The article presents the results of a study of communities in the social network VKontakte in the media space of the Republic of Belarus, the Leningrad Region and the Perm Krai. The sample consisted of 137 largest regional social media groups by the number of subscribers. To solve research problems we used an analytical service, which allows to compare and analyze the effectiveness of community publications in social networks. We give a comprehensive assessment of the audience engagement index, reflecting the potential of forming communities around the media resource. The study showed that VKontakte' communities have become an important component of the local media landscape. The question of new forms and technologies of interaction between media and the audience has been updated. We found that the survival of regional media depends critically on how well they can integrate into the modern digital environment. We revealed that in the regions, where professional media interact poorly with the audience on the social network VKontakte, this niche is quickly being occupied with resources created by local citizens. The article gives an assessment of the current state of the regional media environment of the three regions and indicates possible vectors for its development.