The Russians are Laughing! The Russians are Laughing! How Russian Diplomats Employ Humour in Online Public Diplomacy

ABSTRACT

In recent years, diplomats have increasingly employed humour online. This study sought to understand why diplomats use humour on Twitter and to investigate whether humour can serve as a public diplomacy resource. The study adopted the prism of “the digitalisation of public diplomacy”, which asserts that the norms and logics of the digital society have altered diplomats’ working routines. Employing advertising humour typologies, the study analysed humorous tweets published by the Russian Embassy to the United Kingdom. Results suggest that by adopting a humorous and abrasive tone, and resonating with populist narratives, the Embassy was able to craft a unique iBrand online. This iBrand also depicted Russia as a confident world leader whose diplomacy is blunt and understandable to “common” people. Humour also enabled the Embassy to summon the attention of social media users, set the media agenda and identify the values that underscore Russia’s image.

KEYWORDS:

• The digitalisation of public diplomacy
• public diplomacy
• social media
• Russian public diplomacy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ilan Manor

Ilan Manor is a digital diplomacy scholar at the University of Oxford, and a visiting fellow at the University of Southern California’s Center on Public Diplomacy. Manor’s 2019 book, The Digitalization of Public Diplomacy, was published by Palgrave Macmillan. Manor’s 2020 edited volume, Public Diplomacy and the Politics of Uncertainty (with Surowiec), will also be published by Palgrave. Manor has contributed to several journals, including Review of International Studies and the Journal of Media, War and Conflict.