Shaping the political agenda 
in virtual communities

This article examines the topical problem of political agenda setting in virtual communities. The aim of the study is to systematize the theoretical foundations for subsequent empirical research into the mechanisms of political agenda formation on digital platforms. The authors conduct a theoretical and methodological analysis of the key concepts of "virtual community" and "agenda," revealing their transformation in the digital age. The scientific novelty of the work lies in linking the classic agenda-setting theory (McCombs and Shaw) with reverse agenda models (S.T. Kim, Y.H. Lee) applied to the specifics of Russian virtual communities on the Telegram and VKontakte platforms, and in clarifying the conceptual apparatus describing network forms of political communication. The methodological basis of the research is the network approach (M. Castels, J. Habermas), supplemented by a comparative analysis of the communication models of the two platforms. The planned empirical part is based on qualitative methods (content analysis) and network visualization methods to identify patterns of circulation of politically relevant information. The theoretical significance of the research lies in the development of a conceptual framework for analyzing digital political communication, while the practical significance lies in the development of recommendations for monitoring and interpreting the agenda in order to improve the effectiveness of public communications and digital literacy. The article is theoretical and methodological in nature and provides a basis for subsequent empirical analysis of the dynamics of the political agenda on these platforms. In their conclusions, the authors note that, based on the network approach (M. Castells, J. Habermas) and the typology of virtual sociality (Yu.G. Rykov), the specifics of the communicative space are revealed, where the internet acts not only as a tool but also as an environment for the formation of a new social reality.