Mass media have become not only a reflection of modern reality, but also a virtual “reality” for many media consumers. In modern Russian society over the past decades there has been a rather controversial opinion about large families. A significant role in shaping the image of large families belongs to the mass media, which are one of the main channels of influence on the mass consciousness. The purpose of the article is to analyze the reflection of the phenomenon of large families in the Russian mass media. As the main research method, a content analysis of Russian media publications (print, TV, radio) was used for the period from 01.01.2014 to 11.11.2019. The results of the study in the article showed that the change in the number of publications on the problems of large families over the past 5 years has been undulating, but the number and variety of stories has increased. However, the plots of these publications are mainly related to the reflection of the state policy to support large families, which, in our opinion, ambiguously affects public consciousness - on the one hand, it shows the attention of the state, on the other - it forms the image of large families as needy, recipients of a large number of free benefits. A significant part of the publications describes negative incidents related to large families or children from large families. The topic of large families, despite the ongoing demographic crisis and increased attention to fertility and family issues, has not become a priority in the media. Thus, the media forms a more unattractive image of large families.