Features of communications in social networks of the candidate A. Beglov in the election campaign for governor of St. Petersburg in 2024

Kulnazarova Anastasia Vitalevna ORCID: 0000-0003-3858-995X Associate Professor; Department of Social and Political Sciences; St. Petersburg State University of Telecommunications named after Prof. M.A.Bonch-Bruevich 193232, Russia, Saint Petersburg, 22 Bolshevikov Ave., room 335/1 avkulnazarova@gmail.com Other publications by this author

Nesterova Marina Valer'evna Senior lecturer; Department of Socio-Political Sciences; Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education 'St. Petersburg State University of Telecommunications named after Prof. M.A. Bonch-Bruevich' 193232, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Prospekt Bolshevikov str., 22/1, office 331/1 av-spn@ya.ru

Introduction. Modern practices of communication interaction between government representatives and broad segments of the population inevitably include the resources and technologies of the digital environment. Digital tools used in the public and political sphere include ^[3]: social networks, video conferencing services, government portals and websites, video hosting and other technologies. The possibilities of using digital tools include: prompt transmission of information to the public, increasing interest in politics, responding to complaints from residents, popularization of live broadcasts and increasing information openness, communication with citizens, assessment of mass sentiment, forecasting and prevention of information risks ^[4].

In 2024, the gubernatorial elections in St. Petersburg were held on September 06-08, the period of campaigning in the media lasted from August 10 to September 05. At the time of the election, Alexander Beglov was the current governor of the city and a nominee from the United Russia party. A. Beglov, like many acting top officials of the state, constantly communicates in the Internet space. The election period further actualizes the problems of effective and constructive communication with the electorate, which is why the research interest in the chosen topic is conditioned.

Methods and research material. The research is based on such methods as critical discourse analysis, linguistic analysis, and statistical analysis.

The method of critical discourse analysis (KDA) is a tool for analyzing textual and oral statements in order to identify and disclose the socio-cultural, political and power relations embedded in these discourses. The study of textual elements includes the analysis of lexical, syntactic and structural features of the text in order to identify specific linguistic techniques used to express power, dominance or the creation of certain identities. The identification of discursive practices is carried out through the identification of typical discursive strategies and tactics that are used in the candidate's communications. The method of critical discourse analysis allows us to take into account the socio-cultural and political context of the publication ^[1].

Linguistic analysis involves observing the peculiarities of the functioning of individual words, forms, grammatical categories, various parts of speech, syntactic constructions as units of language. The object of the analysis is the content, structure, and linguistic units of the source text ^[5]. The purpose of political discourse is the struggle for power and its retention. In political communication, a certain selection of linguistic means ensures the implementation of a persuasion strategy, respectively, a certain set of units involved in the blog is aimed at achieving the politician's goal, namely, to increase support among his subscribers ^[2].

The analysis of secondary statistical data implies the processing of data collected by special Internet services: attendance, subscriber activity, number of reactions, dynamics of various engagement indicators, etc.

The article analyzes the text material of the telegram channel of the governor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Beglov ^[6]. The posts in the official telegram channel of A. Beglov for the specified period of pre-election campaigning were selected as the empirical base of the study.

Analysis of empirical data. According to statistics from the TGStat service ^[7], Alexander Beglov's channel has about 86,000 subscribers and shows moderate audience growth. The average coverage of a single post is about 18,500 views, which corresponds to an engagement rate (ERR) of 21.4%. Approximately 22% of subscribers regularly read posts, and 16% do so in the first 24 hours after publication. The level of audience engagement is quite high, which indicates a good interaction with the content. In general, the channel consistently attracts new subscribers. Figure 1 shows that over the past two years there have been no sharp jumps in the growth of new subscribers, with the exception of spring-summer 2022, when this channel was created. This fact indicates the absence of "markups" of subscribers.

Figure 1. Graph of the increase in the number of new subscribers.

At the same time, engagement has increased markedly, almost twofold compared to the same period in 2023 (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Subscriber engagement graph

Such an increase in engagement can be explained by the higher interest of citizens in the official page of A. Beglov in connection with the upcoming elections,

64 posts were analyzed during the selected period. Next, let's move on to the analysis of the topic and content of the posts. Most of the posts are devoted to the following topics:

1. Urban infrastructure and landscaping.

· Publications on the construction of new roads, transport interchanges and improvement of the road network. Examples: "A new exit from the ZSD to Kruzenshtern Avenue has been opened on Vasilyevsky Island. A new path through this exit will shorten the road from the southern districts to the island for motorists by 10 kilometers and 20 minutes."; "Workers have opened traffic on new overpasses at the intersection of Petrozavodsk and Camp highway."

· Improvement of public spaces, parks and squares. Examples: "The reconstruction of the Katernikov Square has been completed in Kronstadt. A lawn was made here, 40 meters of hedges made of shrubs and flowers, comfortable paths, lighting and small architectural forms were installed."Three renovated playgrounds have been opened in the Tavrichesky Garden – here a child of any age will find something to his liking."

The texts of the posts identify some urban problems, but they are presented in the context of their solution:

· problems with transport accessibility: "For a long time it was difficult for an ambulance to get to this part of the city during rush hour because of the "narrow neck" at the railway crossing."; "We will asphalt both lanes, equip a safe sidewalk and a bicycle path." (in the context of street reconstruction).

· The need to repair and upgrade infrastructure: "Previously, the part was located in an architectural monument built in 1867, which did not allow creating the necessary conditions for work. Therefore, last year the construction of a new fire station began."; "The theater building has not been repaired for almost 40 years. The facade, interior spaces, and utilities required serious renovation."; "For the Chaliapin Musical Theater, we are restoring the main building of the theater in Alexandrovsky Park."

· Shortage of places in schools: "This year our work on eliminating the shortage of places in schools has come to an end. In recent years, we have built 106 new schools according to the latest St. Petersburg standard."This year we will open 37 schools and 57 kindergartens.".

These problems are not emphasized as negative, but rather presented in the context of actions already being taken to solve them.

2. Social projects and support:

· Posts about support for large families, social benefits and assistance to those in need. Example: "I met with St. Petersburg families with many children from the summer cottage association Vozrozhdenie. Residents of the village asked for help to carry out gas and repair the access road. I gave the appropriate instructions."

· Improvement of medical infrastructure. Examples: "A separate ambulance substation will soon appear in Old Peterhof – we are building, we have purchased most of the necessary equipment."; "The radiation diagnostics module was opened at the Medical Center on the territory of the Maritime Technical University."

3. Military-patriotic themes and THEIR.

The governor's attitude towards the special military operation (SVO) can be described as supportive. A. Beglov expresses solidarity with the residents of the affected regions, thanks the participants of the SVO for their service and supports humanitarian initiatives: "The Karl Liebknecht Leningrad Mechanical Plant has been producing shells for the Russian army since the beginning of the last century. He did not stop during the years of the blockade and today he is working for our victory." Attention is drawn to the support of the participants of the SVO, assistance to border areas and veterans: "I met with children who came to us on vacation from the border areas of the Kursk region."Today, Ukrainian Nazis attacked the Galaktika shopping center in Donetsk." These examples emphasize the author's commitment to patriotic values and support for the participants in the fighting.

A. Beglov often refers to such historical events as the Great Patriotic War and the Siege of Leningrad: "By the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, a memorial in honor of the Leningrad Battle will appear on the Pulkovo turn."We keep the memory of all the heroes – from the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments of Peter the Great to the Guards divisions of the Leningrad militia."; "During the war, Nikolai Shvankov, a war correspondent, worked at Pulkovo Heights."

Next, let's move on to the linguistic analysis of the texts of publications. During the analysis, certain linguistic units were identified, presented below. 1. Visual and expressive means. They are relatively rare in texts and are mainly used to create a positive image and emotional response. These language tools include:

· metaphor: "the territory has turned into a place of happy childhood." This tool is used to create a vivid, positive picture of change. Metaphors are used to give texts imagery and emotional saturation, make texts more lively and accessible to a wide audience, reducing formality: "Breathe life into the walls" (about the work of teachers), "heart of the city" — about the city center.

· Epithet: "cozy green corner". Epithets are used to create pleasant associations and focus on comfort.

2. Evaluative vocabulary is actively used to form a positive perception of the candidate's activities, although it often does not relate personally to A. Beglov: "happy childhood", "high-tech theater venue", "best conditions".

These expressions highlight successes and achievements, forming a positive image in the eyes of voters.

3. Motivating and motivating vocabulary is aimed at activating actions on the part of citizens and emphasizing the importance of their participation: "I urge everyone to participate," "use all its possibilities," "Send your suggestions – we will consider each one." These phrases create a sense of teamwork and responsibility, and call for active participation in the life of the city. 4. Clerical and official business vocabulary are characteristic for describing administrative actions and projects, emphasizing a businesslike and serious approach to management: "modern, spacious, low-floor transport has been purchased", "implementation of the next stage of the High-speed railway", "construction of two underground pedestrian crossings continues". This vocabulary gives the impression of competence and a systematic approach. At the same time, there is no colloquial vocabulary in the texts, which emphasizes the official and serious nature of communication. 5. Rhetorical questions: "What can't a sports school on the seashore do without?"— used to engage the reader and create a dialogue effect.

6. Repetition is used to enhance the significance of the listed changes: "With each new bus and tram, the number of passengers transported increases, with each new route, the system covers more and more residents.".

The linguistic features of the texts of publications contribute to the creation of a positive and trusting image of the candidate. Visual and expressive means make texts more emotionally saturated and attractive, evaluative vocabulary emphasizes achievements and successes, motivating vocabulary encourages active participation of citizens. Clerical and official business vocabulary give the texts the necessary rigor and seriousness, which strengthens the perception of the candidate as a competent leader. In addition, the emphasized focus on the personal participation of the governor in solving problems through mentioning assignments and meetings with residents creates the image of an accessible and interested leader. Taken together, these linguistic techniques create a balanced and convincing electoral discourse.

Conclusion. Based on the analysis, the following features of the candidate's communication in social networks were identified:

1. Focus on local initiatives and solving everyday problems: the candidate pays considerable attention to specific and local problems that concern various districts of St. Petersburg. For example, improving road infrastructure, building schools, kindergartens, and medical facilities. This indicates the governor's desire to show his involvement in the life of the city and direct concern for its residents;

2. Emphasized focus on social values: much attention is paid to social projects, such as support for large families, the creation of affordable educational institutions and health facilities, as well as the development of cultural infrastructure. This demonstrates concern for the families and well-being of the residents;

3. Active use of personal brand and authority: Alexander Beglov actively uses his personal authority to strengthen the trust of voters. The texts often contain references to A. D. Beglov's personal participation in various events, his meetings with residents, initiatives and assignments;

4. Positive image and lack of criticism: posts focus solely on achievements and positive aspects of the work, with virtually no criticism or mention of problematic issues. This indicates an attempt to create an exceptionally positive image of the candidate without focusing on difficulties or failures.;

5. Emphasis on modernity and innovation: the texts often mention innovations, modernization and the introduction of modern technologies in such areas as the construction of new facilities, the use of current methods and approaches in city management;

6. Creating a sense of teamwork: many posts create the feeling that all achievements and initiatives are the result of teamwork, not only by the candidate himself, but also by the entire team, as well as the residents of the city. This enhances the sense of belonging and engagement among voters;

7. Active communication with different target groups: the candidate addresses different segments of the population — from youth and families to the elderly and professional groups. This indicates a desire to reach as many voters as possible and show that his work is aimed at improving the lives of all segments of society.

Thus, A. Beglov's posts demonstrate a thoughtful and positive election campaign aimed at strengthening the candidate's image as an effective and caring leader. The emphasis is not on campaigning as such (there is no mention of elections in the texts), but on specific results and achievements, social values. As the analysis shows, positive evaluative vocabulary, an emphasis on success and specific solutions create a sense of stability and progress, which helps to strengthen trust among voters.

The "growth zone" is an increase in interactivity in communications, especially taking into account the presence of a focus on a youth audience (among all other target groups). You can achieve greater engagement, for example, by publishing surveys, video content and personal appeals, inviting discussion in the comments (at the time of the study, the possibility of commenting is disabled). To increase the level of interaction, it is possible to use game elements, such as quizzes about the life of the city. It is important to take into account that modern voters, especially young people, require not only information, but also a dialogue in which they can express their opinions. In general, the existing strategy allows the candidate to build trusting relationships with voters and position himself as a leader capable of solving the real problems of the city.