Challenges of communication with public and state for Russian experts in international relations

Abstract

This paper regards the communication aspects of the activities of Russian think tanks specializing in international relations. The importance of expertise on a wide range of issues of foreign policy is arising. This trend is observed both in Russia and abroad. However, simultaneously it is accompanied by the spreading post-truth, which often ensures the competence of a professional. The dominance of one of these discursive practices mostly depends on the communication peculiarities between experts, society, and authorities within a state. In such circumstances, the study of the Russian context seems to be very relevant. The work is organized in accordance with deductive logic: the first part analyzes general aspects (the notion of expert community, its functions, potential and limits of participation in public discussion and political process); the second part focuses on Russian think tanks specializing in international affairs as a more concrete case. The authors point out the features of communication with the public and study how the experts in international relations influence the Russian public opinion on foreign policy. In conclusion, the authors summarize the existing communication challenges and provide recommendations to increase the experts’ role in the public discussion on foreign policy.