“Right-Wing Safe Space” Versus “Comrade Major”: Media Ideologies of Far-Right Russian Social Media Users

A significant part of far-right activities worldwide take place within the media ecosystem formed by accounts and communities on social media platforms. Drawing on the media ideology approach, this study investigates how far-right Russian internet users perceive various social media platforms and ho...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Petr Oskolkov, Eyal Lewin, Sabina Lissitsa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2024-12-01
Series:Social Media + Society
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/20563051241306833
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Summary:A significant part of far-right activities worldwide take place within the media ecosystem formed by accounts and communities on social media platforms. Drawing on the media ideology approach, this study investigates how far-right Russian internet users perceive various social media platforms and how their sociopolitical beliefs affect these perceptions. Based on a series of in-depth semi-structured interviews, we argue that far-right users assess social media platforms according to the criteria of security, meaning privacy and non-cooperation with law enforcement agencies; freedom from moderation; and functionality, including informational, communicational, recreational, and self-expressional roles. The results demonstrate that, for a sociopolitically stigmatized user cohort, media ideology becomes a tool for adaptation and survival, stressing the factors of privacy protection and ideological proximity.
ISSN:2056-3051