The Persona of a Leader in the Formation of the State Body’s Image

Abstract

Since the start of the pandemic in 2020, all the nations of the world, including Kyrgyz people, faced an urgent need for reliable information about the Covid-19 Coronavirus infection, as well as about the measures for its prevention and health protection. The information broadcast by the media was in some cases unreliable and contradictory, causing serious concern among the general public and undermining the credibility of certain information resources and governmental bodies. Stringent restrictions in the city of Bishkek prompted psychological and moral anxiety among the people. The media has failed to fully satisfy the population’s needs for information, and this gap has been widely criticized on social media. Therefore, during those times, it was important to increase the level of trust for political actors by effectively using social networks’ capacity and successfully neutralizing its main risks. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic took an active part in addressing this challenge by initiating the development of a strategy to improve and form the image of a state body through the leader’s persona. This article examines the degree to which the set objective was achieved, on the example of the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Almazbek Orozaliev. The study covers the period from April 1 to May 10, 2020. The subject of the paper is the content of information published on Almazbek Orozaliev’s pages in Instagram and Facebook social networks. Based on the results of the study, practical recommendations are given for the improvement and establishment of the image of a state body through the leader’s persona.