Media Space Research Articles

Against Resilience: The (Anti-)Ethics of Participation in an Unjust and Unequal Public Sphere

If we define public spheres as social spaces in families, media, governance and policy making, workplaces, colleges, schools, places of worship and leisure where people can participate in sociopolitical debate and action, it is important to understand how imbalanced architectures of power ensure that the affective and physical costs of participation are higher for some than for others. While critiques of Habermas have engaged these power imbalances and their effects on the putative notions of the public sphere, public spheres and counter-publics, the notion of public and individual resilience continues to be invoked in a celebratory mode for communities and environments that survive and thrive despite political repression. Drawing on interviews and focus groups about disinformation and hate in legacy and social media, and on scholarship about resilience from health and ecology, my paper historicises and critiques the notion of resilience as currently deployed in communications and social theory. Based on this analysis, I argue that the concept of resilience now serves mainly to elude or defang valid and varied critiques of communicative inequality, discrimination and violence in the devastatingly flawed contemporary public sphere, while also feeding into double-edged celebrations of recognition as empowerment and neoliberal becoming.

ПОСТШЫНДЫҚ ДӘУІРІНДЕГІ МЕДИА: АНТИИНТЕЛЛЕКТУАЛИЗМ МЕН ПОПУЛИЗМ САЛДАРЫ

The authors of the article compare and analyze the research concepts of post-truth and pay special attention to the consequences of false information, manipulation and propaganda on public consciousness. This study also considers the representation of anti-intellectualism and populism in the media in the post-truth era, divided into several stages. Accordingly, conclusions are made about the influence of "fake news" in the era of information and communication technology and the consequences of the loss of trust in real information in the post-truth era. The aim of the research is to analyze the concepts of post-truth and the issues of populism and anti-intellectualism in the information space. In the course of the study, the main trends in the post-truth era, which have been frequently mentioned and studied in the world politics and media space in recent years, are discussed. Also, the impact and influence of "false information" in the media space on public consciousness and its consequences are analyzed. In addition, specific examples of anti-intellectualism and populism in the media are given, and different opinions and concepts about the current values of the society are compared and analyzed. The methodology of the research work is based on the analysis of methods of influence of disinformation, propaganda, manipulation, etc. in the media space in the post-truth era. Moreover, content, discourse and comparative analysis of media publications in order to determine the media literacy of social media users and their ability to recognize false information were used. The study employed surveys, drawing conclusions using sociological research methods. As a result, comparative analysis on post-truth determined the importance of information distribution in the domestic media during the years of repression before the independence and the consequences of Stalin's rule for society. Giving examples of the influence of false information in social media on the public mind, recommendations were made to improve the quality and content of traditional media. Thereafter, a conclusion was made about how and with what consequences society has come to the post-truth era. This research is one of the actual topics considered in interdisciplinary communication in the field of political science and journalism. Research on post-truth has been mentioned only in recent years among academics, who study the influence of social media on the public consciousness and modern journalism. A step-by-step analysis of the consequences of anti-intellectualism and populism in domestic media in the post-truth era can be considered a novelty of this study.

Цифровое пространство как фактор образования: постановка философских вопросов

The article examines the importance of Internet technologies and media space for the field of education. In this regard, the analysis of the problem of monitoring the digital space of the Internet as an educational source is carried out, the concept of «media space» is analyzed, the object of monitoring research of the Internet is determined. The place and importance of media space and media technologies, the Internet in the field of education are considered.

Multimodal deixis in media discourse: Film vs TV interview narratives

The article explores two media discourse formats, film and TV interview as manifesting the specific distribution of two communicative modalities — speech and gesture — in the multimodal deixis of discourse space construal in narratives. To identify the attribution of speech and gesture to two media formats, the study contrasts the plot contents and viewer engagement as two major coordinates of discourse space in media. We hypothesize that since these two formats display differences in their plot content and viewer engagement characteristics, their distribution might affect the way the actors employ speech and gesture to present the discourse space. The research data are 20 film and TV interview narratives with 10 highly rated Russian actors (5 men and 5 women). The study exploits the method of multimodal analysis to determine the contingency patterns of discursive schemata presenting discourse space in speech and of discursive schemata presenting object of reference, move and frame of reference in deictic gesture. The results show that multimodal deixis contributes to intensifying both types of these characteristics. While multimodal deixis in film manifests the preference for metonymic pointing, placement indication and speech event construal; in TV interview, we observe the significant prevalence of metaphoric pointing, path indication and narrative event construal. Additionally, TV interviews display the speech schemata specifying information and accentuating the place of referent within the speech or narrative event. Overall, the study shows that there are two basic types of discourse characteristics which produce higher distinctions in multimodal deixis between film and TV interview formats; these are different narrative regimes and different combination of staged performance and spontaneity.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ФОРМУВАННЯ ГЕНДЕРНО-КУЛЬТУРНИХ СТЕРЕОТИПІВ У ФРАНЦУЗЬКИХ ЖІНОЧИХ ЖУРНАЛАХ

Among the printed information and entertainment media, publications for women are the most popular in the modern world. With the appearance of international glossy editions, new perspectives and approaches to the study of media broadcasting have opened up in the history of women's magazines. The intensive development of gender studies has recently caused a natural interest in the study of the image of a woman in various spheres of communication, and the media space is no exception. Gender-oriented women's magazines act not only as translators of gender culture, representing images of femininity, behavior strategies and models of relationships, but also as creators of a "new image" of a modern woman. The purpose of women's magazines is the formation of gender stereotypes specific to a certain society. The article examines the peculiarities of the formation of gender stereotypes in modern glossy publications for women, which are built on the basis of certain norms of association and social roles, and women's magazines themselves acquire the status of a special cognitive-communicative phenomenon with a feminine accent.

“Think tank XXI века” (Часть первая)

When Alexander Dynkin took up the position of Director of IMEMO in 2006, he had a clear program of action. The main point of this program was the transformation of the Institute into a modern world-class think tank, capable of deeply and objectively analyzing the processes of world development and the current situation. This was possible only on the basis of fundamental scientific research. Another task was to raise the prestige of IMEMO in public opinion, in the media space and in government bodies. Finally, the new director intended to attract talented young people to the Institute. Acting in this direction, the Academician A. Dynkin initiated a number of structural changes in IMEMO, aimed at optimizing scientific and scientific-organizational work. With designation of Alexander Dynkin as Director, the volume of expert-analytical notes and materials sent to the Administration of the President of Russia, the Security Council, the Government of the Russian Federation, to the relevant committees of the State Duma, ministries and departments has sharply increased. In 2007, the Institute sent a total of 65 analytical notes and materials to these bodies (38 in 2006), which served the purpose of the new Director to restore IMEMO’s position as Russia’s leading center of expertise in the field of modern world development. All these materials were prepared in reliance on a thorough analysis of the strategic, political and economic realities, providing for the national interests of Russia, which, as historical experience shows, do not always coincide with corporate interests of the ruling elite. The reports at the IMEMO Academic Council were devoted to the most important problems of the world and Russian economy, international relations, including the issues of strategic stability, and modern society of the West, the East and Russia. This article presents three reports, which, in the author’s opinion, remain relevant up to the present. The authors of these reports are Rostislav Kapelyushnikov and Alexey Arbatov.

About the Place of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence in the Development of Russian Society

The paper considers digitalization as a modern form of organization of public relations and reveals the role of artificial intelligence in its development. Special attention is paid to the impact of digitalization on the development of the political and social spheres of society, the media space, law and legal regulation. The directions of its influence on the system of law and mass media are examined, the nature of their changes under the influence of digital technologies is shown.

Modern information society and the new period of journalism

Introduction. The development of new information technologies makes corrections not only in science, but also in the media space. In the era of information globalization, the development of cross-media, in the era of information wars and the formation of new information and political communities, the problem of determining compromises between the functioning of civil society and media institutions has arisen. Relevance and purpose. The relevance of the research is outlined by studying the changes taking place in Ukrainian journalism. The goal is to determine the role and place of the mass media in social and political institutions as factors in ensuring the democratic and political rights and freedoms of citizens. Methodology. The methodological basis of the article is a combination of general scientific methods and special methods and approaches. The processing of the source base was based on the application of analytical-synthetic, logical methods, which helped to formulate a system of initial theoretical propositions, principles of selection, analysis and generalization of the research material. The methods of comparative-historical, analytical, interdisciplinary analysis and synthesis are also applied. Empirical research was conducted by the survey method. The results. The development of Ukrainian journalism in the new period of history is difficult, as there is a «persecution» of journalists and obstruction of their activities. In the current period of «clanization» of the Ukrainian media, there is a return to censorship and the transformation of pro-government mass media into means of propaganda, and the appearance or restoration of censorship in Ukraine at the beginning of the 21st century. depends on a number of events in recent history related to the actions of the government, the weakness of civil society, the absence of the rule of law, economic instability, the absence of a middle class, and the presence of a shadow sphere of politics and economics. Conclusions. The new world order in the information space creates new threats: the threat of distortion of the communication process in society regarding the perception of information; the threat of political control; the threat of new opportunities to manipulate public opinion.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS IN THE SYSTEM OF THE CREATIVE ECONOMY

The article reveals the essence and content of public relations in the current conditions of society development. Through the prism of the concept of the creative economy, which has been formed in the scientific discourse, the author presents the opinion of the relevance of public relations to its effective functioning. The author analyzes the opinions of researchers in the field of social communications and related areas relevant to this study. In addition, the modern conceptual and categorical apparatus of public relations in the creative economy system is taken into account and described. Public relations, as a function of effective social communications, is an important component of the work and improvement of the creative economy within the country and around the world. It means the active functioning of this process, which includes a number of important factors, among which the key one is the direct connection between communicators and the audience. If these components communicate in a coordinated manner, the process of information transfer should take place, which ultimately leads to new solutions and the satisfaction of public expectations. Recently, the issue of the effectiveness of the creative economy in modern conditions has been raised quite often in the media space, which requires more thorough scientific research into its connection with the field of social communications. Public relations becomes especially important when communicators need to implement a high-quality explanation of their actions and steps, as many challenges arise in the context of social and economic instability. In particular, we are talking about artificial intelligence tools that can somehow complement the work of organizations or neutralize it by violating both legal and ethical norms. The paper implements the theoretical approach to scientific research, which scholars carried out by personally analyzing existing works.

О влиянии медийного пространства на функции ритуала

This article attempts to trace the transformation of ritual in modern society under the influence of media space, Internet resources, social and virtual networks. The result of solving this problem is the identification of changes in the form and content of ritual. Possible ways of interpenetration of ritual and media space are considered. Ritual, which is the object of study of many sciences, is defined as a preserved sequence of actions with certain practical applications, or as a complex symbolic religious system. Being a symbolic system and language, ritual fulfills a social function – the formation of society. The symbolic content of ritual is associated not only with its mythical or religious worldview, but also with the ability to separate the ordinary profane from the sacred. The main function of ritual is the uniting of society. Thanks to ritual, historical memory is actualized, the social worldview is transmitted to all individuals of the group, and social hierarchy is built. Rituals of initiation and transition contribute to the definition of identity by an individual, a person learns and accepts his status and place in society. Ritual tends to keep society from disintegration, preserves it; being dramatically played, it re-presents the social, builds it up and encloses it from other social groups. Thus, it is possible to consider rituals forming generally accepted values as reference points for a person in social life that consolidate people. The article analyzes the mutual influence of ritual and media-virtual space on the example of Charles III’s coronation ritual. The prerequisites for such a comparison are the ideas of F. Stahl and R. Rappoport, who describe the external form of ritual as performance. The article identifies three levels of the collision between ritual and media. Firstly, ritual in modern conditions moves as any event of human life to the level of media and the Internet, becoming publications on social networks, public and virtual pages. Secondly, it is possible to broadcast ritual to a huge number of people through radio, television, and the Internet, which gives the possibility of parallel translation, comments, discussions, clarifications, and references. Thirdly, media penetrate the very form of ritual as a way of performing it. Such characteristics of media as a special perception of time and place, a regulated form, social positions of participants, audience as a group, a bright expressive character, performance, a certain set of attitudes connect them with ritual, contribute to their interaction and transformation. Ritual, remaining an ontological part of human life, reflects social changes and influences their formation.

ТРАНСФЕР КУЛЬТУРНЫХ КОДОВ В СОВРЕМЕННЫЕ ЦИФРОВЫЕ МЕДИА (на примере басенных сюжетов)

The article is devoted to studying national cultural codes. The purpose of the article is to describe and analyze the axiological potential of fable plots as cultural codes in the modern mass media space. The illustrative material was provided by I.A. Krylov’s fables, online dictionaries, as well as examples from the National Corpus of the Russian Language and the personal card index of mems, representing realization of fable plots in various aspects of modern human life. The research combines such traditional methods as: descriptive, comparative and continuous sampling methods for systematization and typology of winged phrases used on the Internet sites of modern digital space. The method of diachronic analysis allowed us to trace the relationship between their dictionary interpretations and modern increments of meanings and transformation into cultural codes. The SPSS Text Analytics Program was applied for quantitative analysis. The obtained results demonstrate correlation of fable inclusions with the transfer of ideas and experience within the same linguistic culture. We see the significance of the study in substantiating the status of socio-axiological relevance of fable plots when they are transferred to a heterogeneous digital space. We found out that fable plots subjected to actualization undergo various transformations both at the linguistic and conceptual levels, and the transformation degree depends on the register of a chosen discursive practice. The conclusion we made concerns the predominant preservation of archetypal characteristics in aspects reflected by various discursive registers due to the codes embedded in them, which are in one way or another adapted to the situational contexts of modern times.

ҚАЗАҚСТАН МЕДИАКЕҢІСТІГІНДЕГІ ҚЫТАЙ ЕЛІНІҢ ҰЛТТЫҚ ИМИДЖІ: ҚЫТАЙ ЗЕРТТЕУШІЛЕРІНІҢ КӨЗІМЕН

The main purpose of writing this article is a comprehensive analysis of the research of Chinese scientists on the formation of the image of the China in the media space of Kazakhstan. The theoretical concepts of the national image of researchers from a neighboring state and its practical application were analyzed. The theoretical and practical significance of this study lies in the analyses of the work of the country's leading media aimed at shaping the national image of a neighboring country from the scientists point of view and their own interests. Over the past ten years the relations between the two countries have become the core of regional studies, especially from China, which has become interested in the problem of forming the national image of Kazakhstan in leading (traditional and online) mass media. For this reason, the author took the articles of scientists from a neighboring country as the subject of the study and analyzed them using different research methods. The value of this study lies in the fact that in the Kazakhstani media the image of China was shown as a reliable initiator of cooperation, a mutually beneficial partner. The information from Kazakh websites and from bloggers on Facebook about the country in thematic, substantive, genre terms is also systematized. Thus, the researcher was convinced of the reliability of the opinions of scientists from neighboring countries regarding the media space of Kazakhstan. At the end of the article the author concludes that for any country, the issue of national image is a responsible and important measure to solve the problem of the nation.

Місце та структура конспірології в дискурсі коронаскептиків в Україні

The main objective of the study is to identify the place and structure of conspiracy theories in the communication of Ukrainian coronaskeptics. The methodology included content analysis of 200 videos from the 15 most popular YouTube channels of Ukrainian coronaskeptic bloggers published during the pandemic to identify conspiratorial messages. Message analysis was used to determine their consistency and their place in the overall narrative field. Discourse analysis was employed to define the roles of YouTube channel authors in shaping this field. The results revealed eight most common conspiratorial messages that are consistent with each other and form a single narrative field of a global conspiracy theory. Some of these messages are fundamental, while others are auxiliary. The findings suggest that conspiratorial messages play an important role in the communication of Ukrainian coronaskeptics: they are present in more than half of the analyzed videos, and some authors spread all identified messages. A significant portion of these messages is connected to the Russian strategic narrative and the emerging “sovereign citizens” movement. The significance of the study lies in better understanding the anti-vaccination discourse in Ukraine and creating a basis for developing a counter-narrative that will contribute to more effective combating disinformation and conspiracy theories in the Ukrainian media space.

To the formation of ethnic image in the media: an attempt at periodization

The article studies the process of modeling of ethnic image in the Russian media space. The media texts of the "Argumenty i Fakty" portal were used as empirics. The aim is to create a periodization for studying the processes of media communication in the formation of national image. The article reveals linguistic and stylistic peculiarities of the content and specificity of emotional and evaluative elements of the format of AiF journalistic materials about representatives of Caucasian ethnic groups, and states the presence of destructive stereotypes in media texts. The relevance of the material is explained by the negative consequences of interethnic confrontations, including those caused by conflictogenic texts in the media of the late twentieth century. The methodology of historical-semantic and cognitive-metaphorical analysis was applied, which revealed the linguistic structures at the basis of the formation of the audience's attitude towards the Caucasian peoples. After the collapse of the USSR, journalists used the construction "us and them", indirectly formed a negative reputation of national minorities, created barriers to their integration into the Russian identity, thus increasing socio-psychological tension in society, increasing social distance, influencing the processes of discrimination and isolation of the peoples of the Caucasus. In the modern global practice of convergence, "subject-to-subject" processes of mass communications, the influential potential of broadcast content has increased manifold. State control over the editorial policy of mass media should be strengthened, and personal responsibility of professional journalists for their work should be actualized. It is also necessary to support media education initiatives to increase the media literacy of the media audience. The results of the study can be used to rethink strategies for creating and promoting ethnic content.

Transition Features of the Russian Regional Press to Digital Technology

The regional press plays an important role in the formation of the urban media space. The article examines the adaptation features of the Russian regional press to the changing the digital environment conditions. Despite the slight increase in circulation and audience of print media, the Russian regional press continues to experience a number of difficulties associated with a lack of funding, influence from government agencies, the implementation of government tasks, an aging audience, and publication of news in printed editions with a long delay. Publications are trying to adapt to changing conditions, looking for new ways not only to earn money, but also to attract an audience. Some sites are either a copy of the printed edition or are updated quite rarely. Nevertheless, digitalization does not mean the death of the Russian regional press. The study was based on interviews conducted by the authors in 2021-2023 with the heads of Russian regional newspapers. The authors also conducted a content analysis of materials posted on newspaper websites. The article is the first to examine successful cases of regional press. To attract the widest possible number of subscribers and, in general, active consumers of information products, the content of regional media must be exclusive, prompt, reliable, dialogic (providing different points of view), and multimedia. Unfortunately, Internet resources of Russian regional print media do not always meet these criteria. Digitalization does not mean death for traditional media; it is rather a new opportunity to conquer new “territories”, attract audiences, and implement new tasks. However, the development of local publications is hampered by the policies of government agencies that put pressure on editorial offices. Officials do not understand the specifics of journalistic work. Only a few regional publications manage to cope with existing problems, find sources of funding and attract new audiences.

National museums of communication and postal service in postal miniature of Germany, France and Russia

In the second half of the 19th century, almost simultaneously with the establishment of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1874, postal museums began to open across Europe. The first postal museums opened in the UPU founding countries — Germany and Russia. The objectives and concepts of these museums were presented differently to their organizers. In Germany they tried to cover the history of the world mail, in Russia — the development of telegraph, as the most modern means of communication, and France — demonstrated a desire to become the capital of typology. The creation of postal museums, which were seen not only as cultural phenomena but also as a national strategic element, also involved national governments (or their departments). The Second World War changed not only philatelic themes, but also influenced changes in display activities. Today there are postal museums in virtually every country in the world, but not every philatelic production reflects the stages of their creation and development. Images of world postal museums, their creators and exhibits in the Timbrology media space emphasize that postage stamps, in addition to their main purpose — payment for postal messages, perform supplementary functions — advertising and educational.

Российская профессиональная и "любительская" театральная критика в зеркале дискуссий

The article is dedicated to discussions in old and new media about the state of modern Russian theater criticism and reveals the mechanism and consequences of dividing its authors into professionals and “amateurs” who write about the same performances, but with different degrees of responsibility and on different platforms – in special publications not for a mass audience and in amateur blogs that are easily accessible to everyone. A whole layer of scientific literature on theater criticism and theater journalism existing today in the conditions of digitalization of the media space and reflecting the phenomena of digitalization of the theater itself was studied. The theater critic has always not only assessed the phenomena of art, but also described them, trying to preserve living emotional impressions, recreating the appearance of disappeared performances, recording unique moments of acting, measuring the “temperature” of the auditorium; analyzed the changing styles and artistic trends, preferences, tastes and moods of the public. It would seem that the tasks of a professional theater critic remain the same. In fact, much has changed not only in its status, goals, functions, tools, and the content it creates, but also in the situation around it. Today we are witnessing the emergence of a new generation of young theater critics, who do not always have a special theater education, have never worked in professional media, call themselves bloggers, but are just as active as professionals in judging the theater. The topic of this study seems relevant since the discrepancies between the points of view expressed by the designated parties on modern theater are becoming more and more obvious. Therefore, the aim of our research is to study Russian theater criticism through the prism of the discussions going on around and within it. The study used the method of observing the practice of modern theater criticism, analyzed joint discussions published over the past ten years in the Russian media and the Internet, individual interviews and articles by professional representatives of the theater critical workshop and “amateur” bloggers about the purpose of criticism and the meanings it defends and the tools used. As a result, differences in the work of professional theater critics and representatives of amateur theater blogging, on the one hand, and, paradoxically, a tendency towards their convergence, on the other, were revealed. The described situation differs from the relationship in the environment of professional and blogger journalism, which is not related to such a specific field as theater. The most advanced “amateur” theater critics understand that they still cannot exist without knowledge of its fundamentals and deep mastery of the profession, and specialists feel a natural urge to move to the blogosphere, which they consider as an attractive platform for reaching the audience in conditions of a shortage of traditional print media.

К вопросу о политической медиа географии в исследовании политических процессов

The article examines the modern problems of the social sciences and humanities. The authors, based on new information technologies and communication practitioners, propose using new "related" sciences to explore the media world and media image. The research of new methods for the development and implementation of new integrated methods for protecting the interests of states is presented. New methods of studying mental landscapes are proposed, which allow both recording and studying social phenomena in real time. The article presents a new complex discipline of political media geography as an applied political science. Political media geography studies the processes, specifics and diversity of linearly organized media spaces. Attention is focused on the fact that there is a strong anziotropy of geographical locations in terms of the reaction of the population to political processes.

Respectful Forms of Address in Russian Speech Tradition and Modern Media Space

The article examines the features of the Russian linguistic and cultural tradition, in which, due to historical and social factors, there are no neutral universal respectful vocative expressions to audiences. We performed an analysis of vocatives used in modern Russian media, based on more than 400 contexts. The results of the study demonstrate the degree of influence of tradition on formal and informal communications in the media and ways to overcome the limitations that the tradition imposes.

The media image of the higher education concept in the English, Chinese and Russian languages

The article considers the HIGHER EDUCATION (HE) concept in the media landscape of American, Chinese and Russian newspapers. The material for the research comprised 273 news articles over the period 2010-2023, containing the keyword ‘higher education’ in their headlines. The research methods included continuous sampling, content analysis, thematic classification, problem identification, keyword selection, and contrastive analysis. The findings show that the number of Chinese news articles with HE in their headlines is considerable higher (approximately by 70%) than in the American and Russian newspapers. This phenomenon is explained by the positioning of HE as a vector of national economy development in China. The Chinese concept HE includes a wide access to HE, active international collaboration and the development of Chinese regions. The American concept HE is exposed as the sum total of social-economic issues caused by insufficient financial resources and unequal opportunities for different demographic categories. The concept HE in the Russian media space is represented as a phenomenon providing opportunities for personal development and career growth. Intercultural similarities and differences are identified in the language representations of the most relevant semantic relations. The common conceptual properties across the cultures are HE quality improvement and the compliance of graduates with labor market requirements.