ABSTRACT This article discusses the role of spokesperson in Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). A spokesperson’s official role in frontline diplomacy is viewed and analyzed through the lens of public diplomacy to promote a nation-state’s foreign policy when engaging with foreign audiences and influencing public opinion. This article first investigates the history and approaches for Soviet-acting spokespersons who primarily targeted Americans and Western Europeans through the media and TV, although in accordance with mutually accepted conditions of hosting states. The article then assesses changes in world politics and communication technologies and evaluates the digital public diplomacy dimension that has shaped the spokesperson’s communication strategies. Finally, the article evaluates current Russian MFA spokesperson Maria Zakharova’s responsibilities and identifies the strategies she embraces when communicating with targeted audiences. The article concludes that the role of a spokesperson in Russian public diplomacy is increasingly prominent and has moved far beyond a mouthpiece.

中文翻译：

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外交部公共外交发言人：以俄罗斯为例

摘要 本文讨论了俄罗斯外交部（MFA）发言人的作用。通过公共外交的视角来观察和分析发言人在一线外交中的官方作用，以在与外国观众接触和影响公众舆论时促进民族国家的外交政策。本文首先调查了主要通过媒体和电视针对美国人和西欧人的苏联代理发言人的历史和方法，尽管符合东道国的共同接受条件。然后，文章评估了世界政治和传播技术的变化，并评估了塑造发言人传播策略的数字公共外交维度。最后，这篇文章评估了现任俄罗斯外交部发言人玛丽亚·扎哈罗娃 (Maria Zakharova) 的职责，并确定了她在与目标受众沟通时所采用的策略。文章总结说，发言人在俄罗斯公共外交中的作用越来越突出，已经远远超出了喉舌。