Social networks as a new channel of interaction between government and society
The expansion of digital technologies in society leads to transformations in the interaction between public authorities and citizens. Traditional communication has been losing its relevance, giving way to modern digital technologies. Social networks are one of the effective tools for achieving transparency and better mutual understanding of citizens and state. With ample opportunities for public authorities, social networks present new challenges and requirements. The article presents the results of the analysis of regional leaders’ accounts in the popular social network VKontakte. It was performed with a technical tool – the system of real-time multi-factor monitoring and analysis of social media “Kribrum”. The analysis was carried out according to two parameters: account activity and audience engagement. It was found that maintaining accounts on social networks has an impact on the level of public confidence in the government. The heads of the regions who actively use the social network interacting with citizens are characterized by higher levels of trust on the part of the population than governors who ignore them or pay insufficient attention. However, the potential of social networks as a tool of interaction is not fully unlocked by the heads of Russian regions. It is concluded that social networks can be one of the indicators for evaluating the performance of officials. At the same time, the work with citizens via social networks is highly likely to intensify in the near future.
Information for citation: Zimova, N. S., Fomin, Y. V. and Smagina, A. A. (2020), “Social networks as a new channel of interaction between government and society”, Research Result. Sociology and management, 6 (2), 159-171, DOI: 10.18413/2408-9338-2020-6- 2-0-11
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