Affective framing in the war of affections

police communication and legitimacy under emergency governance in wartime Ukraine (2022–2025)

Abstract

This article examines the role of police social media communication as a mechanism of institutional legitimacy and public trust formation under conditions of wartime emergency governance. Focusing on the National Police of Ukraine (2022–2025), the study explores how digital communication practices intersect with legal accountability, procedural justice, and democratic policing in a context of armed conflict. The research design integrates three analytical dimensions: (1) discursive and affective framing of police communication on platformized media; (2) an exploratory assessment of the analytical utility of the proposed Octagonal Model of Wartime Cognitive-Emotional States and Affective Tonalities; and (3) the relationship between affect-laden police messaging, algorithmic visibility dynamics, and public trust. The findings indicate that police communication functions not only as a channel of public information but also as a form of affective governance aimed at maintaining social order, reducing public anxiety, and reinforcing institutional legitimacy. Platform algorithms amplify emotionally charged and high-arousal content, particularly narratives emphasizing heroism, sacrifice, and collective resilience. Quantitative analysis indicates a statistically significant association between affective tonality and content dissemination, as well as a positive correlation between post visibility and public trust (ρ = 0.68). The article concludes that affective dimensions of police communication constitute an important, yet insufficiently regulated, component of contemporary policing, raising questions regarding transparency, proportionality, and democratic accountability.