Russian Twiplomacy in the Russia-Ukraine war. Frames and narratives as strategic communication

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Research questions

3. Theory

3.1. Twiplomacy & strategic communication

3.2. Framing-Approach

3.2.1. Different framing techniques

3.2.2. Narrative framing

4. Current research status

5. Methods

5.1. Data collection

5.2. Data analysis

6. Findings

7. Conclusion

8. Bibliography

9. Appendix: Category system

Research Objectives and Core Topics

This thesis investigates how Russia's strategic communication is implemented through the use of framing on Twitter during the Russia-Ukraine war, aiming to identify specific communication frames and understand their development over time.

• Examination of Russian government communication strategies on Twitter.
• Application of framing theory and narrative analysis to political messaging.
• Qualitative content analysis of selected Russian official profiles.
• Comparative analysis of frames across different phases of the conflict.
• Investigation of the relationship between narrative structures and framing techniques.

Excerpt from the Book

Summary of Chapters

1. Introduction: Outlines the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and introduces the role of strategic communication and digital diplomacy via Twitter.

2. Research questions: Defines the core objective of understanding how Russia's strategic communication is implemented and sets the two primary research questions for the analysis.

3. Theory: Establishes the theoretical framework, detailing the concepts of Twiplomacy, strategic communication, framing approaches, and narrative analysis.

4. Current research status: Discusses existing literature concerning Russian strategic communication, information warfare, and the role of historical narratives in the conflict.

5. Methods: Describes the methodology, including the qualitative content analysis design, the selection of Twitter profiles, and the data sampling process.

6. Findings: Presents the results of the analysis, classifying identified communication frames and mapping them to overarching narrative structures across different time periods.

7. Conclusion: Summarizes the study's conclusions, linking findings back to the research questions and suggesting potential avenues for future research.

Keywords

Twiplomacy, Strategic Communication, Framing, Russia-Ukraine war, Twitter, Narrative Analysis, Qualitative Content Analysis, Digital Diplomacy, Political Communication, Content Framing, Information Warfare, Public Diplomacy

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core subject of this thesis?

The thesis examines the strategic use of communication by the Russian government on the platform Twitter during the escalation of the conflict with Ukraine.

What are the primary thematic fields addressed?

The work focuses on diplomatic communication (Twiplomacy), framing strategies applied by political actors, and the construction of political narratives.

What is the main objective or research question?

The research explores how Russian strategic communication is concretely implemented, specifically asking which communication frames are used and how their use differs over time.

Which scientific methodology is employed?

The author uses qualitative content analysis, applying Entman's framing components for category building on a sampled corpus of tweets.

What topics are covered in the main body?

The main body covers the theoretical foundations of framing and diplomacy, a literature review of Russian media strategy, the systematic sampling of Twitter data, and an evaluation of frames and narratives.

Which keywords best characterize the work?

Essential keywords include Twiplomacy, strategic communication, framing, public diplomacy, and qualitative content analysis.

Why was Twitter chosen as the focal point for this analysis?

Twitter is identified as a critical venue for digital diplomacy, where political actors attempt to influence international discourse and shape interpretations of current events.

How does the author handle the risk of bias?

The author acknowledges potential bias in sources (such as those from NATO) and attempts to maximize objectivity through systematic sampling and transparent, theory-based category building.

What is the significance of the narrative framing?

Narrative framing provides the superstructure for individual frames, allowing the Russian government to weave complex, historically-informed stories—such as those involving "fascism" or "brotherly nations"—into daily political communication.