Invasion & kommunikation - En kvalitativ studie av den svenska och finska försvarsmaktens kommunikation på Instagram sedan kriget i Ukraina.

Sammanfattning: On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, changing world history. The aim of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis of how the Swedish and Finnish armed forces communicate regarding the war in Ukraine and further present their organization on Instagram since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This study is intended to provide an understanding of how the use of text and image presents a military organization on Instagram, particularly during a volatile security policy situation. This study is based on material samples collected from the social media platform Instagram. The reason for this sampling is due to Instagram being the primary communication channel for both countries' defense forces. We have conducted a qualitative study using semiotics and critical rhetorical analysis to analyze the texts and images posted on both the Swedish and Finnish defense forces Instagram accounts between february 24th and april 28th. Furthermore, the findings of the semiotic and rhetorical analyses have been presented in a themed analysis, presenting the themes through which each defense forces presents themselves on Instagram. The findings in the study suggests that the Swedish and Finnish Armed Forces communicate different values and portray themselves differently from each other through their Instagram posts published since the war commenced in Ukraine. The Swedish armed forces have primarily presented themselves as an informational, inclusive, and de-dramatized organization that works to preserve peace in Sweden. Their communication regarding the war and its effect on Sweden's security is characterized by peace, calmness, and ensurement of the country’s security. The Finnish armed forces have primarily portrayed themselves as a patriotic and homogene force that is fully capable of keeping Finland as well as other Nordic countries safe during this intense situation. Their communication is mainly characterized by pride, seriousness, and toughness. The study shows that Sweden and Finland, despite the common security policy situation, communicate in different ways and different values​. In addition to our findings it would be valuable in future studies to research the public's perception of the countries' different communications.