V. A. Evdokimov
Omsk Humanitarian Academy, Omsk, Russian Federation
“Constructive Journalism” in Russian regions
Abstract. Researchers and men of practice perceive «constructive journalism» as a response to increasing negativity bias of the news media today and it highlights its typical values: objectivity, service to society, autonomy, efficiency, observance of ethical norms. Announcements on preliminary consideration of projects, on development, decision making and implementation of social problems solutions form a subsystem and reflect constructive possibilities of the Russian regional press. The presentation of social change by journalists enriches the panorama of events. Less than a third of the publications form a subsystem that can be considered as a separate system and are able to reflect the constructive potential of the regional press. At the highest level of this subsystem are journalistic works on general preliminary examination of projects and elaboration of solutions of social problems, at the lowest level – publications on the adoption and implementation of decisions. The vertical links between the components are vulnerable: the regional press either describes the elements of the subsystem in logical sequence or excludes coverage of some of them. The ratio of announcements on the preliminary examination of projects, developing, making and implementing solutions of social problems is disproportionately. On the one hand, numerous journalistic works cover the process of preliminary discussing projects and developing solutions of social problems, sometimes characterize the specific actions to be performed and the resources necessary for project implementation. On the other hand, fewer publications contain information on the decision-making of social problems and their implementation, provide explanations, why not all projects are carried out in a timely manner, how participants in the decision-making process take into account heterogeneous approaches to maintain a balance in the relationship between regional governments and society. At the same time, numerous publications represent the expected as valid, either to convince the audience of the accuracy of the computations made by the subjects of power relations or to create illusions. As a rule, the regional press does not reflect the discussions when considering projects, developing and making decisions of social problems, competition of interests, as well as the status of individuals, the position of the participants in the debates, contradictions. The press rarely reports that suggestions expressed by journalists regarding possible solutions of social problems are taken into account by the subjects of power relations. Journalists seldom assess the realism of preliminary discussion of projects and adopted solutions of social problems.
Keywords: regional press, constructive journalism, subsystem of publications.
Paper submitted: May 17, 2021.
For citation: Evdokimov V. A. (2021). “Constructive Journalism” in Russian regions. The Science of Person: Humanitarian Researches, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 74–84. DOI: 10.17238/issn1998-5320.2021.15.2.9.
