Social media and online-communication in public diplomacy of Ukraine and Poland

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SOCIAL MEDIA AND ONLINE-COMMUNICATION IN PUBLIC DIPLOMACY OF UKRAINE AND POLAND

Петрів Т.І.

канд. філол. н., доцент кафедри

соціальних комунікацій

Фадеева В.Е. студентка

Інститут журналістики КНУ

імені Тараса Шевченка

The article contains the results of a research of the use of social media and online communication with the aim to achieve diplomatic objectives in terms of Ukraine and Poland. It explores the concept of "digital diplomacy" and analyzes the characteristics of its use in the construction of the communication policy of a state in the modern world. The thesis also determined current trends in the country's image-creation, using the information that is created on the Internet space and public diplomacy actors who spread the aforementioned information through social media and online communication.

Key words: branding, image, territory-branding, soft power, smart power, social media, online- communication, Internet-communication, Ukraine, Poland, Diplomacy 2.0, e-Diplomacy, digital diplomacy, innovative diplomacy, twitter-diplomacy, twiplomacy, media, integrated communication.

Стаття містить результати дослідження використання соціальних медіа і онлайн-комунікацій у досягненні дипломатичних цілей на прикладі Україні та Польщі. Досліджується поняття «цифрової дипломатії» та аналізується особливість її використання у будуванні комунікаційної політики держави на міжнародній арені. Визначаються сучасні тенденції в іміджотворенні країни, завдяки інформації, яка створюється в Інтернет-просторі та акторам публічної дипломатії, які поширюють її завдяки соціальним медіа і онлайн-комунікації.

Ключові слова: брендинг, імідж держави, брендинг-території, м'яка сила, соціальні медіа, онлайн-комунікація, Інтернет-комунікація, Україна, Польща, Diplomacy 2.0, e-diplomacy, digital diplomacy, інноваційна дипломатія, twitter-dyplomacy, твіпломатія, медіа, інтегровані комунікації.

social media online communication digital diplomacy

Статья содержит результаты исследования использования социальных медиа и онлайн-коммуникаций в достижении дипломатических целей на примере Украины и Польши. Исследуется понятие «цифровой дипломатии» и анализируется особенность ее использования в построении коммуникационной политики государства на международной арене. Определяются современные тенденции в создании имиджа страны, благодаря информации, которая создается в Интернет-пространстве и акторам публичной дипломатии, которые распространяют ее благодаря социальным медиа и онлайн-коммуникациям.

Ключевые слова: брендинг, имидж государства, брендинг-территории, мягкая сила, умная сила, социальные медиа, онлайн-коммуникация, Интернет-коммуникация, Украина, Польша, Diplomacy 2.06 e- Diplomacy, digital diplomacy, инновационная дипломатия, twitter-diplomacy, твипломатия, медиа, интегрированные коммуникации.

Public diplomacy takes an important place in foreign policy. Today, the effectiveness of public diplomacy is officially recognized as well as the need to use it to create a positive atmosphere (assessment) abroad, which promotes the effective carrying out of political or economic events [1]. Speaking about public diplomacy we should pay attention to the concept of “soft power”, which was brought to the world scientific use by an American researcher J. Nye [2]. The advantage of “soft power” in comparison with military or financial ability to attract support through evaluative content of foreign policy, not just a set of material leverage means [3]. Nye considers three components in which the state can exercise influence: culture (where it is popular, as is the case of American pop culture or French - “haute couture”), values (and not just their declaration, but adhering to them) and foreign policy as such. It is wor th noting that the media also act as an instrument of “soft power”, that is the driving force that determines its nature and specific features. And this is a fundamentally new view of the media role in the context of “soft power” [4].

With the development of new technologies public diplomacy has transformed into digital diplomacy, which provides for governmentally supported programs (initiatives, actions, appeals) aimed at forming public opinion abroad and improving the country's image using Internet communications and social media. The main objective of digital diplomacy initiatives is the desire to maintain contact with the audience of the worldwide network. New communication technologies allow to broadcast important messages to the target audience, to hear that audience's appeals and influence key agents of influence online.

Social media have fundamentally changed the rules of public diplomacy. In the past, the range of influence of a competent diplomat could include hundreds or thousands of people. Only a few could draw the attention of hundreds of thousands or millions of people through an appeal on the radio, television or via press. However, this kind of activity of diplomats could be at variance with state interests, that is why the government usually tries to avoid leakage of information on the activities of the diplomatic service. Online communication has changed these outdated rules.

Today the US government effectively runs its own global media empire; messages can reach as big an audience as 8 million people, spreading across over 500 platforms of social networks. However, it should be noted that the content in social networks is not controlled by the state, unlike TV or radio. The government has to work closely with this channel of communication to avoid large-scale distortion of information about their work. In science, both in domestic and in foreign at this stage, there is no comprehensive survey of the phenomenon of digital diplomacy. The knowledge of institutions and instruments of electronic diplomacy will allow to better manage foreign policy and evaluate the effectiveness of information and the image of the country.

Relevance of the study is conditioned by the following factors:

- The necessity of scientific understanding of digital diplomacy role in shaping the country's image during integration into the global political, economic, informational and cultural space;

- The importance of identifying ways of digital diplomacy used in Ukraine and Poland;

- The need to expand of existing cyber-space situation, to achieve diplomatic goals by Ukraine and Poland.

For countries that are in the process of transformational change particularly important becomes a problem of formation of a positive international image. Using social media and online communication is a means of strengthening international competitiveness and achieving goals on international scale through the use of "soft power" in diplomacy. In today's globalized world, the role and place of a state in international relations, along with its political, economic, military capabilities, determines its informational image that has been formed in the international community. Today it can be noted that the problem of the image of a country occupies an important place in the foreign policies of both developed and developing countries.

Today in Ukraine there is an urgent need to draw the attention of politicians and experts to the opportunities of new instruments to meet the external needs of the country, strengthening its reputation and position on the international stage. Especially in view of the high activity of foreign experts and foreign ministries of leading countries in the field of study and use of the capacity of the network, in an effort to systematize all the lessons learned from the analysis of the likely risks and trumps proposed by the “network power”. Our state needs to take advantage of the web to safeguard the interests of the country and to strengthen the state's position on the international arena. Advances in information technology, the accelerated growth of the role of cyberspace and social networks give rise to a new reality, not only for organizations and citizens, but also for states.

As for Ukraine, there is every reason to believe that the Internet today is not enough used by the state as an instrument of foreign policy and diplomacy, a means of enhancing “soft power” and increasing the attractiveness of the country's image abroad. The problem is that the majority of Ukrainian politicians and officials continue to consider the development of digital networks exclusively in the context of the risks and threats. Information threat is seen as one of the major hazards to the national security of the country, because the Internet today in Ukraine is regarded as a channel of distribution of extremism and terrorism, imposition of an alien ideology and foreign-policy propaganda as a means of information warfare. However, the informational safeguarding does not exclude the use of the Internet as a means of implementing the internal and external objectives of the state. The consequences of the spread of the Internet and multifaceted issues of security are not settled. However, if the application of cyber instruments is delicate and correct for implementation of government objectives, it will promote and strengthen the security of the country, including enhanced capacity to build up “soft power”, increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of foreign policy work. In the area of ICT capacity for external needs of Ukraine, the focus of professionals is given to these technologies as a tool for integration into the world economy, problems of foreign economics and strengthening of scientific ties.

“Twitter diplomacy” becomes fashionable. As a result, a different understanding of the same term is often fitted by different experts - without much coordination with the official explanation of the complex and detailed order. This is not surprising because these explanations are in short supply world-wide. All this does not contribute to a better understanding of the objects and subjects of network tools application. Yet it must be assumed that the effectiveness of diplomacy depends on consistency, efficiency and responsiveness of the mechanism of adoption and implementation of foreign policy and related decisions. Therefore two the areas - application of new technologies "within the system" and their application “outside” should be considered in close relationship. This fact reflects the essence of the use of these tools for the international activities of the state, no matter by what formal or popular definition it can be defined. Acknowledgement of this fact, which is obvious at first glance, by many foreign experts and politicians partly explains the booming popularity of the term "e-diplomacy" in 2012.

This term became widespread with the release in the spring of 2012 in the paper of a research worker of Australian Institute Lowy F. Hanson who was invited to American Brookings Institution. This paper was titled “Revolution and the State Department: the spread of e-diplomacy” [5]. Six months later, he published the second part of the study: “Baked in and wired: E-diplomacy and the State Department” [6]. The researcher was the first to try to systematize the program work, a task that had for several years been undertaken by the State Department, which was called the “electronic diplomacy” - more precisely, e-Diplomacy. The appearance of the first part of his work significantly revived public interest in the topic “Network and foreign policy” and led to a turn in the discussion. Suffice it to say that during the first weeks after the release of the first part of the work the number of downloads reached tens of thousands, which is a record among all “think tanks” of the world [7].

Today, Twitter is not just a channel of communication but also a tool of building the image of Ukraine worldwide. We observe the formation of not just digital diplomacy, but Ukrainian Twitter-diplomacy. In Ukraine it is necessary to stress the importance of using Twitter as a diplomacy tool by Ukrainian diplomats to spread information, get public feedback to it, to strengthen the country's relations with external partners and to facilitate communication within Ukrainian diplomatic corps. Ukrainian politicians, Ministries and other official institutions began activities on Twitter. The channel, which enables commenting the events in real time. For now we are witnessing not only the formation of digital diplomacy, but Ukrainian Twitter-diplomacy. Ukrainian diplomacy has already taken first steps in this area, and now it is worth using the possibilities offered by e-diplomacy in a more intensive way.

Below are listed five suggested recommendations for diplomats and officials aimed at speeding up the institutionalization of practices that should lead to adaptation of practices in e-diplomacy Ukrainian diplomatic circles and establishing structural changes in the field of Ukrainian foreign policy:

1. To develop a special program and create a dedicated department, designed to promote and improve the efficiency of digital diplomacy within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This unit is responsible for encouraging diplomats to use social media in two ways. Firstly, to attract a wider audience both domestic and foreign with the aim to provide information on topical issues of international policies, to use digital channels in order to inform the public in times of crisis, and as a means of forming public opinion. It should be stressed that the message coming through diplomatic social networks should be consistent with the overall policy line, which is supported by the Foreign Ministry. Secondly, to build digital networks within diplomatic corps and distribute electronic instruments of diplomacy among diplomatic representatives, and to popularize the aforementioned instruments within the Foreign Ministry. The latter is extremely important for diplomatic missions outside the country.

2. To establish training programs and specialized courses to be offered to diplomats with the aim to study the use of electronic basics of diplomacy in their work and to face the challenges of Twitter-diplomacy. It is important to encourage diplomats to use innovative practices and Twitter diplomacy in their daily work to create the public image of a diplomat. Moreover, it is important to provide staff with space, time and incentives to make these training programs a prominent part of their career. In addition, these programs should eventually become a permanent special course on the use of e-diplomacy within the curriculum of the Diplomatic Academy.

3. To increase the presence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Internet through publications in news services, blogs and video blogs in the worldwide web. Moreover, this initiative should be directed to the conversion of the virtual space into a real forum for public debate, the formation of partnerships with relevant organizations and implementing initiatives that reflect international policies. In addition, the Foreign Ministry has to make efforts in order to make conferences, summits and forums, initiated by the Ministry, better represented in social networks, and also by means of digital diplomacy. This must be especially important on the eve of Ukraine's chairmanship in the OSCE.

4. To duplicate accounts on Twitter and social media pages in English - diplomatic lingua franca on the international arena - which would allow Ukrainian diplomats to be active in the field of virtual diplomacy and deepen their ties through Twitter-diplomacy. For example, the ability to keep Twitter accounts in English and Ukrainian at the same time may result in the acquisition of more followers from among the heads of governments, foreign ministers and diplomats.

5. To encourage the public, NGOs and the media to more actively use the tools of digital diplomacy to contact the Foreign Ministry, as well as to use digital diplomacy as a platform for getting their own initiatives and requirements across to the Ministry to achieve a fruitful and mutual communication between the lowest and highest levels of diplomacy [8].

Twitter diplomacy also means important meetings with government officials in other countries, Ukrainian news, world events and urgent international summits broadcast online. For example the international conference held in Kyiv on April 28 in support of Ukraine. During this event the officials from the EU, G7, leading international organizations and representatives of the world business community discussed current situation in Ukraine, implemented reforms and prospects of the economy. The conference consisted of a central panel before dinner and four thematic streams after that. During the day there was Twitter Webcast of the event in three languages simultaneously. As the conference language was English, it was translated into Ukrainian and Russian. The team consisted of 10 people: 8 writers and two editors. Each editor was responsible for their version of the broadcast, Ukrainian or English. They had to track the appearance of new posts in Google Spreadsheets, check them for errors, appropriate hashtag, and authorize the publication [9].

Thus, international events are a good platform for engaging politicians, political institutions and organizations where they work. Twitter stream in this case is a tool that allows you to monitor the event if you are unable to be present at it. In addition, it is also a powerful channel of communication, which due to English content allows users to add a larger audience to the event and talk about the situation in Ukraine, also, it creates an opportunity for politicians to perform their own role in the media and through this help to build the country's image on the international arena.

The President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko also actively uses Twitter and Facebook [10]. In addition to posts about international meetings and conferences, he often advertises solutions that have not yet been adopted and are eventually published by his press service. For example, the announcement of the signing of the lustration law, as well as granting citizenship to future Ukrainian government ministers first appeared on his social network page. Mr. Poroshenko's page has launched a wave of support for the victims of the tragedy in Volnovakha #JeSuisVolnovakha. Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin in Twitter tries to write in an informal style and joke [11]. His messages are much more prompt than the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' comments and most meetings and visits, are first advertised on social network pages. The Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk publishes mostly dry messages with links to the government news [12].

Communication in the field of e-diplomacy in Ukraine are usually full of “empty flow statements” of officials [13]. The officials broadcast through social networks their orders, actions and meetings progress, and do not involve the users signed to their content in communication. Ukrainian officials rarely respond to requests and feedback received from the public, so sometimes there is an impression that they simply are not interested in such communication. This status quo in the use of Twitter diplomacy in Ukraine resembles a broken radio station that only broadcasts a radio signal in one direction and never gets (or hears) reversal signal.

Twitter-diplomacy tools are considered by the EU as a crucial factor in supporting democracy in Ukraine, avoiding deepening the country's international isolation and as a cornerstone of successful implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy. Analysts believe that with the help of e-diplomacy “The EU should seek to intensify direct dialogue with Ukrainian society and a new window for this dialogue is opening right now” [14]. Politicians and diplomats, of course, know about the Twitter-diplomacy, but do not seem to fully understand the advantages to address issues of international politics and its ability to strengthen the country's image. On the other hand, we should pay attention to the statement of a representative of the State Department, who claimed that some governments join the e- diplomacy trend earlier and more decisively than others, and those that do not take advantage of the benefits provided by Twitter diplomacy tools, will feel the adverse effects of reduced power and influence on the international political arena [15].

In 1991, Poland became a full member of the global network. Since then, there have been many changes and implementations in the development of Internet infrastructure in Poland. Polish MFA has been present on Twitter since 2009 [16]. It is an official account, which provides information on Polish foreign policy (MSZ_RP - Polish version, PolandMFA - English one) [17] consulate (PolakZaGranica) [18] and promotion of Poland (PolandGOVpl) [19]. Twitter is also actively used by all the management of the mission of Foreign Ministry including the spokesman and some ambassadors. Polish diplomacy in the report “Twiplomacy 2013” was recognized as one of the top three in the world, which is directly connected to Twitter. “Without this service, which only five years ago was only known by very few people in Poland, it is difficult to imagine the diplomacy of Poland as a whole”, - says Agnieszka Skieterska, Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Two official accounts of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs - in Polish and English MSZ_RP PolandMFA - are supported by the Office of the Commissioner, they are as important as the placement of information on the website of the Ministry and the transfer of this information to the media. They are part of faster and faster growing digital diplomacy that makes the traditional one more efficient.

For institutions such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs several rules have been developed in social media. Speaking about writing on Twitter, even one wrong word means too much and can lead to confusion on the international level. For this reason, among other things, Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not interact with users. However, not only the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially represents the position of the Polish Ministry on Twitter, but also some less formal faces of Polish diplomacy. After analyzing the content of information provided on the official website of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you will notice the following features:

1) retweets of other more interesting information from the Polish diplomatic ambassadors and missions of world development projects in different remote locations.

2) publication on official accounts of various photos, information in an easy, relaxed way (holiday greetings, cultural achievements etc).

3) information on diplomatic meetings, with publication of photos from around the world, in which Polish diplomats are doing something interesting, organizing activities, which are connected with the Foreign Ministry, in the cultural field as well as in the sports sphere.

4) with the aim to create more informed space was created an official portal msz.gov.pl in autumn 2012, where the MFA started a new website with available information on diplomatic missions in Poland and links to the blogs of Polish diplomats in different countries.

“The speed of modern communications has changed the mode of work of many institutions, including our own. Twitter is running around the clock, and we are running with it. We want to give the Polish people a first-hand information”- the Polish Foreign Ministry comments on its presence in the Internet space [20]. At the moment there is a website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a section devoted to Polish digital diplomacy. On this site you can also see links to all online portals of embassies, more than 150 accounts on Twitter, a few dozen pages on Facebook and other social networks of the MFA and Polish Foreign diplomatic missions. Internet communication of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a wider range. To help users find the right address, you should simply enter the tab “Polish digital diplomacy” [21].

The page of the Polish speaker Radoslaw Sikorski, the Head of Polish diplomacy on Twitter is monitored by more than 100 thousand people. On this occasion, on the fourth of March, he held a meeting with twitter users to talk about digital diplomacy and foreign policy, where he expressed his opinion, saying that effective diplomacy is very efficiently supported by Twitter. Radoslav Sikosrky is constantly representing digital Polish diplomacy in practice. At a meeting in Warsaw, he raised such questions as: how Twitter and other social media can be used in diplomacy; can a fast connection be useful in carrying out foreign policy; how the Polish diplomatic service is using new media. During the meeting, the head of Poland's diplomacy said that Twitter is an essential tool of modern diplomacy, as it helps to establish friendly relations with other ministers, or quickly correct misinformation. The minister also said that the Foreign Ministry was the first Polish service, which appeared on Twitter, as it set up its official account as early as in 2009. Today, about 150 Polish diplomatic ambassadors around the world are using this means of communication. The Minister noted that in addition to using social media channels, the Foreign Ministry provides easy access to the Polish consular information through the application iPolak, which operates more than on 340 Polish websites rendering diplomatic service in 42 languages, and also provides other electronic services, such as e-consulates [22].

To accomplish the work, which intended to study the complex phenomenon of the digital diplomacy and analyze its use in Ukraine and Poland we used different methods. Historical and comparative method helped to trace the evolution of public diplomacy. With the help of the situational method we have analyzed the activities of e-diplomacy in Ukraine and Poland. Also, a content analysis of messages in online communications and social media was conducted. Using Wordstat 6.1. we carried out a quantitative content analysis. The quantitative analysis method allowed to determine the number of the audience of the network. Qualitative analysis of evaluative-notional characteristics helped to accomplish the practical part of the work, because it helped to build the dynamics of e-diplomacy. Comparative analysis helped to evaluate European and Ukrainian diplomacy in comparison with the US. The topic of the present thesis is very relevant today. The use of digital diplomacy today plays an important role in building the country's image and providing information to a large number of audiences.

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