In modern society, the media provide access to information about world events. In turn, the information, if interpreted in a certain way, acquires the properties of an instrument of influence and struggle for public opinion. Political leaders and events have become the centre of media discourse, which draws special attention to the main political figures (in particular, presidents) as symbols of an official, reliable source in an overly saturated information flow. The presidential address to the people, which has become a New Year's tradition in many countries, is one of the most important communicative elements of interaction between society and the authorities, a way of stating intentions and trajectory of further development of the state and society. The addressee of the message forms the integrity of the characteristic of the relationship between the president and society, being a reflection not only of the speech strategy of communication, but also of the ideological concept of the social structure. The people as the addressee is a collective concept of the cognitive-linguistic base.