Approaches to the Construction of the Image of the Special Military Operation by the Heads of the Russian Subjects in Social Networks

This study is dedicated to analyzing the portrayal of Special Military Operations (SMO) on the social media platforms of the heads of Russian Federation regions. The central objective of this research is to identify and classify the approaches to constructing the image of SMO within regional discourse, thereby elucidating not only the approaches themselves but also the mechanisms of their visualization in public policy. The object of the study is the portrayal of SMO as presented in the social media posts of regional governors, while the subject encompasses various strategies and thematic categories utilized for its formation. The empirical analysis is based on data from over 6500 publications on platforms such as VKontakte and Telegram. The analysis revealed 15 main thematic categories, with distinct discursive strategies identified in the discourse of regional leaders based on literature. The study applies discourse analysis according to T. van Leeuwen, enabling the determination of both the content and stylistic aspects of regional leaders' messages. As a result, a classification of approaches was developed, categorizing them into several groups: "Harmonious Guardians," "Red Carnations," "Retired War Correspondents," "September 3rd South," "Home Heroes," "SMO = WWII," "SMO Poets," and "Mourning Page." This study offers a new perspective on the role of regional leaders in shaping public perception of major federal events and contributes significantly to the development of regionalism theory and principal-agent model in the context of contemporary Russia.