Disagree or Remain Silent? Strategies of Political Communication Between Russian Citizens and State officials on VK Online Social Media (Case of Leningrad Oblast)

Daniil  Volkovskii

doi:10.17323/cmd.2025.26822

Daniil Volkovskii Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2674-5794

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17323/cmd.2025.26822

Abstract

In 2020, state authorities in Russia began actively engaging with citizens through social media, creating new channels for e-participation. While numerous foreign studies explore how social media can transform e-participation systems, research on the quality of social media dialogue between society and government, particularly in countries with weak deliberative traditions, remains limited. One key issue for Russian-speaking internet users, especially amid global transformations, is the dynamics of agreement and disagreement between citizens and the government. This study aims to analyze and describe how Russian citizens and government officials express agreement and disagreement in online discussions on social issues on the official platform of the Leningrad Oblast Governor on VK online social media. Using a modified discourse analysis methodology, we examined 1286 comments on an ecology-related topic. We analyzed the frequency, orientation, and typology of agreement and disagreement, focusing on argumentation and politeness in online communication. The findings revealed that citizens were more active and expressive in both agreeing and disagreeing with each other and authorities. In contrast, authorities tended to remain silent or react mildly to disagreements. This study highlights the potential for social media to foster public dialogue but also underscores the need for more research on how to improve the quality of these interactions.

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Author Biography

Daniil Volkovskii, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne

аспирант программы «Политология»

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