YouTube and Oppositional Politics in Russia

• In Event: The Politics of the Internet: Empirical Studies on Contemporary Russia and Ukraine

Abstract

Whereas the 2011-2012 Russian protest movement was mobilized in considerable measure through social networking sites, video sharing platform YouTube played an essential role in mobilizing the most recent series of anti-corruption rallies in 2017-2018. This paper seeks to explain the shift towards YouTube as the primary platform for oppositional politics and mobilisation in Russia. To what extent can the rise of YouTube-based activism be explained by 1) developments in Russian internet governance and regulatory mechanisms, and 2) global online media trends? How should we understand YouTube’s importance vis-à-vis and interconnections with other online platforms, social media and messaging services in facilitating polit ical criticism?

Author

• Mariëlle Wijermars, U of Helsinki (Finland)