NEW TRENDS IN RUSSIAN POLITICAL COMMUNICATION

Abstract

By means of content and discourse analysis of various online platforms, the article studies transformations and new trends in the political discourse, taking place on the eve of the parliamentary elections and brought about by the change in the Russian political situation. The urgency of the study can be attributed to the emergence and political achievements of the new parties (“Za Pravdu” (For Truth) established by Zakhar Prilepin, “Novye Lyudi” (New People) established by Aleksey Nechaev, The Direct Democracy Party established by Vyacheslav Makarov and the ecological party “Zelenaya Al'ternativa” (Green Alternative) established by the Moscow ecoactivist Ruslan Khvostov), activization of the civil journalism and involvement of young people in political discourse. New generations (notoriously identified with the Latin letters Y and Z) get information from social networking sites uncontrolled by the authorities and avoid using political cliches. The practical communication of the Komsomol and party bureaucracy of the Soviet times (borrowed by the unions “Nashi” (Ours!) and “Molodaya gvardiya” (Young Guards) early in this century) no longer works. New communicative demands manifest themselves in such forms as political flash mobs, blogging, signing online petitions and the like. The following new trends of political discourse are singled out: “horizontal” organization of networking communication with a variety of centers and young party leaders in the regions; active use of social networks with reference to their communicative peculiarities and techniques; inclusion of “non - political” but famous media personalities from the sphere of art in political intercourse, who violate the political communication cliches; unexpected, sometimes even eccentric and improper (at first sight) speech practices at official events.