Strategic Guidelines for the Development of the Public Authorities Communication Policy in the Information Society

The purpose of this article is to critically analyze the Strategy for the Development of the Information Society in the Russian Federation for 2017–2030. The theoretical basic of the analysis are the theory of information society and communicative theory of power. Having a rich explanatory potential and based on the large-scale empirical research, these theories comprehensively characterize the main elements of the existing socio-economic system in their relationship with political action. Thus they contribute to the development of practical recommendations for public authorities. Methodologically, this study is based on the structural and contextual analysis of the text, carried out with the help of MAXQDA (n=225) and allows to reveal the importance of key parameters of communication policy in the information society and their relations with each other. The results of the study show that the Strategy reflects all the key parameters of communication policy in the information society, like: the digitalization of individual, organizational and spatial development; the formation of legal and institutional foundations of the knowledge society at the international level; the introduction of artificial intelligence and big data based decision making in science, industry, business, and in governance; the transformations in administration and management and the formation of new competences in the information society’s stakeholders. However, the Strategy makes a very strong emphasis on security issues. This refers to the extensive elements of the development of communication policy of public authorities. Contemporary studies research shows, that the restrictive development is a critical element that prevents the formation of an effective communication policy of public authorities in the information society. The article substantiates the conclusion that it is expedient to change the connotation of the security concept, and to understand it in terms of sustainable development. Sustainable development should serve as a strategic reference point for the state communication policy in order to develop the information society in contemporary Russia.