This article discusses the specifics of coverage of the 2018 pension reform by both pro-state and opposition media resources using the example of Channel One and the Alexei Navalny YouTube channel. The novelty lies in an attempt to objectively assess how propaganda, as a range of manipulative techniques, is integrated into the working practice of the two opinion leaders. The purpose of this study is to conduct a comparative content analysis of media that are diametrically opposed ideologically and politically, highlighting the main methods of political propaganda used. As a result of the study, key points of the created cognitive schemes were identified, in particular, their effectiveness in influencing the audience.