Definitions

Unless otherwise stated, for the purposes of this study, the term 'Russian‑language media' refers to any individual, group or institution that aims to inform or influence the Russian-speaking population in Finland. Throughout this report, the terms 'media', 'media actor' and 'actor' will be used interchangeably to refer to 'Russian-language media'.

The term 'social media account' is used interchangeably with 'account', 'profile' or 'social media account' and refers to any page, profile, chat or group on any social media platform used by Russian‑language media to reach the Russian-speaking population in Finland. Although these two terms are sometimes difficult to distinguish, a social media account should be understood as the means by which the researched media actors communicate with their audience. Therefore, one media actor can have one or several social media accounts.

'Social media platforms' are online tools that enable media creators to produce, share and exchange content with their audience. Although we researched the social media accounts of Russian‑language media actors on all major platforms, the majority of this report is based on an analysis of Facebook, Instagram and Telegram.

Russian‑language media were categorised according to the type and focus of their content. These types were defined based on the legal status of the media actor or how they described themselves on their websites or social media accounts. One of these types, which should not be confused with other terms used in this report, was 'media outlet', which aims to provide news, information and entertainment to the public through various channels.

The term 'Russian‑language media networks on social media' or 'social media networks' refers to the interconnectedness of Russian-language media accounts on a given social media platform.As media actors can have accounts on multiple platforms, their connections within the networks can differ. This research analysed three such networks: Facebook, Instagram and Telegram.