News Agendas: Preferences of the Russian Users of Vkontakte Social Network

Student: Proskurina Tatiana

Supervisor: Maria A. Pilgun

Educational Programme: Advertising and Public Relations (Bachelor)

Final Grade: 9

Year of Graduation: 2016

This diploma thesis examines the applicability of agenda-setting theory to the new media environment based on the example of communities in the leading Russian social network Vkontakte. The analysis is based on the agenda-setting theory in mass communications, selective exposure theory and the modern theories of choosing media in the age of Web 2.0. The study was built on content analysis of eight communities in the social network, as well as on the analysis of the audience of these communities. The conducted research proved that agenda-setting theory is relevant to the new media and particularly to social networks.

Full text (added May 12, 2016)

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