РОЛЬ СОЦІАЛЬНИХ МЕДІА У РОСІЙСЬКО- УКРАЇНСЬКІЙ ІНФОРМАЦІЙНІЙ ВІЙНІ

Abstract

The article presents the results of a systematic study of the role of social media in covering the events of the Russian-Ukrainian war, which are one of the relevant tools in conducting an information conflict between Ukraine and the aggressor country. It is argued that social media help overcome traditional barriers to mass communication. Thus, not only the amount of available information is added, but also the number of active participants in information and communication processes. Today, the latter include not only official bodies of public authority, but all concerned citizens. The differences between the strategies used by the Russian Federation and Ukraine regarding the social networks and platforms are emphasized. For example, the aggressor state severely limits the access of its citizens to independent sources, prohibiting the latter from actively operating on its territory, while using social media for propaganda and disinformation both far away on the territory of its country and beyond. In Ukraine, social media is primarily used for instant delivery of relevant information to citizens, spreading the true narrative among its own population and outside the state. At the same time, it is emphasized that the use of social media in the information war has both advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, speed and availability are clear pluses, but the problem of credibility and multiplicity of narratives can be counted among the minuses. A number of tips have been developed for consumers of social network content that can help avoid confusion.