Role of Western vs. Russian Social Media Use in Government Trust in Former Soviet Countries

Abstract

 The ability of governments to maintain power significantly relies on their capacity to manage information flow to the public. While these governments have traditionally controlled conventional media, the rise of social media has presented new challenges. This study uses representative survey data to examine how different social media platforms, specifically Facebook and VKontakte, influence public trust in central and local government in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Georgia. Research has shown that in these contexts, Facebook tends to carry counter-government messaging, whereas the Russian platform VKontakte disseminates pro-government content. This divergence leads to differing relationships between trust in government based on platform usage. Our results show that Facebook usage is negatively associated with trust in central and local government in these countries, while VKontakte usage generally has the opposite effect. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding the nuanced roles that social media platforms play in shaping political attitudes and trust in government in former Soviet countries.