MANIPULATIVE METHODS OF REPRESENTING MOSCOW CITY DUMA ELECTIONS ON SOCIAL NETWORKS

Abstract

The research studies the issues of using manipulative methods in political communications via social networks. The media topicality of the issue was triggered by the elections to the Moscow City Duma of the VII convocation which were held on September 8th, 2019, and became one of the most prominent political events of the year in Russia. Data for the research were collected from posts in the 9 political communities on social networks on VK, Telegram, Odnoklassniki over the two definite periods: starting 22 June through to 13th July, i.e., two weeks before the deadline for submitting signatures and a week after that, and starting 25 August until 15 September which is directly related to the 8 September - voting day. The research employed a content analysis method to study quantitative and qualitative characteristics of posts which made it possible to expose key manipulation methods and characterize specifics of the elections’ representation in the digital social media. The studies found that groups of both pro-government and oppositional orientation actively used manipulation methods in conducting counter-propaganda. The commonest were sets of lexical techniques, name-calling, conceptual confusion, dramatization, exaggeration and appeal to authority. That being said, nonverbal communication means were also actively employed, i.e. graphic images, photos and mems.