Communication of Political Actors in the Context of Democratic Culture

Abstract

The relevance of this research is determined by the transformation of political communication in the context of digitalization, the intensifying competition among value-based narratives, and the need to comprehend the role of various forms of interaction in shaping a culture of democracy. In the contemporary public sphere, the state is losing its monopoly on the production of meanings, necessitating a revision of traditional approaches to the analysis of political-communicative processes. The aim of the article is to identify the main directions of communicative interaction among political actors and to determine their role in the formation and development of a culture of democracy under the conditions of the digital transformation of social relations. The theoretical framework of the study is constituted by classical and contemporary research on political communication (G. Almond, S. Verba, S. Lipset, M.N. Grachev, E. Bernays), as well as works addressing the issues of digitalization and mediatization of politics. The methodological basis encompasses systemic and structural-functional approaches, institutional and comparative methods, and content analysis of scholarly literature and regulatory documents. Based on the results of the study, the essential characteristics of propaganda, agitation, public relations, and political advertising as elements of political communication are identified. Contemporary challenges are analyzed: the proliferation of deepfakes, uncontrolled rumors, the transformation of the media environment, and the “advertorialization” of politics. Recommendations for promoting political actors in the digital environment are systematized (open communication, collaboration with bloggers, adherence to advertising labeling legislation). It is demonstrated that the effectiveness of communication directly depends on the level of political culture and the culture of democracy in society. In the discussion of the results, the contradictions between traditional and new forms of communication are interpreted; the dual nature of digital tools, which can both strengthen democratic processes and create risks of manipulation, is revealed. The conclusion substantiates the necessity of fostering a high level of democratic culture among the population as a prerequisite for the successful functioning of political communication. Prospects for further research in the field of digital political communication and the development of criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of various forms of interaction are outlined.