Eco-reality and eco-image of Russian regions in VKontakte Public Pages

This paper examines media representation of environmental problems in six Russian regions through the lens of regional public pages (with official and unofficial status) on the VKontakte social network, which function as online media. Based on a content analysis of news public pages on VKontakte from six Russian regions, including both environmentally favorable and unfavorable ones, the study examines how environmental issues are covered in these constituent entities of the Russian Federation and how this correlates with their environmental status. Several differences in the coverage of environmental issues were identified: in regions with a low environmental rating, environmental problems receive more media attention, which is confirmed by a larger number of publications on environmental topics in such regions as Krasnoyarsk Krai and Zabaykalsky Krai. At the same time, official public pages more often focus on official events and achievements in the field of ecology, while unofficial public pages more often cover specific incidents and environmental problems. Low audience engagement with the environmental agenda was noted. Environmental news typically receives fewer likes, comments, and reposts compared to other topics, indicating a lower level of audience attention to environmental issues and lower emotional engagement. Thematic modeling analysis confirmed that in regions with serious environmental problems, such as Krasnoyarsk Krai, topics like air pollution, waste disposal, and forest fires are frequently discussed. The identified regional differences show that in regions with a high environmental rating, environmental issues are covered less frequently, which may be associated with a more favorable environmental situation and less attention to these issues from online media. This study demonstrates the important role of media in general, and social media public pages in particular, in shaping public opinion on environmental issues and highlights the need to increase environmental awareness and public engagement.