subtle focus of the article—one which questions the visit by high profile visitors, created a sense of doubt as to the intentions and reasons behind the exercise. Through his focus on cultural nuances, such as highlighting the lack of language ability and patriotism in the region, the author gives off the tone that the ‘Dragoon Ride’, despite the curious crowd, was a seemingly undesirable visit for much of the population. The 156 Фадеева, “НАТО в Даугавпилсе.” 157 Фадеева, “НАТО в Даугавпилсе.” 158 Фадеева, “НАТО в Даугавпилсе” author doesn’t openly mention his distaste but infers it, as he portrays the march as amusing to naïve children on one hand, while being completely out of the ordinary for the general population. The journalist further demonstrates a clear disconnect among the soldiers, politicians, and the local population by focusing on their differences and reinforcing predisposed biases by bringing up concepts such as patriotism. He states that “rain did not prevent children and adults from posing [for photos] with the famous American armored Stryker vehicles, [where citizens could…] feel like members of the team”.159 In addition, he emphasizes the cultural difference in describing the “servicemen standing near each combat vehicle were ready to answer any given question, though only in English, so most viewers preferred to watch rather than talk.”160 Furthermore, the author purposefully brings up what the ‘big wigs’, such as the Defense Minister, share as a major reason behind the exercise—Russian aggression—the topic of Russia is someth...
