PROPAGANDA COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AS INSTRUMENTS FOR ACQUIRING AND EXERCISING POLITICAL POWER

This study is dedicated to the analysis of propaganda communication technologies as effective tools for acquiring, exercising, and consolidating political power. The aim of the research is to uncover the essence, distinctive features, and operational mechanisms of these technologies within the contemporary media environment – particularly under conditions of digital transformation in society. The work adopts a technological approach, wherein the core criterion for evaluating propaganda’s effectiveness is its capacity to achieve desired outcomes through systematic and targeted influence on the consciousness and behavior of social subjects. The author demonstrates that propaganda communication technologies operate as autonomous, structured, and socioculturally adaptive systems, specifically engineered to maximize effectiveness by manipulating cognition, shaping public opinion, and constructing political realities. The study analyzes a wide array of propaganda technologies, including but not limited to: astroturfing, microtargeting, narrative framing, information overload, echo chambers, “big tent” propaganda, fake news, meme-driven narratives, reflexive control, strategic ambiguity, cinematic propaganda, conspiracy theories, manipulative omission, and indoctrination. Each of these technologies functions through clearly defined mechanisms and draws upon psychological, cultural, media-based, and algorithmic dimensions of contemporary society. They are implemented via digital platforms, mass media, and institutional communication channels. Particular attention is paid to how these technologies engage with the emotional domain, automatic information processing, cultural memory, and ideological self-identification. The findings of the study indicate that propaganda communication technologies do not merely facilitate political subjugation – they also generate new models of power communication, combining symbolic, informational, and technocratic forms of domination. These technologies serve as instruments for legitimizing authority, constructing collective memory, polarizing societies, and shaping a new type of political discourse – one grounded in algorithms, emotions, and visual imagery. The study also underscores the urgent need to counteract such technologies through the advancement of media and digital literacy, the cultivation of critical thinking, and the regulation of digital platforms. The conclusions of this research are significant for understanding political communication amid information warfare, digital diplomacy, and global disinformation campaigns. They can be employed to analyze political processes, anticipate societal responses, and develop counter-propaganda strategies at both national and international levels.