Problems in the media. Scientific work: Social issues in the modern press. Economic issues in the media

1.2 Economic issues in the media

The global economic crisis and the domestic “economic miracle”, inflation and devaluation, negotiations on oil and gas supplies, external debt and loans from international organizations. Is it possible today to imagine any media without discussion or at least mentioning these complex economic concepts and processes? They are increasingly becoming important components of the information field and penetrate (sometimes, rather unceremoniously) into our everyday life.

Economic journalism in its classical version, that is, focused on exchange markets, private and corporate investors, is not in great demand in Russia due to the underdevelopment of market institutions.

But knowledge of the principles and laws of economic journalism will help a “non-economic” journalist to choose the right topic and take the “right tone” in communicating with a wide reader (listener, viewer) E. Prokhorov. Introduction to the theory of journalism. - 7th ed., Rev. and add. - M: Aspect Press, 2011. - S. 84 ..

The mass media have always paid a lot of attention to the economic topic. This is due to both the economic state of the country and world economic processes. In many mass media you can always find for yourself a comprehensive and in-depth coverage of all economic processes and events taking place in this area. Economic news and everything related to the economy is presented in the best possible way objectively in the media. Here you can get information about the rules of doing business, entrepreneurial activity, as well as about international experience in conducting various forms of business.

Many problems of accounting and financial accounting, microeconomics and taxation, labor law and commercial law are considered, qualified answers are given in the concept of home business, small and large private business, in general, everything that every person needs to know in the field of economics.

It is equally important to know the state of the economic sphere of life. Also, many are interested in the state of the international economic process. All this is directly related to the life of each individual person. It depends on what kind of future awaits him - the standard of living and the availability of a job.

Russian citizens are not satisfied with the media coverage of the situation in the country's economy, Interfax reported, citing a study by the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM). Russians consider the reflection of the world's financial situation in the press more objective.

According to an FOM survey, 45% of respondents believe that the media are biased in their assessment of the situation in the Russian economy. 35% have a different opinion, and 20% found it difficult to answer. At the same time, 57% are sure that the coverage of the Russian economy in the mass media is incomplete Alekseev V., Mikhailov G. Main topic. Urgent decisions // Regional Duma. - 2009. - No. 12. - P. 36 ..

The objectivity of coverage of the situation in the global economy is said by 39% of Russian residents. 30% of the respondents disagree with them, and 31% find it difficult to assess.

40% of Russians believe that the situation in the Russian economy is worse than the media estimate. Those who are sure that the coverage of domestic economic topics in the press and on television reflects the real state of affairs are 3% less. 5% consider the state of the economy to be more prosperous than reported in the mass media http://www.rb.ru/inform/111887/html.

This survey was conducted by the FOM in 100 settlements of 44 constituent entities of Russia.

According to a September 2010 poll by another sociological center - VTsIOM - 30% of Russian residents believe that the global financial crisis will negatively affect the economic situation in Russia. In March 2010, the share of such respondents was 35%.

For example, the public receives information about the economic crisis through images offered by the media, and these images determine the perceptions and actions in relation to solving the problem. The media have the infrastructure to communicate IEC to a huge number of people. However, as shown by the data of the global online research Nielsen, in Russia 65% of respondents believe that the mass media did not sufficiently inform the population about the reasons that led to the crisis. The fact that the arrival of the crisis came as a surprise to many is largely due to the fact that at first pro-government sources asserted that the onset of the crisis was noted only in the West and did not affect our country. However, by the second half of 2008, it began to affect the state of the Russian economy as well, with a decline in stock prices of leading Russian companies. The entry of our country into the global crisis was announced in the message of the President of the Russian Federation to the Federal Assembly of 05.11.

The most common topics in the media and official websites of state authorities on IEC problems are: strategy (prospects) of socio-economic development of the region. 25.9% of all IEC materials were published on this topic. The publications contained: setting urgent tasks; analysis of factors hindering economic development (weak management, irresponsibility of owners, outdated technologies); development of measures to support enterprises; characteristics of the socio-economic situation in the region, etc. Eremenko A.V. Business press: problems of identification and typology // Mass media in the modern world. Petersburg Readings: Abstracts. scientific-practical conf. - SPb., 2004 .-- S. 201.

In the category of informing about problems, materials were included in which several topics were simultaneously present: the main problems that led to the economic crisis, events (conferences, seminars, summits), statistical data and the general picture of the development of the region in the conditions of the IEC. Their content and style of presenting information resemble a kind of "reference" or "memo" about the prevailing conditions.

Analysis of the problems of current television and radio journalism on the basis of publications of the journal "Teleta radio journalism"

Visiting youth problems in Zaporizka newspapers

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The history of the emergence and development of photojournalism in Russia

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Worldview problems of the development of journalism in modern Russia

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Features of economic topics in modern media

Lipetskaya Gazeta is one of the oldest printed publications in the region. She is the legal successor of the newspaper Izvestia of the Lipetsk Soviet of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies, the first issue of which was published on January 6, 1918 ...

The thematic field "family" in the republican press (based on materials from "SB - Belarus Today")

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Satirical Traditions in American Political Journalism

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A universal newspaper in the 19th century

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Photojournalism in the city of Shadrinsk on the example of personal experience as a photojournalist at the first information portal SHADR.info

Almost every home has a camera today. Millions of people are good at photography and subsequently work in the field of photojournalism. However, this aspect has both positive and negative sides ...

We sent this questionnaire to 113 colleagues in print, television and electronic media and asked them not to pass up the opportunity to blow off some steam and ease their minds. We promised them anonymity in exchange for frank (which we very much hoped for) answers to our not always convenient questions. Here's what came of it.

What, in your opinion, is the biggest problem of modern media?

A broken business model that does not guarantee sufficient funding for journalists to do their job well.

A broken business model that makes the media pander to audiences.

The need to entertain readers and stir up sensations to keep them interested.

Prioritize responsiveness over accuracy.

Narrow outlook or insufficient life experience of reporters and editors.

A tendency to inflate and incite conflicts.

Inability or unwillingness to hold those in power to account.

Superficiality.

Bias.

Fear of violating corporate interests.

Ignorance.

Show off, overly aggressive journalistic style.

Excessive trust in anonymous sources and information that cannot be verified.

Bias.

Infographics:

The main reason people trust the media less is:

49.56% - Our political discourse has become more polarized.

20.35% - People these days do not trust most institutions.

5.31% - People believe that "pocket" media serve corporate interests.

5.31% - Media raises so many bad things.

19.47% - other.

Other answer options suggested by the respondents themselves:

People believe that the media serve the interests of certain parties.

The Internet has made it possible for people to define their own news agenda, regardless of the accuracy of what they see.

Republicans and conservatives have slandered the media for decades because the media reflects objective reality rather than the ignorance of politicians who cannot accept inconvenient facts.

We isolate differences, not similarities, foster disunity, but we do not build bridges.

Should newspapers and other media outlets give up in the fight to uphold political objectivity?

75.45% - no.

Respondents' comments:

Readers look for objectivity only in texture: what, where, when and how. Subjectivity is expected from any analyst.

- "Objectivity" is a bad goal. The right goal is the truth. And the search for it requires ambition and unbreakable standards, not "objectivity" at all.

There is a perception that the media are betting on bad news, and this leads to an increase in nervousness in a society that believes that the world is heading for the abyss.

57.52% disagree.

42.48% agree.

Respondents' comments:

It has always been like this, look at the newspapers of the 19th century, the world on their pages does not look rosy either.

The Internet for journalism is:

75.93% is good.

24.07% - bad.

Respondents' comments:

Good for spreading leaks, terrible for real journalism.

Good, because we have unprecedented access to sources, to information, but bad, because the Internet has contributed to the destruction of the usual business model.

It has been good for a few years, which has been the golden era of blogging. But then all the energy went into the development of new technologies and social networks.

53.27% is good.

46.73% - bad.

Respondents' comments:

None of us could cover the events in Ferguson (the riots that broke out in August 2014 after the murder of an unarmed African American by a white policeman. - Approx. "RG") without social networks.

Is the media better or worse than decades ago?

44.04% is worse.

36.7% is better.

19.27% ​​remained the same.

Respondents' comments:

The media have become more sarcastic.

Infographics: Leonid Kuleshov / Ekaterina Zabrodina

The main goal of journalism is to:

85.84% - To educate readers, to talk about what they need to know, regardless of their interest in this topic.

14.16% - Follow the interests of the readers.

Infographics: Leonid Kuleshov / Ekaterina Zabrodina

What topics and plots remained "blank spots" in the media?

Respondents' comments:

Environmental issues and climate change.

The media themselves.

Death of the middle class.

Corruption in the US Congress.

Poverty.

Racial issues.

Local news.

What's your biggest sin in journalism?

Respondents' comments:

Didn't work hard enough to find interesting and reliable sources.

I did a "reportage" from the scene, where I was not.

Didn't check the facts. I didn't "dig deep" because of the deadline, as a result, the article turned out to be superficial, there was no depth and truth in it.

Timidity.

Thoughtlessly "tweeted" and made himself look like an idiot.

He preferred his own comfort (family, career) to honest and selfless service to serious journalism.

I did not hear correctly the name of the interlocutor on the phone.

As an editor, he offered insufficient creative ideas and poorly motivated young journalists.

Sloppiness.

As a news manager, he cared too much about the money side of the issue.

Copied the press release information.

Have you ever experienced pressure on yourself, because of which you had to inflate a sensation from the material or present a topic from a perspective with which you do not agree?

55.36% - no.

Respondents' comments:

This happens all the time.

My editor had never heard of artists and made me write as if my readers had never heard of them either.

When I was working on local television, I was assigned to make a story about a storm that sweeps along the coast. When I noticed that he would not affect us, I was told that such a presentation would attract the audience.

Are journalists more cynical about what is happening in the world than their readers?

27.03% - no.

Respondents' comments:

Yes. Cynicism suggests that you will ask tough questions.

Journalists should be more skeptical than their readers, but this should not lead to hopeless cynicism.

I think many reporters are convinced that good news is bad news.

Just remember, journalists are people too.

Infographics: Anton Perepletchikov / Ekaterina Zabrodina

Name a story or storyline of the past ten years that journalists, in your opinion, have underestimated.

Respondents' comments:

Women's rights in America.

Government spending.

Woody Allen.

The consequences of the election and presidency of Obama.

American police brutality.

Few questions about the Iraqi war and criticism of this campaign.

What is the story of the past ten years that has been unnecessarily hyped in the media?

Respondents' comments:

Kim Kardashian. Gossip about "stars".

Terrorist threat in the United States.

All presidential elections.

ISIS (a group banned in the Russian Federation. - Approx. "RG"). They are not as scary as many much more mundane things.

Where did the blondes disappear (just kidding).

We often dwell on the same stories. It is enough to look at how anti-democratic, from the standpoint of the elites, our media covered Brexit, and it immediately becomes clear what is wrong with journalism today.

There was a time when the Washington Post's front page on the Watergate case was the pride of American journalism, and yesterday's visit to the same newspaper's website of the same level did not indulge in a sensation. Photo: Sergey Mikheev / The Washington post

"Journalism as such does not exist in the 21st century"

Alexey Volin, Deputy Minister of Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation:

Journalism as such does not exist in the 21st century. There is media communications, the media sphere, of which journalism has become an integral part, including the history of journalism, which gives an idea of ​​what was in the industry before, and practical journalism. You can learn journalism, but you cannot learn without practice. Anyone who considers himself to be a ready-made professional makes those media outlets in which there is less and less confidence. Studying gives three things - basic erudition and outlook; the ability to systematize the material received; the possibility of socialization and the acquisition of connections and contacts. Further - self-development. You have to learn a profession all your life. Anyone who is not capable of this does journalism, which the American study has in fact passed a verdict of incompetence.

Vladimir Mamontov, general director of the radio station "Moscow speaking":

Unfortunately, the picture revealed by New York Magazine is similar to ours. This is another proof that we are part of the global world. Let's take a specific flaw - priority of speed over accuracy. It can be easily avoided by developing a certain technology of constant news flow: dear consumers, look how the news from the first minute develops in our clarifying messages ... And we bring it, if not to the truth, then to an objective picture. It could be an "open picture" agreed with the readers, but it does not appear. In the morning it was said "Russia is to blame," by 12 noon, when the smoke cleared, it became clear - "not only Russia", and by 6 pm - "not Russia at all." But the news is already "closed". The propaganda sharpening harms real journalism - both American and ours.

The press was put on straitjackets. There is an explanation for this - there is an information war, and in a war, as in a war. But it encourages journalism to put together a picture that is inconsistent with what people actually see.

Viktor Loshak, Director of Strategy, Kommersant Publishing House:

Yes, and our media is directed towards entertainment, yes, and our primary information comes from the networks. But when we talk about Russia, let us remember that in our country serious journalism has always been and remains the main and last bastion of democracy. Many principles of democracy - freedom of speech, choice, movement - that have recently become obscured for the audience or have lost their status of great value in their eyes, remain understandable, clear and valuable for journalists.

The Russian media have many problems, one of the most serious is the transformation of information into propaganda: when the mirror shows what the authorities want to see in it, and does not reflect the world today.

But even when high-quality publications turn yellow and we become part of the entertainment (entertainment), it still seems to me that the agenda of the Russian media remains very serious. It is always aimed at deep problems, attentive to the international situation of the country. Of course, "while entertaining, inform" is something that did not exist several decades ago. But even primarily by informing, we continue to be serious people.

Elena Vartanova, Dean of the Faculty of Journalism, Moscow State University:

Today, with people in many countries around the world spending more time with the media than at work or at home, journalism has great potential. Journalists only need to remember whose power they are - the mighty of this world or ordinary people.

Every government - if it wants to be a government - needs ethical standards. The concept of journalism as the fourth estate implies not only rights, but also responsibility. And therefore one must always think about the standards of the profession. One of the key ones is the power of the "quadruple power", or the power of journalism, is its reliable texts explaining the complexity of the world, objectivity, impartiality, and most importantly - respect for its audience. But the power of journalism is moral, it implies concern for society and the people for whom the media works. Therefore, trust in journalism is an emotional contact of the audience with those who take responsibility for assessing everything that happens in society.

Alexey Goreslavsky, executive director of the Rambler & Co media group:

Indeed, technology does not just strongly influence journalism, it affects so much that it is sometimes difficult to understand where the industry is developing. However, this transformation process has a simple mechanism: both the reader and the journalist often forget to answer themselves to a simple question: "Why do I need this new technology?" Journalists are especially uncritical, not even asking the question: "Why do I need this particular tool?" This blind adherence to technology leads to the fact that colleagues often do not understand the needs of the target audience, but make content according to the principle: "I am interested in this." And the person producing the content must understand what and when the media consumer can accept or reject. Technology here is just a tool for moving towards a goal. It can be achieved exclusively by a penchant for analytics. And here it is important how the university environment teaches students to think, so the professionals - to think and analyze - a rapidly changing life. Or does not teach.

Daniil Dondurei, editor of the Cinema Art magazine:

It seems to me that we are all the same. And this, on the one hand, testifies to some kind of intellectual poverty of both TV and the media in general, and on the other hand, to their incredible power. Media today is much more than a school, church, family and even more the street, capable of sculpting in people this or that type of consciousness, understanding of reality and orientation. And this type of consciousness is necessary for the market. A large market that has set itself the goal of quickly, a lot and with a profit to sell anything - things, events, ideas, behavioral stereotypes, actions. A person with this type of consciousness, although he does not sit on corvee and does not starve, stubbornly reminds me of a medieval man, a new serf who does not orientate himself in reality independently and depends on what he is taught and what is explained to him.

This formatting of people's consciousness with the help of rigid programs from a mixture of entertainment, pleasure, loyalty, helplessness, scandalousness, irresponsibility, and the desire to conform seems to me very dangerous. This is the brainchild of the new information time and the virtual world, where TV and Internet networks have much more influence than books, and will still grow and develop. We experience a kind of futuro-shock that gives rise to the feeling that we are moving into the world of formatted peoples and that any number of necessary types can be fashioned out of people in the right proportion. So here I would argue with the results of the study: on the one hand, the power of the media has decreased, and impeachments like Watergate are impossible, and on the other hand, if there are serious programs with the consciousness of people, you can do anything.

But everyone who today wants to understand the most important things - and the most important thing is understanding how life works, what trust, personal choice, morality, and the future depend on - go down a different road, climb a different ladder. They read expert publications. There are few of them, no more than 10 percent in all areas. But highbrow, intelligent, complex, subtle people who understand art will be able to find the answer in them.

The global economic crisis and the domestic "economic miracle", inflation and devaluation, negotiations on oil and gas supplies, external debt and loans from international organizations. Is it possible today to imagine any media without discussion or at least mentioning these complex economic concepts and processes? They are increasingly becoming important components of the information field and penetrate (sometimes, rather unceremoniously) into our everyday life.

But knowledge of the principles and laws of economic journalism will help the "non-economic" journalist choose the right topic and take the "right tone" in communication with a wide reader (listener, viewer).

The mass media have always paid a lot of attention to the economic topic. This is due to both the economic state of the country and world economic processes. In many mass media you can always find for yourself a comprehensive and in-depth coverage of all economic processes and events taking place in this area. Economic news and everything related to the economy is presented in the best possible way objectively in the media. Here you can get information about the rules of doing business, entrepreneurial activity, as well as about international experience in conducting various forms of business.

Many problems of accounting and accounting of finance, microeconomics and taxation, labor law and business law are considered, qualified answers are given in the concept of home business.<#"justify">Country Percentage of ad spend in GNP Greece USA Switzerland UK Germany Russia 1.47 1.37 1.00 0.98 0.85 0.60

Interestingly, the same is observed when comparing Russia with other post-communist countries:

Country Percentage of ad spend in GNP Hungary Czech Republic Poland Bulgaria Estonia Latvia Russia Lithuania Romania 1.98 1.43 1.38 0.92 0.75 0.72 0.60 0.44 0.42 less obvious but more strategic role. It consists in the fact that the media bring buyers and sellers together. This is due to the advertising content of the media.

In the simplest economic situation, the physical marketplace serves as the meeting place for buyers and sellers. This is the place where sellers display their wares and where buyers come when they need to buy something. But when the needs of society for various goods and services exceed the capacity of such a primitive market, the role of the media comes to the fore.

There is also much that the media can do to stimulate the urge to buy. This is possible only when the consumer has already entered the market. If a consumer comes to the market to buy potatoes, and already there sees, for example, attractive tomatoes, he can buy tomatoes as well, even if such a purchase was not originally his intention. In a very similar way, the media can stimulate the desire to buy - but from consumers who have not even stepped outside their own home.

The media are capable of serving the national economy as a whole, bringing buyers and sellers together and instilling in them the confidence that leads to economic growth and development.

The media can themselves constitute a significant segment of the national economy. They can indirectly help economic growth by promoting good governance and empowering citizens. They can be commercial intermediaries, bringing buyers and sellers together through promotional content. And they can multiply their advertisers' money.

In Russia, nothing of the kind, if we talk about the situation as a whole, is happening.

There are several reasons why the growth of the media sector in Russia has been delayed. A significant reason was government policies that interfered with advertising. In most developed countries, advertising is considered a legitimate business activity. But until recently, Russian laws did not recognize advertising costs as normal business costs. Only a very small amount of advertising was tax-exempt. This meant that advertising costs in excess of this amount (equal to about two percent of the turnover) had to be taxed on an equal basis with the profits. The media sector was not exempt from taxes. This policy served as a very serious obstacle to the development of advertising.

Given such a policy, is it any wonder that advertising spending in Russia is such a small percentage of GNP? Since July 2002, advertising expenses in Russia have ceased to be taxed. This change for the first time gives the advertising market the opportunity to develop normally. In turn, the increased costs of advertising in print media and on television should lead to their more intensive development as a sector of the economy.

The government's unfavorable advertising policies were not the only factor holding back the media's contribution to economic growth. The media themselves also hindered economic growth. The main role here was played by the waste of the money that companies spent on advertising. How did the media squander advertisers' money? They did this by using the fees they received from advertisers to distribute advertisements mainly to those who were unable to buy the advertised products and services. Today in Russia - outside Moscow and St. Petersburg - only about 25% of the population has free income. These people can really make good consumers of advertisers. However, the remaining 75% cannot afford it. So if, for example, a newspaper is distributed among this 75 percent segment of society, then the publishers are cheating their advertisers.

Most media outlets persist in advertising to consumers with no economic means. Advertisers looking to spend money on advertising are presented with one worse opportunity than the other.

Most news outlets are filled with stories that do not appear because they are worthy of attention, but because they are paid for. The editorial role of the newsroom is to sift through hundreds and thousands of events, decide which ones are important, and communicate those stories to the news outlet's consumers. In fact, consumers make the media staff responsible for this function. When the media offer paid propaganda disguised as information, they are violating their duty.

So, the legislation predetermined the non-profitability of the media and sent them into the arms of politicians, oligarchs, etc. to cover the losses. This led to several disastrous consequences for economic growth: civil society could not develop normally, since citizens did not have access to undistorted information that helps them make political choices; the growth of the advertising market was suppressed by tax policy; the development of the media sector was constrained by the lack of a healthy advertising market; the effectiveness of advertising spending has been greatly diminished by the media's approach to audience building and by the distrust of print and television among consumers; thus, the media proved ineffective in both connecting buyers and sellers and in spreading economic confidence.

All these circumstances give the Russian media a chance to develop a new concept that has great potential for a dramatic improvement in the media landscape. This is a good prospect for the media, which has the power and independence to speak the truth, the will to serve the interests of consumers and advertisers, and the potential to promote economic growth in general.

Until now, this prospect has existed only in dreams. Tax and advertising regulations have made it virtually impossible for media companies to exist independently. This made them dependent on financial tycoons who reimbursed the media for losses, and in exchange received the opportunity to influence the nature of the information.

Recent regulatory changes have done away with the need for such subordination. However, these changes did not lead to a radical change in the behavior of the Russian media. The forces of inertia support vicious business practices that have become a livelihood for the media.

“However, these changes have created a testing ground - a place where the interaction of forces can shape positive change. If used wisely, if the media change their business culture in a positive direction, then our time will go down in history as the glorious beginning of the new Russian media. information - and as a significant milestone in the development of the Russian economy. "

economy television edition information

Sociality goes back to the functioning of the press: receiving information from society, journalism gives it the opportunity to obtain information about itself. The concepts of "social", "sociality" are traditionally associated in the theory of journalism with the concepts of social role, social significance, social responsibility, correlate with the category of humanism, carry an idea of ​​its positive mission. The appeal of journalism to social issues is considered in line with the implementation of its natural functions, and the display of an "ordinary person" involved in public life becomes the most important direction of the humanization of journalism.

In the nature of journalism is the integrative cognition of reality. Journalism acts as a social institution and as a social activity, "mediating with the help of relevant information the connection of individual individuals with the totality of new changes in society, with the dynamics of the surrounding world. It coordinates the pace of social life with the rhythms of individual existence and, ensuring their parallelism, synchronization and a certain integration , performs various functions of orientation of individuals in society ". The sociality of journalism is manifested in its connection with society as a single organism.

Social issues - an indicator of the sociality of journalism

By social issues, we mean the spectrum of society's problems related to the sphere of its self-preservation and survival. This thematic segment in the media can have a serious impact on the attitude of society towards social problems. Essentially, how this attitude is formed and to what extent the interpretation corresponds to reality.

At first glance, we are talking about social topics. Indeed, in professional journalistic use, the phrases "social problem", "problem of the social sphere", "social topic", "social sphere" are used in one synonymous row, however, the interchangeable definitions are filled with different meanings, and therefore it is worth taking a closer look at the concepts used:

• "social theme" means the coverage of events and phenomena related to the everyday life of people, and materials on social topics are not necessarily problematic (for example, a report from a school on September 1, a note about a children's dance group, a sketch about the improvement of balconies and courtyards by residents, etc.). NS.);
• professionalism "social" covers almost all the variety of materials on social topics, regardless of their genre;
• the concept of "social problem" has a fairly wide scope - from the state of national defense to the number of street waste bins, from inflation to queues at the Pension Fund offices - in fact, any problem can be defined as social, regardless of its thematic affiliation.
• problems of the social sphere are often mistakenly attributed to a specific branch of the economy or to the field of social relations. In fact, "the functional role of the social sphere in the life of society lies in the fact that within its framework there are reproduction and changes in social ties between people, their way of life, the conditions for the formation and satisfaction of their needs."

The social sphere is one of the objects of reflection in journalism and has a complex structure, which, when decomposed in the thematic spectrum, reveals an inexhaustible set of facts, phenomena, problems associated with other spheres of life. The problem of unemployment is connected with the political and economic spheres, and the problem of having few children - with the general European demographic trends; attitudes towards old age can be viewed in relation to the economic situation of older people or in line with a new culturological model of society. In this regard, only a thematic approach to the reflection of the social sphere in journalistic "texts" seems to be very conditional and formal.

Social themes do not exhaust the subject content of social issues, but it is in this area that the professional "keys" that determine the sociality of a journalistic work are contained. Unlike other spheres (political, generating ideas, economic - finance, production - material values, spiritual - moral values), the social sphere determines everything for which there are ideas, material, spiritual, moral values, i.e. it is in it that the conditions and mechanisms of self-preservation of society are concentrated. This topic, as a problematic object of reflection, forms and actualizes the corresponding approaches and professional practices: it forces us to consider publications from the point of view of their purpose, in comparison with the social functions of the media and in unity with the functional vector of the social sphere.

The functional approach makes it possible to realize that it is the state of the social sphere, the level of its development that is, on the one hand, the basis for the stability and development of the political, economic and other subsystems of society, and on the other hand, an indicator of the effectiveness of these subsystems, an indicator of the civilization of society. The idea of ​​the social sphere as a sphere of satisfying the needs necessary for social reproduction determines its vector, integrity and interconnectedness of elements. It should not be equated with this or that type of social security, as is often the case in practice. For example, the selection of several of the most problematic elements from a number of elements - housing, health care, school education - makes it possible to reduce the problems of functioning of the sphere as a whole to adjusting the activities of its individual components. At the same time, one can talk about housing, but not mention the social infrastructure, ignore the availability of the urban environment, talk about the technical equipment of schools and not mention the problem of teaching staff, etc. replace the general with the private. It is advisable to consider the particular in the system of the whole: the role of housing conditions, health care in the reproduction of the population. It is a person with his needs that is the object and purpose of the functioning of the social sphere ("the main criterion for the level of development of the social sphere is the sovereignty of the individual") and at the same time he is an active component of its structure.

As L. V. Orlova notes, in the sphere of social relations, a person first of all feels himself in the "natural plane" - as a child of his parents, as a parent of his children, as a neighbor, as someone's friend. Many researchers argue that this "natural plan", everyday life is a reality that has "subjective significance as the whole world" for people. "Everyday knowledge is a factory of meanings, without which no society can exist." At the same time, his "real" life has an unconditional social mediation: on the one hand, a person perceives everyday life directly, concretely, objectively, on the other hand, this perception is influenced by a certain set of theoretically generalized knowledge, ideas, everyday judgments generated by mass experience, social environment. On the one hand, direct, concrete perception of life around gives a person the opportunity for individual maneuver in a rapidly changing world, on the other hand, it is in everyday life that long-term habits, age-old foundations operate, which restrain social activity and contribute to the preservation of relations and lifestyle accepted and approved by society.

Subjective-objective significance is inherent in social information as a whole, and the functional vector is its natural property. This quality is indicated by S. G. Korkosenko: "Social information is produced in the process of human activity, reflects facts from the point of view of their social significance and serves for communication between people and the achievement of their goals, conditioned by their social status." Thus, one of the important components of this concept is demand society of social information.

This is especially important for understanding the importance of social information in the organizational and transformative activities of the subject and the formulation of the requirements that it must meet. She must:

• be accessible, i.e. circulate through the channels to which the subject has access;
• be selected by the subject from the entire flow of information available to him, i.e. social information should attract attention;
• to be interiorized by the subject, i.e. unambiguously interpreted by him with the help of the accumulated information about the surrounding reality, which he already possesses;
• to induce the subject to social action, i.e. contain (in explicit or implicit form) an incentive (motives).

This approach emphasizes the constructive role of social information and the active role of the subjects of the social sphere, since in such a context "information should be understood as a kind of social resource that can be converted into other types of resources." These resources are implemented in the problematic field.

Addressing the problems of the social sphere, journalism studies the contradictions between the idea of ​​social reality and the reality in which human life passes, in an attempt to explain and resolve this contradiction. According to the observations of researchers, this reality has become much more diverse in post-perestroika Russia, and social problems have ceased to be inherent in social strata and groups, but receive individual characteristics of place, time, social space, starting opportunities, etc. in a modern "atomized" society, social problems are individualized. In practice, this means a gradual drop-out of poor and poor people from social exchanges, the destruction of their social potential. There is a segmentation of society within the social sphere. The unification of society on the basis of joint problem solving requires the actualization of individual problem situations in public discourse, the expansion of their significance for wide strata, the involvement of people of different social status, experience and opportunities in new social contacts.

This can be facilitated by competent coverage of social issues in journalism. Some researchers rightly point out that in this way journalism not only reflects reality, informing the audience about current events and giving the opportunity to exchange opinions on various occasions, but also in a special way participates in the regulation of relations between people and social communities, seeking to positively influence both themselves these relations, and on the social structures that govern various spheres of public life. Such professional practice directly correlates with the concept of communicative action by J. Habermas. As BV Markov notes, wishing to bind together "reason, morality and democracy", Habermas looked for a place of their connection and found it "in communicative actions, which are designed to reach an agreement of mutual understanding and recognition in the process of negotiations, exchange of views and their rationale. "

It is important to understand that the sociality of information also determines its communicative aspect: it is realized through the prism of a person, his interests and needs.

As an object of reflection, the social sphere has a complex multicomponent structure: it includes both the social infrastructure and the consumer products it produces, as well as the processes of education, medical, social and consumer services, bodies and institutions for managing the social sphere, mechanisms and regulatory framework for regulating consumer behavior of the population, people. All components are united by the main function - "social reproduction of people as subjects of life and recreation of structures, social institutions, life support resources of social subjects."

People are part of each of the components, so the human factor permeates the social sphere, sometimes turning around decisive in assessing the results of its functioning. For example, teachers of municipal educational institutions, doctors of district polyclinics are objects and subjects of the social sphere, consumers of its services and at the same time - part of the service processes, they simultaneously belong to vulnerable social groups, and can contribute to the vulnerability of other social groups. Due to the subjective factor, the value of each of the components cannot be unambiguous, linear. The inertia of everyday consciousness manifests itself in the contradictions between the inaccessibility of high-quality medical care and the absolute irresponsibility of people in relation to their own health (smoking, alcohol, unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle). The availability and possession of certain consumer products may conflict with the subject's ability to use them. The human factor can make significant adjustments to seemingly thought out and calculated steps in social policy.

Since 1995, the number of disabled people in Russia has doubled in 10 years. Of course, during this period, there were negative factors associated with social stress, falling living standards, and unemployment. However, at the same time, "dirty production" was reduced, the state of the environment improved, and industrial injuries decreased. In 1995, new legislation on people with disabilities appeared with a new package of benefits for them. As sociological studies have shown, this led to the fact that people of pre-retirement and retirement age, who had not previously registered their disability, preferred to register. As a result, the weakest actually lost, because less funds were allocated for their needs. The legislative act, which has a specific social vector, turned into an opposite, seemingly, as a result of people's behavior, but in fact precisely because the integrity of the functioning of the social sphere was not taken into account: the actions of the authorities led to the "disability" of the population.

Despite the fact that the social information necessary for the implementation of social policy is accumulated by collecting statistical data and conducting sociological surveys (objective and subjective information), the "real" life of people is too diverse and specific to be displayed using only measuring and analytical funds. Objectively, the well-being of people is growing, but the subjective assessments of people are changing, their life requirements are becoming higher. What was considered acceptable a few years ago is no longer acceptable today. As a result, if people believe that their lives have become worse, they cannot be convinced of the opposite with the help of statistics, the decisive argument will still be people's mood. Reliable and prompt information support of decision-making processes in the social sphere is necessary, however, the consumer is often excluded from the decision-making process, since the information received is not always available to him and he cannot independently interpret it.

The solution to a problem in the social sphere can never be simple and unambiguous; it, as a rule, is a kind of complex solution, taking into account the subjective needs of people, requiring detailed explanation for those involved in the problem, as well as for society as a whole. In the modern world, the share of knowledge based on personal experience is decreasing. "Among those who bring people knowledge about social reality, journalists occupy a special place."

Belarusian State University

Institute of Journalism

Department of Theory and Methodology of Journalism

Abstract on the topic:

Social issues in the modern press

Prepared by a student

5 courses, 1 groups

Kozhemyakina-Kartun O.V

Minsk, 2010

Introduction

You can get to know society in different ways: by studying social institutions, systems of ideas, methods of production, forms of art, situations of everyday interaction, etc.

The experience of everyday life, media reports and sociological research data show that modern society is saturated with social problems to a much greater extent than the society of fifteen years ago. Poverty, unemployment, crime, corruption, drug addiction, the spread of HIV infection, the threat of man-made disasters - this is not a complete list of those phenomena that cause anxiety and concern among the population. Social problems that "suddenly" befell us - what are they?

The very phrase “social problem” appeared in Western European societies in the early 19th century and was originally used to refer to one specific problem - the uneven distribution of wealth. The concept of a social problem as an undesirable situation that can and should be changed is used somewhat later in Western societies when trying to comprehend the social consequences of the industrial revolution: the growth of cities, and with it the growth of urban slums, the destruction of traditional lifestyles, the erosion of social guidelines. In the United States, the concept of a social problem began to be used at the end of the Civil War of 1861-1865, which caused a sharp deterioration in the living conditions of most of the population.

In England, statistical survey data, which appeared by the end of the 19th century, played a significant role in understanding the existence of social problems. Statistical descriptions of the poverty of some strata of the British population, presented primarily by C. Booth and B.S. Rowntree, amazed the British public. According to C. Booth's data published in 1889, one third of Londoners lived in dire poverty. In London, according to Ch. Booth, there were 387 thousand poor, 22 thousand undernourished and 300 thousand hungry. Similar data were provided by B.S. Rowntree in relation to the working population of the English city of York, a third of which was in a state of physical or absolute poverty.

From a constructivist point of view, the phenomena of social reality become problems when they contradict public goals or values, and this contradiction is recognized by society. For this awareness and for the very existence of a social problem, it is necessary to have public spaces or arenas in which work could take place to construct problems, their causes and solutions. In this regard, the media play a leading role: the actions of various important social factors will largely depend on what is considered a problem in the media, how it is covered, what solutions are proposed.

Our press is characterized by high interest in individual stories and low interest in coverage of solutions and especially the causes of problems; when covering ways of solving problems, the discourse of officials is usually broadcast. At the same time, victims of social problems very often remain “voiceless” in the press, not getting the opportunity to voice their opinion, and in some cases they are generally excluded from the number of characters and are only mentioned as an object of influence.

In my essay, I want to address such social problems as: the problem of youth employment, the problem of the elderly, the problem of the family, the problem of medicine, etc. To illustrate the reflection of these problems in the media, I took my own materials on social issues published in the newspapers Observer and Zheleznodorozhnik Belarus.

Family problems in the media

It is no secret that in our modern society, the concept of family values ​​is somewhat dulled. Because at a time when for someone the family is the definition of the highest degree of relationship, someone uses this concept as a cover for their own selfish goals. Today, family ties bind themselves, for the sake of money, registration, etc. It is this problem that I described in the article "The state is practically powerless against fictitious marriages", published in the newspaper "Observer" 40 (370) from 02.10.2009. This problem has long been relevant for foreign countries, and recently the Ministry of Internal Affairs of our country sounded the alarm, because the business of "fictitious marriages" began to progress in our country. “Fictitious marriages are concluded between the citizens of our country more often due to the distribution of a young specialist. Social networks are full of such ads. Here is one of them: “We urgently need a guy for a fictitious marriage from Borisov or Minsk. I am a future paramedic and this year I will be assigned to a village. A Minsker is needed to conclude a fictitious marriage for a period of 1 year. Purpose: to stay in Minsk ... "

On such sites, you can not only find a "groom", but also get qualified legal assistance in such matters. We read the following message: “I am a budget woman from Minsk. Next year I have a distribution. I am planning to conclude a fictitious marriage with a military / policeman. Is it obligatory to conclude a marriage before the announcement of the place of distribution, or can this be done after having learned that, for example, I was assigned to the village? "

Lawyer's answer: “It is possible after distribution. Your marriage will be the basis for redistribution. Good luck!".

And how many foreigners want to get to our country through marriage with our women with an entrepreneurial streak. “In the Minsk Wedding House, 199 marriages with foreigners from 49 countries were registered for the period from January to June 2009,” says Nadezhda Reutskaya, head of the Wedding House. - Of these, the largest number with Russians - 28. In second place - Germany - 16 marriages. This is followed by Israel and Italy - 14 each, Lithuania - 12, and so on. "

The problem of fictitious marriages has always existed, and it is unlikely that it will ever be successfully resolved. The desire of people - to make money will surely find "loopholes" in the legislation of the country.

In my opinion, the most important role for the whole society is played by a real family, and all the forces and resources of the state should be thrown into its dignified existence. On the eve of Mother's Day, newspapers are filled with materials about mothers with many children, about their happy family life. As a rule, in such publications, the author carries out an editorial assignment: to show the life of a mother with many children only from the positive sides, to show that the state supports them in every possible way. This year I met such a mother of five children, a completely ordinary woman, a railway worker, Tatyana Belyavskaya. The newspaper “Zheleznodorozhnik Belarus” has published the publication “The World of Warmth and Love”. “In 2007, Tatiana Belyavskaya, an employee of the Minsk-Sortirovochny station, was awarded the Order of the Mother in a solemn ceremony. The award was presented to her by the head of state - for the birth and upbringing of five children. Two of them have already chosen their path in life. The oldest - Diana - managed to get two higher educations, create her own family. A little younger than her - Philip, he studies at the conservatory. Elizabeth is a 6th grade student. She, like her older brother, is fond of music, which, however, does not prevent her from practicing karate.

The smallest, Matvey and Yakov, go to kindergarten. " Further, I describe in my material how this family lives happily, how friendly they are, but only their problems remain behind the strip. And you can say as much as you like that I cannot write about her problems, that it will not be published anyway, so as not to "overshadow the holiday." And all this does not find an excuse in my head. But on the other hand, analyzing the problems of such large families, you see that they talk about it, but without regret. The happiness that you have so many children covers all the problems, and they themselves tell you: "Oh, don't write about this, write better yet, how we love to gather at the dacha."

coverage distressed social newspaper

The problem of employment of children and adolescents in the media

The problems of the family include the problems associated with the employment of young people. A teenager who wanders around the streets usually ends up in bad company. It is then that the problems of drug addiction, alcoholism, delinquency, etc. arise. First of all, the family suffers from this.

In the “Railwayman of Belarus” in the publications “A road for the young”, “Nothing to do? Contact us ”I told about the republican actions for youth. On September 25, the capital of our country became the center of the youth movement. In honor of the 90th anniversary of the Komsomol of Belarus, the Belarusian Republican Youth Union organized a forum “Make your choice” at the Football Arena. The Youth Forum brought together people of different ages with different interests. Schoolchildren, students, moms and dads, pop stars - all could be met at the same time, in one place, and everyone found something for themselves. Also within the framework of the action “Nothing to do? Contact us ”the Inspectorate for Minors of the Minsk OVDT, together with the capital's College of Railway Transport and the motor car depot, held meetings with senior students of schools located near the railway. I confess honestly, going to all these meetings, I could hardly believe that these guys could be interested in this. No, not because they are stupid, but because they have slightly different interests today. But I was wrong. It turns out that such meetings really influence their further choice, sincere interest is read in their eyes.

The article "Graffiti - Art or Vandalism" also raises the problem of young people who paint graffiti on public transport, building facades. This is nothing more than damage to property, and, accordingly, a manifestation of vandalism, which is considered an offense all over the world. In Belarus, graffiti appeared not so long ago, but already now the inscriptions on the facades of buildings, public transport bring a lot of headaches.

Pavel Lavket, the head of the juvenile affairs inspectorate of the Minsk OVDT, told the Zheleznodorozhnik Belorussia about how they are fighting street "artists".

Elderly Media Issues

The problem of an elderly person has always been acute in our country. Not all people of retirement age can occupy themselves, organize their leisure. In the publication Quality of Life - at Any Age, I talked about the Caring and Mercy exhibition-fair dedicated to the International Day of Older Persons. The event was organized by the Minsk City Executive Committee and EC "Expoforum". Such an exhibition-fair was held for the first time in Belarus. It has become a meeting place for people of venerable age and those who strive to improve the quality of life of older people. The main one was the exposition representing the activities of the Minsk City Executive Committee. At the stand of the Committee for Labor, Employment and Social Protection, one could talk with employees of departments, at the stand of the Department of Justice - to get information about the activities of the city's law enforcement agencies. Also ask where an elderly person can go in for sports, how to organize his leisure time. There was a stand of the Health Committee - there were advised by cardiologists, endocrinologists, psychologists, and it was also proposed to measure blood pressure.

For people who have gone on a well-deserved rest, it is very important that their work is not forgotten, so that they always have the opportunity to meet with colleagues, to feel the atmosphere of the holiday. Such a holiday is presented every year by the organization of the Minsk railway junction to its labor veterans. Such a regular meeting was the subject of my article "It's great that we are all gathered here today ...". The International Day of Older Persons once again gathered the assets of the veteran organization of the Minsk railway junction.

Today, the Council of Veterans of the Minsk Knot unites 36 primary organizations, which include almost 8 thousand people, including 248 veterans and war veterans, 34 front-line workers, 30 honored workers and 235 honorary railway workers. It is the largest among the junction organizations on the highway and in the Oktyabrsky district of Minsk. But even such a large organization has the problems of a small person. One of these problems is a supplement to the pension, depending on the length of service in this organization, which for some reason is not paid.

Health problem

The financing of medicine, the availability and quality of medical care, the problems of the functioning of the compulsory medical insurance, the problems of paid medicine - all these issues are reflected in the media.

About 1000 pregnancies with malformations incompatible with life are terminated annually in Belarus. These figures seem to be considerable, but do not forget that a few years ago, many of the congenital pathologies were diagnosed only in children who were already born. Thanks to modern technologies, congenital diseases in children in our country can be detected in the early stages of pregnancy. Nina GUSINA, Head of the Clinical and Diagnostic Genetic Laboratory of the Mother and Child Republican Scientific Center for Children's Research Center, Ph.D. From the material "Congenital diseases can be cured even before the birth of a child" one could learn about the unique methods of diagnosing congenital diseases that can be carried out in our country. Also learn about measures to prevent the formation of congenital malformations.

The problem of housing and communal services

Utilities say that about 65 percent of housing in Minsk has been in operation for more than 25 years. Up to 4 thousand balconies and loggias are repaired in the capital every year - this is only 0.7 percent of the total. These data indicate that the problem of dilapidated housing in Belarus is growing every year. One of the consequences of this problem is the fall of the balconies. In the article "Balconies continue to fall," Sergei EFIMYANOV, a maintenance foreman at UE ZhREO Partizansky District, talks about how to identify an emergency balcony and the safety measures in such cases. But this problem is joined by another - people's indifference to their own safety. They continue to litter their emergency balconies and loggias, thereby putting themselves in danger.

All the above-described problems of society, of course, do not go unnoticed by the state and the media. But, trying to solve the problem as a whole, individual people with their fates are left behind. Perhaps we will come a little closer to solving these problems when we clearly realize that a social problem is not a concept, but this is the human face behind it.