Circulation Of Patriotism In Social Media Platforms Of Tv Stations

Abstract

This paper takes a look at the way patriotic discourses are expressed and circulated in social media accounts of mainstream television stations in Georgia and Russia. Patriotism has become a part of proclaimed state ideology in Russia, and in Georgia patriotic discourses prevail due to the unresolved conflicts around Abkhazia and South Ossetia. My research interest lies in the way patriotism is works both in the minds and everyday practices of television journalists and in the official social media channels of the television stations. In this paper I observe social media accounts (mostly Vkontakte and Facebook) of TV stations of the First Channel in Russia and Rustavi2 and PSB (Public Service Broadcaster) in Georgia during major patriotic events in 2018: 9th of May, 26th May (the one hundred year anniversary of first Georgian state) in Georgia) as well as the 10th anniversary of the five-day war in South Ossetia. I analyze both the way the television channels use their social media during these events and take a look at some of the comments by viewers. My research demonstrates that the social media accounts are used in order to reinforce the patriotic discourses of television stations, and the social media users mostly support those discourses. Those commentators that try to criticize the state-led patriotic events are often condemned by fellow users.