Solidarity in the comments on the cat Twix story in “Fontanka.ru”

For citation: Ivanyan R.G. Solidarity in the comments on the cat Twix story in “Fontanka.ru”// Mediascope. 2024. 4. Available at: https://www.mediascope.ru/2884

© Rouzanna G. Ivanyan

PhD, Associate Professor at the Chair of Journalism and Media Technologies, Higher School of Print Press and Media Technologies, Saint-Petersburg State University of Technology and Design (St. Petersburg, Russia), rouzanna@youthcentre.ru

Abstract

The paper examines the reaction of Internet users to the story of cat Twix, covered in the most quoted city's socio-political online media of St. Petersburg "Fontanka.ru". Comments on five articles (N=562) from January 19 to 25, 2024 were researched. The purpose of the survey was to examine the engagement of online commenters and the content of their posts on the main portal of the media using solidarity optics. The author concludes that the emergence of solidarity as a consolidated proactive and activist position on the basis of public reaction requires a number of prerequisites, which were not formed in the case study. Despite the common starting position of unacceptability of cruelty towards animals, the users' comments contained a large scope of non-constructive discussion, aggression, anger, rage, mutual accusations, which prevented the development of solidarity. The large mediatization potential of the case attracted users promoting their own agenda not directly related to the issue itself, making it difficult to form a vector and focus of action.

Keywords: Twix cat, journalism, animals, solidarity, commenting, Internet, “Fontanka.ru”

Notes

FPK: muzhchina, kotoryy vez kota Tviksa, obratilsya k provodnikam cherez 10 chasov posle otpravleniya iz Kirova [FPC: the man who carried the cat Twix, addressed the conductors 10 hours after departure from Kirov]. Fontanka.ru. 2024. 20 January. Available at: https://www.fontanka.ru/2024/01/20/73143551/ (accessed: 26.01.2024). (In Russian)

Galeeva V. Chto obshchego u kota Tviksa i negra Floyda [What the cat Twix and the Black Floyd have in common]. Fontanka.ru. 2024. 20 January. Available at: https://www.fontanka.ru/2024/01/20/73143818/ (accessed: 26.01.2024). (In Russian)

Gorbunova E. «Nuzhno podumat' nad pamyatnikom kotiku». Kak Tviks ob"edinil vsyu stranu v pravednom gneve [“It is necessary to think over a monument to a cat”. How Twix united the whole country in righteous anger]. Fontanka.ru. 2024. 20 January. Available at: https://www.fontanka.ru/2024/01/20/73143551/ (accessed: 26.01.2024). (In Russian)

Khozyaeva Tviksa podtverdili ego smert'. RZhD poobeshchali izmenit' pravila perevozki zhivotnykh. Elektronnyy resurs [Twix's owners confirmed his death. Russian Railways promised to change the regulations of pet’s transportation]. Fontanka.ru. 2024. 20 January. Available at: https://www.fontanka.ru/2024/01/20/73143359/ (accessed: 26.01.2024). (In Russian)

Kot simvoliziruet zhertvu. Pochemu lyudey tak tronula istoriya propavshego Tviksa i kak teper' izmenyatsya pravila perevozok zhivotnykh v poezdakh [The cat embodies a victim. Why people were touched so much by the cat Twix story, and how the regulations of pet’s transportation in trains will change]. Snob. 2024. 24 January. Available at: https://snob.ru/society/kot-simvoliziruet-zhertvu-a-provodnica-palacha-pochemu-lyudej-tak-tronula-istoriya-propavshego-tviksa-i-kak-teper-izmenyatsya-pravila-perevozok-zhivotnyh-v-poezdah/ (accessed: 25.01.2024). (In Russian)

Mamikonyan O. SK prekratil ugolovnoe delo v otnoshenii provodnitsy iz-za gibeli kota Tviksa [The investigation committee has closed the criminal case against the train conductor due to the death of the cat Twix]. Forbes. 13 December. Available at: https://www.forbes.ru/forbeslife/527140-sk-prekratil-ugolovnoe-delo-v-otnosenii-provodnicy-iz-za-gibeli-kota-tviksa (accessed: 25.12.2024). (In Russian)

Medialogiya [Mediology]. Available at: https://www.mlg.ru/ratings/media/regional/12733/ (accessed: 25.01.2024). (In Russian)

Ne nayti khozyaina bylo nevozmozhno. Provodnitsa rasskazala, kak mozhno bylo by spasti Tviksa. [It was impossible not to find the owner. The conductor told how it would be possible to save Twix]. Fontanka.ru. 2024. 21 January. Available at: https://www.fontanka.ru/2024/01/21/73144796/ (accessed: 26.01.2024). (In Russian)

Polovina rossiyan zaveli doma koshku, pyataya chast' – sobaku [Half of the Russians got a cat at home, a fifth - a dog].RBK. 2023. 29 August. Available at: https://www.rbc.ru/society/29/08/2023/64ed58059a79471e6e42c4ba?from=copy (accessed: 25.01.2024). (In Russian)

Rossijane o soderzhanii domashnih zhivotnyh [Russians on keeping pets]. Available at: https://www.levada.ru/2024/01/19/rossiyane-o-soderzhanii-domashnih-zhivotnyh/ (accessed: 01.02.2024). (In Russian)

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