The Media in the Modern World. Petersburg Readings scientific forum, organized by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication of St. Petersburg State University, is one of the authoritative international events in the field of media communications, and the SUSU Institute of Media, Social Sciences and Humanities (IMSSH) traditionally participates actively in it.
This year, the achievements of the IMSSH researchers have been presented at the forum by the Director of the Institute, Doctor of Sciences (Philology), Professor Lydiya Lobodenko; Head of the Department of Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations, Doctor of Sciences (Philology) Liudmila Shesterkina; Deputy Director of IMSHS, Candidate of Sciences (Philology) Irina Matveeva; Head of the Office of Marketing, Branding and Strategic Communications, Professor, Doctor of Sciences (Pedagogy) Anna Cheredniakova; Assistant Professor of the Department of Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations, Candidate of Sciences (Philology) Olga Perevozova.
The IMSSH delegation participated in the plenary session and several scientific events of the forum, such as Digital Media as Space of Modern Social Communication, chaired by Elena Vartanova, Dean of the Faculty of Journalism at Lomonosov Moscow State University; the scientific and practical conference STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS IN BUSINESS AND POLITICS chaired by Doctor of Sciences (Sociology), Professor at SPbSU Dmitry Gavra, and others.
Participants of the scientific events of the forum discussed complex issues of the digital media and communication environment as a multi-component system in the context of current national and global trends. SUSU scientists presented three reports at the forum on the results of their scientific research related to various aspects of forming environmental consciousness, ecological well-being, and the environmental image of a territory as a system of sustainable ideas about the impact of human activities on the environment. Lydiya Lobodenko, IMSSH Director, delivered a keynote address to the forum participants, in particular she reported:
"The forum participants were particularly interested in the methodology of our research conducted with the use of eye-tracking technologies at our Marketing Studies Research and Education Centre. During our research on the impact of media messages about the environment on the youth audience using eye-tracking technologies we found that respondents paid particular attention to such topics as air pollution and air protection and waste management, and identified the leading patterns of audience attention. But, most importantly, we created an atmosphere for free and speculative discussion of the most important social issues of development of science and practice in the field of journalism, media and mass communications.”
The session Dehumanization of Journalism in the Media Space, co-moderated by Liudmila Shesterkina, was devoted to the penetration of digital media technologies in to all spheres of public life:
"The destruction of empirical reality due to the modern "show civilization" and the technogenic crisis of journalism; the digitalization of the media space as a precondition for the humanitarian foundation of journalism, and the moral and psychological aspects of the crisis of trust in journalism—this is by no means a complete list of the problems that media professionals are currently researching. Collections of articles and serial publications are regularly published on the results of the discussions. Given the current conditions of digitalization, mediatization, the transformation of media consumption practices in a convergent environment and the emergence of new media and communication platforms, this seems particularly important for the theory and practice of media space.
The Media in the Modern World. St. Petersburg Readings scientific forum made a significant contribution to understanding the principles of digital media functioning in society, the nature of their interaction with the audience, the scale and peculiarities of media effects on social reality.