Telegram Channels as a Mirror of the Arctic Reality: Comparative Analysis of Dynamics, Efficiency and Information Profile

Annotation

Analysis of the profiles of Russia's leading Arctic Telegram channels is an extremely relevant but underdeveloped research topic. The aim of the study was to identify the unique “handwriting” of the most influential Arctic Telegram channels in Russia. The objectives of the study were: to develop a methodology and criteria for identifying Russia's leading Arctic Telegram channels; to compare them in terms of quantitative and qualitative indicators (effectiveness and authority) of development over the past two years; to determine the characteristic profile of each Telegram channel. The oldest channel in terms of creation (2017), Kapitan Arktika (Capitan Arctic), has a clear authorial, systematically integrated character, the largest share of the audience viewing news on the first day of release, and the highest effectiveness and authority; the three other Telegram channels — SMP (NSR), Arktika Online (Arctic Online) and Pervy Arkticheskiy (The First Arctic) — are primarily informational in nature. SMP (created in 2019) has the largest number of active readers and subscribers, but with minimal engagement, high efficiency indicators, and is expertly assessed by us as informational and rational. Arktika Online (created in 2020) has the highest number of publications in the last two years, but the lowest number of active subscribers, the lowest share of the audience viewing news on the first day of release, and the lowest effectiveness and authority of the four leading Arctic Telegram channels in Russia. We have assessed it as informational and reactive-evaluative. The youngest Telegram channel, Pervy Arkticheskiy (created in 2022), has the highest subscriber engagement and high credibility indicators. We have assessed it as informational and descriptive. The limitations of the author’s approach are related to the lack of consideration of the qualitative structure of each channel’s audience (professional, educational, age, gender, etc.), the lack of study of the ratio of current and “strategic” news in each Telegram channel, and the assessment of the degree of reliability of the news flow of each Telegram channel. It would be advisable to develop these topics in further research.

About authors

Alexander N. Pilyasov, Dr. Sci. (Geogr.), Professor, Chief Researcher
pelyasov@mail.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2249-9351
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, 1, Moscow, Russia
Institute for Strategic Development of the Arctic, Northern (Arctic) Federal University, Naberezhnaya Severnoy Dviny, 17, Arkhangelsk, Russia

Alexander V. Kotov, Cand. Sci. (Econ.), Leading Researcher
alexandr-kotov@yandex.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2990-3097
Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Mokhovaya, 11, bld. 3, Moscow, Russia

Keywords

Arctic, Telegram channel, efficiency, authority, influence, information profile

DOI

https://doi.org/10.37482/issn2221-2698.2025.60.277

UDC

[332.1:32.019.5](985)(045)