Media strategies with lobbyists: government support for the IT industry

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Abstract

The communication component of lobbying activity and the role of media communications in achieving lobbying goals are considered on the example of the formation of the legal field of the information technology (IT) industry in the conditions of 2022. As an empirical material, public content initiated by large associations defending the interests of the industry in the media field was chosen. The consistent communicative coupling of the IT industry with the activities of the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation is shown. To analyze the lobbying process, the reputation management, media monitoring and social media system “SCAN-Interfax” was used. In relation to the topic of lobbying for IT interests, a gap in communication activity between the Ministry of Finance and industry associations in absolute terms was revealed. At the same time, in relative terms to the total number of mentions in the media, the efforts were comparable. The actualization of the media strategy of IT associations on the transfer of public merits to the regulator - the Ministry of Finance was found, while the conclusion was made about the effectiveness of lobbying efforts. Semantic analysis of the communication activity of a particular association demonstrated an algorithm for implementing the goals of mediatized lobbying.

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Figure 1. Number of media reports mentioning phrase combinations, 2022
Source: Interfax-SCAN.


Источник: Интерфакс-СКАН.

Figure 2. Connection of various entities to support measures in media reports by number of publications
Source: Interfax-SCAN.

Main media stories mentioning Information & Computer Technologies Industry Association (APKIT)

No.

Topic

Number of publications

1

Ministry for Digital Technology, Communication and Mass Media clarified the rules for providing new measures to support the IT industry

26

2

The government announced new measures to support Russian business

17

3

Demand for IT specialists has fallen sharply in Russia

16

4

Ministry for Digital Technology, Communication and Mass Media answers questions about measures to support the IT industry

14

5

Ministry for Digital Technology, Communication and Mass Media urged IT companies to fill out a form at State Services Portal

9

6

Russian software developers speak against the legalization of pirated software

8

7

Experts assessed the impact of concessional lending on software developers

8

8

The authorities will prepare a capital raising mechanism for fast-growing companies

6

9

IT specialists asked the Ministry for Digital Technology, Communication and Mass Media for support for 17 classes of software

6

10

The government discusses the idea of giving computer purchases to single buyer organization

4

Source: Interfax-SCAN; compiled by the authors.

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About the authors

Andrey A. Kotov

RUDN University

Author for correspondence.
Email: andres.kotov@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5311-494X

postgraduate student, Department of Mass Communications

6 Miklukho-Maklaya St, Moscow, 117198, Russian Federation

Kamilla R. Nigmatullina

St. Petersburg University

Email: k.nigmatulina@spbu.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9146-1712

Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor, Head of the Digital Media Communications Department, Graduate School of Journalism and Mass Communication

7-9 Universitetskaya Naberezhnaya, St Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation

Maksim L. Polyakov

Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration; MGIMO University

Email: polyakov-ml@ranepa.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6110-7045

Academic Director of Master Program “Digital Communications and New Media”, senior lecturer, Integrated Communications Department, Institute of Social Science, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration; Professor of International Journalism Department, MGIMO University

82 Prospekt Vernadskogo, Moscow, 119571, Russian Federation; 76 Prospekt Vernadskogo, Moscow, 119454, Russian Federation

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Supplementary files

Supplementary Files
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1. Figure 1. Number of media reports mentioning phrase combinations, 2022

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2. Figure 2. Connection of various entities to support measures in media reports by number of publications

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Copyright (c) 2023 Kotov A.A., Nigmatullina K.R., Polyakov M.L.

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