THE ROLE OF SOCIAL NETWORKS IN RUSSIAN FEDERATION’S PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
THE ROLE OF SOCIAL NETWORKS IN RUSSIAN FEDERATION’S PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Author(s): Andreia Mariana Pop
Subject(s): International relations/trade, Political behavior, Politics and society
Published by: Carol I National Defence University Publishing House
Keywords: Social Influence; Social Strategy; Russia; Social Media; Public Diplomacy; International Relations;
Summary/Abstract: The social networks generated an environment which empowers both citizens and politicians and puts diplomats under public scrutiny in a way that the main stream media was unable to do previously. Social media is being used in ways that shape politics,business, world culture, international relations, education, careers, innovation, and more.One of the ways that social media has transformed politics is the sheer speed at which news,poll results and rumors are shared. Political campaigns are now influenced by every story,whether true or not, that gets spread around social media. It’s getting more and more difficult to separate actual news from fake news online. Social media makes this distinction especially confusing. The constant stream of links and rumors about political leaders and candidates is a mixture of truth, lies, satire and speculation. As part of this worldwide campaign, states disseminate their influence according to their objectives. For instance, Russian social media posts have a visible influence in Baltics, Ukraine, and other nearby states through a variety of means, including traditional and social media. The purpose of this paper is to get a better understanding of the nature and effectiveness of pro-Russia outreach on social media and identify counter-messaging opportunities. There are other more nuanced questions about the role of social media and online communities in International Relations whose effects are not so easily apparent. International Relations as a discipline has only recently begun to engage with the growth of social media and its implications for global politics. But if the current climate is anything to go by, social media is well on the way to disrupt the traditional channels and methods of diplomacy.

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