Digital Transformation of Public Life in Russia and Belarus: Dialogue Between the Government and Citizens on New Media Platforms

In the context of the digital transformation of public life, the dialogue between the government and citizens on new digital platforms is actualized. Digital information openness of the authorities is one of the tools to overcome the digital divide. The empirical basis of the study was 15 channels in the Telegram messenger of Russian and Belarusian executive authorities, as well as channels of individual officials. The research was conducted using the TGStat tool. The research methodology was based on a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of content in Telegram channels. The main results of the study show that the use of various features of Telegram by the authorities as a full-fledged media is constantly increasing. It was found that messengers contribute to the creation of a fundamentally new model of public communication between representatives of the government and society. At the same time, it is noted that for the executive authorities in Russia and Belarus, interaction with the audience is not the cornerstone of their digital strategy on Telegram. Most public authorities use the messenger as a one-way communication channel. This data reveals new evidence of how the authorities are using Telegram as a tool for dialogue between government and citizens. The authors conclude that new digital channels in the near future will allow public authorities to build an effective system of communication with the population on the basis of Internet platforms.