Observation as a method of cognitive activity. Features of journalistic observation. Types of observation. Arbitrary observation and its role in journalistic creativity. "Grandma's attic" of a journalist. Purposeful observation and its varieties: local; one-time and multiple; open and hidden. Participant observation - the method of "change of profession" - the method of "mask". Legal and ethical limits to the use of the method.

Randall D. Universal Journalist. - M., 1996.

Shumilina T.V. Information gathering methods in journalism. - M., 1993.

Method observations based on personal knowledge of reality through its sensory perception. Journalistic observation purposefully, consistently, systematically. Thus, it differs from ordinary observation, which is spontaneous. Unlike working through documents, observation allows a journalist to receive information directly from the current reality - primary information.

The volume of the observed is so large that it is extremely difficult to fix the data with the required completeness, and this gives rise to technical difficulties. Hence the inevitability of an additional burden on a journalist when verification observation data. The fact is that due to various reasons of a physical and psychological nature, when observing, there is a danger illusions of perception- inadequate reflection of the observed object. Possible and interpretation errors associated with the selectivity of our perception.

A special variation of this method is introspection. Here the journalist's attention is focused on his own behavior, on the external and internal factors that determine it, which opens up access to information about non-obvious, hidden processes characteristic of a particular situation. But even in this case, one cannot do without verification, without correlating the results of self-observation with information obtained by other methods, from other sources.

Types of observation.

I. unintentional- proceeds on its own, does not have a specific goal. The reason for this observation is the objects of observation themselves.

II. Purposeful- taken according to a pre-planned plan, there is a pre-defined goal. This method is resorted to when they know exactly what the material will be devoted to and to whom the material is addressed:

1) local- tied to a specific place (the information that the observer intends to collect at a particular site should be sufficient for convincing conclusions);

2) disposable(a journalist deals with processes that take place in a short period of time; used in reports, sketches, essays) and multiple (gives the greatest efficiency when working on correspondence, articles);

3) open And hidden(the journalist does not introduce himself; it is used when the journalist is sure that reliable information cannot be obtained by an open method);

4) included(participation of the journalist in the situation) and non-included (the journalist is outside the situation and does not come into contact with the participants in the event).

Enabled Covert Surveillance – mask method or change of profession is a fairly common method. This method was used by M. Koltsov, who is the editor and publisher of Ogonyok; Rubinov, who successfully carried out a postal experiment (labeled atoms).

Legal and ethical limits to the use of the method.

Article 47 of the Law "On the Mass Media" provides the journalist with rights seek, request, receive and distribute information, gain access to documents and materials, with the exception of their fragments containing information constituting a state, commercial or other secret protected by law; copy, publish, disclose or otherwise reproduce documents and materials (subject to copyright); keep records, including using audio-video equipment, film and photography, except as otherwise provided by law; verify the accuracy of the information provided to him; express his personal opinions and assessments in messages and materials intended for distribution under his signature.

But along with the rights, a journalist also has responsibilities, they are listed in Article 49 of the Law "On Mass Media": 1) information is established that should be classified as state secrets (Articles 5, 6, 7 of the Law "On State Secrets"); 2) according to the Law "On Information, Informatization and Protection of Information" (Article 11), it is not allowed to collect, store, use and distribute confidential information that reveals private life, personal, family secrets, privacy of correspondence, telephone conversations, telegraph and other messages an individual without his consent; 3) a number of articles of the Criminal Code, by their very names, reveal the focus on the information security of the individual: violation of privacy; violation of the secrecy of correspondence, telephone conversations, postal, telegraphic or other messages; violation of invention and patent rights, disclosure of the secret of adoption (adoption) [Articles 137, 138, 147, 155].

“Change of profession” is possible only in cases where the reporter is sure that his unprofessional or unskilled actions will not cause either physical or moral damage to people. It is contraindicated for media workers to introduce themselves as doctors, lawyers, judges, public service employees, etc. Such prohibitions are stipulated both by the relevant norms of journalistic ethics and by certain articles of the legislation.

The study of documents as a method of collecting information in journalism.

The concept of a document. document and source. Classification of documents as the first stage of their analysis. The problem of authenticity, authenticity and reliability of documents. The use of a document in a journalistic material.

Lazutina G.V. Fundamentals of the creative activity of a journalist. - M., 2000.

Lozovsky B.N. Methodology for collecting information // Fundamentals of the creative activity of a journalist. - St. Petersburg, 2000.

Tertychny A.A. Analytical journalism: cognitive-psychological approach. - M., 1998.

Shumilina T.V. Information gathering methods in journalism. - M., 1983.

concept "document" It is commonly used today in two senses - broad and narrow. According to the broad one, a document is a material recording medium (paper, film and photographic film, magnetic recording, punched card, etc.) with information recorded on it for transmission in time and space. Documents may contain written and printed texts, images, sounds. A document in the narrow sense is a business paper that legally confirms a fact or right to something.

When talking about the significance of a document for journalism, it is often the narrow meaning that is meant. Meanwhile, both meanings of the word are relevant for her: “business paper” is just one of many varieties of documentary sources of information that fall into the sphere of journalistic attention in accordance with the purpose of the activity.

Document processing- a method by which a journalist receives information already available in society, stored in a variety of "information pantries". They can be of very different properties: from laws and decisions of power structures, from the fundamental provisions of science to characteristics and descriptions of places, people, events.

Classification of documents as the first stage of their analysis.

1) According to the method of fixing information: handwritten, printed, film, magnetic tapes.

3) By status: official, unofficial.

4) According to the method of obtaining: naturally functioning; target (created on request).

5) According to the degree of proximity to the recorded material: primary (direct reflection of reality); secondary (based on existing documents).

Nesterova I.A. Methods of obtaining information in journalism // Encyclopedia of the Nesterovs

At present, it is very important to know and adequately use the fundamental methods of obtaining information in modern journalism. Without mastering the key methods, the development of a journalist as a professional is impossible.

Survey method in journalism

In the theory of journalism, four types of polls are considered:

  • mail survey
  • telephone interview
  • Internet survey
  • personal interview.

The simplest method of survey is considered to be mail survey. However, the method of mail questionnaires is inferior in its reliability to telephone and personal interviews, since the optimal volume of the questionnaire is limited and it can be filled out by another family member, and not by the one to whom it is addressed. Separately, we note that from 30 to 60 percent of the questionnaires sent out are returned filled. But this method is more reliable than the Internet survey.

The telephone survey is limited to households with telephones. However, the main drawback is that an impersonal interlocutor is not inclined to talk about his views, lifestyle. Despite the shortcomings of such a survey. This type of survey helps to quickly collect the necessary information about the mood of large and geographically dispersed groups of people.

The standard reliable method of collecting information is the way the journalist interacts directly with the person giving the information. It is operational, flexible and rich in potential opportunities. This method allows you to reveal the current problem, clarify, ask any necessary question, convince the interlocutor of the need for a conversation. These qualities allow journalists to use interviews frequently. The functions of this method are diverse. Mutual knowledge, relationship, interaction appear as meaningful, structural elements of a single process of communication. Communication of a journalist is functional, it serves as a means of obtaining the necessary information. And at the same time, it is "supra-functional", since the journalist is dealing with a person who interests him not only as a performer of a typified social role, but also as a person.

The basic rule of interviewing is that information is always transmitted in a two-way communication, that is, in a mutual desire to express their views, opinions, ideas. Only by mastering the topic, the journalist will be able to "talk" the interlocutor. Often the interview method is considered limitedly, only in terms of rules and techniques, the ability to ask questions. In fact, this communication process is a universal form of activity, included as an organic and natural component in the structure of the creative behavior of a journalist, in the creative process at many of its stages. But in order to create an atmosphere of creativity, a psychological background of communication is necessary. For this, not only emotionality is important, but also the mobility of the psyche, the ability to restructure the behavior of a journalist depending on the state of the interviewee. And it is also very important for a journalist: “before he is able to reflect other people in all the wealth of signs ... he himself as a person must go through a long path of development.

The creative nature of the interview method is found in the ability to ask the interviewee such questions that would take into account the personality of the interlocutor, would allow foreseeing the logic of the interview, would bring liveliness and immediacy into it.

The main purpose of the questions is the realization of the goals and objectives set by the journalist.

Practice has developed certain rules, following which you can skillfully use the survey method.

First rule: The journalist must have a thorough knowledge of the issue under discussion.

Second rule: directly or indirectly expressed interest not only in the social position of the interlocutor, but also in his personality, in the real human character.

Third rule: creating conditions for the interlocutor, taking into account the peculiarities of his character, his state of mind.

Fourth rule: a combination of unity of position with debatability, with the formulation of controversial issues. Of course, the formulation of problems is dictated in the course of collecting information and a dispute is hardly necessary when preparing a small chronicle note, but when working on an essay, an article, a dispute in communication allows you to identify the positions of the parties, to reveal the essence of the matter.

Fifth Rule: the ability not only to speak, but also to listen, this helps to correctly understand and correctly evaluate a bright original thought, an interesting idea of ​​the interlocutor.

sixth rule: a journalist focuses in an interview on the most significant topic for the interlocutor, for example, on a hobby or on positive motives for behavior.

In an interview, the object of study can be direct and indirect.

Questionnaire method involves the mediation of the object of study. This is a way to obtain information about the problems of reality, about the most diverse aspects of cultural, economic and social life using a questionnaire. Compared to an interview, a questionnaire allows a person to independently think about the answer to a question. However, sometimes being alone with the questionnaire, a person experiences the "loneliness effect", which negatively affects the serious attitude to the questions posed.

Consider the types of questionnaires. The first type is questionnaires addressed to radio listeners and TV viewers and newspaper readers. They provide information about the composition of the audience, its needs, preferences, and interests. In the media system, this type serves as a kind of feedback tool that allows you to check how the system is functioning. Such questionnaires are considered, discussed in advance, published in newspapers. The incoming responses are processed, analyzed, at the end of the year, the results are usually summed up, which are then presented in one or a series of materials.

Questionnaires of the second type are designed to collect information about various phenomena in both public and private life. Such questionnaires contain questions both about objective facts, and about opinions, assessments, that is, “subjective facts.” So, the questionnaires used by journalists are of a different nature depending on the goals and objectives of collecting information.

Method of observation in journalism

Observation is a complex, creative process. Its structure is determined by both external and internal conditions. External conditions are associated with the object of observation, and internal conditions are associated with the personality of the observer himself, his psychological and professional attitudes, that is, his desires, as well as the needs, goals, objectives of his activities. Observation is associated with significant difficulties. One of the most frequent is the reaction of people who are the object of observation. The presence of an observer can cause the observers to feel embarrassed, shy, especially in cases where the situation is at odds with their ideas about the normal situation.

The personal qualities of the observer, the manifestation of his attitude to ongoing events can also have a serious impact on the behavior of the observed. But it is important to know that sometimes only observation can provide the information necessary for research.

There are many different types of observation that can be classified according to different grounds: according to the subject of observation, according to the nature of the information that interests the observer. If we consider observation as a method of collecting information, then it is necessary to classify it according to the methods of its organization and the position of the observer. In this regard, let us consider, first of all, open and covert surveillance.

Open Surveillance characterized by the fact that the journalist does not hide his presence or the purpose and content of his work, and those whom he observes are aware of the fact of observation.

covert surveillance used in the study of a conflict situation, that is, without hiding their presence, until a certain time they do not report the purpose and true content of the work.

Ways of organizing observation can be determined by the degree of participation of the observer in the situation under study. Based on this, we distinguish between included and non-included observations.

This method of collecting information assumes that the journalist does not just record an event, phenomenon, processes from the outside, but performs certain functions in the team that is the object of observation.

Included And not included supervision, in turn, can be hidden or open.

Included Surveillance hidden when the people being watched are unaware of it. Such an observation is most often spoken of in cases where "the researcher changes profession." By changing profession, a journalist receives important, unobservable information. However, psychologists believe that this type of observation suffers from a specific disadvantage: the journalist loses the ability to write objectively.

Enabled open surveillance assumes that people are aware of the goals of the observer, because he performs a certain duty in this team. The included open observation, it would seem, has all the signs of the “change of profession” technique, but this is a different technique that has its own characteristic features.

What are these features?

Non-included surveillance is an observation from the outside.

Observation methods

The type of observation is chosen depending on the specific tasks that are set for the journalist.

Standardized Observation- this is an observation associated with the preliminary selection of the object of observation. Such an object can be individual acts of human behavior or a separate actual problem, for example, staff turnover in a separate production area, which is scheduled in advance.

Unstructured Observation does not have a strict observation plan, that is, the observer does not know in advance which elements he should track. Problems are only visible in the most general terms. Such observation is necessary for exploratory research.

Depending on the regularity of observation, there are:

  • Systematic observation - carried out regularly for a certain period of time.
  • non-systematic observation. This is an unplanned observation. It is associated with an unexpected event.

In practice, the choice of the type of observation is dictated by the tasks assigned to the journalist, the specific conditions for collecting information, and the timing of the assignment. The main requirement is that the journalist must purposefully consider the techniques, types of observation and ways of fixing the data obtained. This method is one of the primary methods that a journalist uses at the beginning of the creative process - gathering information. However, the quality of information depends largely on the diversity and reliability of those sources that are necessary to create social information.

Depending on the conditions of the organization, observations are distinguished "field" and "laboratory". "Field" observations are carried out in a real life situation.

The purpose of laboratory observation is to verify certain data constructed using an organized situation. Often this method is used in the preparation of a staged television report.

Method of studying documents

Using the method of studying documents, a journalist receives the information necessary to create publications, television and radio works.

The word "document" comes from the Latin "documentum" - an instructive example, a method of proof. The definition of the term "written document" is given in the explanatory dictionary: it is "a business paper confirming some fact or right to something; or something that officially certifies the identity of the bearer or a written certificate of something".

In his work to collect information, a journalist uses documents of various types. Some researchers consider the classification of documents on the grounds presented in the figure below.

Other scholars supplement this classification by pointing out the features of documents related to the degree of proximity to the recorded material (primary, secondary) and the method of obtaining naturally functioning and purposeful documents.

Still others believe that it is necessary to take into account such features of documents as personal and public (type of authorship), naturally functioning and "provoked", target, given and "caused" (according to the method of obtaining) and in terms of the degree of proximity to the empirical material being recorded. It is advisable to take into account such criteria as "the subject source of the document" (economic, legal, etc.), its spiritual, practical or scientific affiliation, the method of encoding and storage ".

Today, handicraft methods of collecting, processing and storing documents have become obsolete. Computerization, Internetization allow to achieve the most efficient use of information.

When analyzing documents for reliability, it is important to distinguish between descriptions of events and assessments and opinions. A journalist must take into account an important condition of reliability: the information that confirms the document does not affect the interests of the author of the document, does not harm him, the author treats them unkindly.

Literature

  1. Prokhorov E.P. Introduction to the theory of journalism - M .: Aspect Press, 2011
  2. Dvoretskaya G. V. Sociology Textbook - K .: KNEU, 2002
  3. Shumilina T.V. Methods of collecting information in journalism - M., 1983.
  4. Gorokhov V.M. Components of skill. M: Veche., 2002

Faculty of Philology and Journalism

Department of Theory of Journalism


METHODOLOGICAL MANUAL FOR THE DISCIPLINE:

TECHNIQUE OF JOURNALISM

general characteristics


In accordance with the curriculum of the journalism department, the course "Technique of journalistic work" is included in the block of general professional disciplines and is studied in the first semester. 12 hours of lectures, 24 hours of laboratory classes are allotted for its classroom study).

The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the field of journalism, to give an idea of ​​the place and role of reporter's work as a special type of journalistic activity, to teach the techniques of reporter's work, to instill reporter's skills.

The course "Technique of journalistic work" is the technological basis for studying journalistic genres. It gives students an idea of ​​the ways, methods, system of work of a journalist in collecting, processing and transmitting information through mass media channels. Such concepts as “journalistic information, its types, methods of collecting and verifying information”, “sources of information and their classification” should be learned by students during the theoretical course and worked out in practice in laboratory classes.

The course ends with a credit at the end of the first semester, to which the student is allowed to pass, subject to the completion of all types of practical work and tasks provided for by the course plan.


Reporting work is connected with the most important task of the press - to quickly cover all the most significant processes of public life, manifested in facts and events.

Every journalist should have reporter skills. Therefore, in order to successfully master the techniques of reporter's work, students must acquire knowledge on the problems: journalistic information and its types, sources of information, forms and methods of cognition of reality by a reporter, principles and stages of cognition of a reporter's work.


Thesis plan of lectures


The concept of journalistic information

The goal of any information activity is the movement from a state of high initial entropy to a state of minimum entropy. Information, eliminating uncertainty, helps a person to form his own model of the external world, helps to make the right decisions and navigate the processes and patterns of the surrounding reality.

Information has certain properties.

First, it is the ability of information to be valuable and useless. The most important value of information lies in its novelty. But it must be taken into account that any new, previously unknown information necessarily has an objective value, but is not always of value to each individual person or group of persons. Therefore, one must always remember the subjective value of information, which depends on the needs of people. The second property of information is its redundancy. Absolutely new information would require constant tension, a person would quickly get tired. Therefore, journalists often make explanations of terms, so the same news is aired at a given frequency.

In information theory, two levels of information are distinguished - potential and real information. All journalistic information that functions in society, that is, social information, is potential information. Real information is the relationship between the message and its consumer: only by connecting with the consumer (listener, reader, viewer, etc.) does information become real.

Requirements for journalistic information.

Originality, not banality of information.

The availability or decodability of a message.

The relevance or appropriateness of the message.

Types of journalistic information:

Event information is facts, events published without comments.

Interpretive information is the analysis, comments, conclusions and generalizations contained in publications.

Basic information is a particularly important documentary, theoretical information of a state, moral, legal, religious and other generally significant nature.

Reporting work in the system of journalistic activity

Modern differentiation of journalistic work is a number of professional specializations: reporter, analyst, publicist. For reporters, the qualities of mobility and efficiency are priorities, which ensure success in the conditions of a strict rhythm of information gathering.

News journalism is a set of genres focused on the communication of operational event information.

The subject of news journalism is the moment when reality changes.

Fact is at the heart of news journalism.

Fact - a real, non-fictional incident, an event that has a single character. This is not what happened, happens, but what happened in a certain case, what happened today, yesterday, in a specific place.

He has an internal drama - the beginning, development, completion, that is, dynamics.

News materials can be conditionally divided into three categories: calendar, hot and organized.

Calendars are associated with the anniversaries of certain events, with the fact that they must certainly happen. This is forward information. Hot news reports on dramatic events in the country and abroad - major disasters, natural disasters, unpredictable actions of people or unexpected coincidences. Organized news is an artificial attraction of attention to an event, an artificial sensation.

Can any fact of everyday reality be suitable for publication? What is news and how to determine the value of news?

The fact that significantly changes the situation is news.

The news must be:

Previously unknown

close to the audience

Unusual

personalized

arouse general interest

The reporter's task is to collect facts about the event and present it according to the classical scheme, answering the main questions WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and HOW, and further explanation with answers to the WHY question is already the task of the commentator.

3. Sources of information

The ability to get primary living information, exclusive - one of the indicators of the high professionalism of a journalist.

The society has developed an extensive network of informing journalists about ongoing planned events, which includes:

briefings

presentations

press conferences

press releases

news agency reports.

The main source of information for obtaining unscheduled information is a fragment of reality.

There are three types of information sources - a document, a person and a material environment. Written sources are based on the principle of publicity and freedom of information, which allow one to get acquainted with documents classified as publicly available (official papers, letters, reports, protocols, acts, orders, etc.). A person can always explain the content of a document, comment on them, tell the background of the event, give advice, etc. Sometimes the environment that surrounds a person (objects and things) can tell more about him than himself.

Oral sources of information - people who do not always agree with the indication of their name in the publication. For this reason, they may be

open

anonymous

sources "off the record".

There are several proven ways to check the facts:

ask the source again and, based on the text, double-check the figures, facts, names, other important details, articulate important statements.

compare information with video, audio recordings, text documents

ask additional witnesses and eyewitnesses

let the editorial lawyer read the text.

Observation as a method of collecting information

Observation allows the journalist to receive information directly from the current reality - primary information. What information can a journalist obtain through observation? Firstly, these are data that express the essence of what is happening through the external side, on the basis of which it is possible to draw conclusions about the meaning of events, about people's attitudes, about the level of their general culture or traditions, habits - about everything that can be read by the eye. Secondly, data that conveys the external characteristics of an object. They appear in the text as a description of the signs of a real situation that create a "presence effect" for the reader - these are the details of the appearance of the characters, their speech, gestures, objects of the environment in which events take place.

The advantages of the method include specificity and singularity. The method of observation and the most operative method in journalism, and this explains its importance. It allows you to reflect reality at the moment of its development. But a journalist perceives the world around him on the basis of his past intellectual and emotional experience, on the basis of established logical concepts. The richer this experience, the more complete and reliable the results of observation. Consequently, the method of observation has the subjectivity of perception, introduces a subjective element into the objective picture of the world.

Observation in journalism has a number of modifications. First of all, observation can be prepared and unprepared.

Prepared observation involves familiarizing the journalist with the necessary literature, archival materials, and other information about the object. The journalist knows that he will have to observe who will participate in the events, what is their sequence, etc.

Unprepared observation is based on unpredictability, randomness, suddenness of what is happening. A journalist works with an object without knowing anything about it in advance.

There is one-time and long-term observation.

A single observation is sufficient when writing small notes. One-time observation is used in news journalism, as it is associated with a tough professional need - efficiency.

Long-term observation in journalism is close to scientific. It is carried out according to a clearly planned program, in accordance with the goal, the results are recorded and compared. Long-term observation has powerful virtues - it reflects the subject in development, in the highest degree authentically and analytically.

Observations are direct and indirect, open and hidden. Direct observation is carried out with direct contact of the journalist with the object. Indirect observation is needed when the object of observation is remote in time and space and direct observation is impossible.

Open observation is appropriate only in the preparation of positive material. Open observation forces the heroes of the material to correct their behavior, manner, style of work, etc., that is, some psychological interference occurs. Therefore, a journalist needs time to "accustom" others to his presence.

Covert observation is a type in which a journalist investigates a subject without informing about the very fact of observation, studies the behavior of people in their usual conditions, fixes the existing relationships in a team, etc.

Covert surveillance is used both in situations where the journalist is an outside witness to the situation, and in those when he is a participant in it. In the 1st case - non-included observation, in the 2nd - included.

Member observation is carried out by a journalist when he comes to any collective or social group as a full participant in the process, social relations in this group. A look from the inside allows you to fix not only external manifestations, but also the motives, motives of people's behavior.

The experiment stands out from a number of types of observation. It is a prepared observation that has a new quality. The essence of the experiment is that the journalist artificially creates circumstances under which the phenomenon manifests itself more clearly and accurately. This ensures the utmost reliability of information.

Interview as a method of collecting information.

Preparing and conducting interviews

The most common type of information source is a person. Firstly, a person is often a witness or participant in ongoing events; secondly, he is a carrier of information about himself and his subjective world; thirdly, he is a translator of information received from others.

With the help of interviews, a wide range of data can be obtained, forming several segments, namely:

Factual data

Explanations

Assumptions and forecasts

Speech signs of the interlocutor, which convey the features of his personality.

The success or failure of the work is related to the quality of the interviewer's preparation: with the study of the topic, understanding the goal, thoughtfulness of the action plan, ingenuity in the preparation of questions.

Questions are divided into basic and additional. The main ones are prepared in advance, as they must bring the main information. But often they do not work, because there are a number of psychological and social barriers that do not allow establishing friendly contact between the interlocutors. And here additional questions come to the rescue, which were not predicted. They are set at the moment when the main one does not work or when a turn of the topic unexpectedly occurs.

Classification of questions by form:

Open. Open questions name a topic or subject, and then the interlocutor is free to structure the answers at his own discretion. Closed ones are often used in sociology during a mass survey. In closed questions, the possible answers are embedded in the question itself, and the respondent must choose the position that corresponds to his opinion.

Direct and indirect. It is advisable to ask indirect questions when the topic is of a “sensitive” nature, associated with an opinion that runs counter to moral or ethical standards in a particular social group. Therefore, the question must be structured in such a way that it frees the interlocutor from the categoricalness of the statement.

Personal and impersonal. The personal forms of the question elicit a more individual opinion. The impersonal form gives an answer not about one's own point of view, but about the opinions of others, reveals not the personality of the interlocutor, but his idea of ​​what objective reality requires.

There are some rules that must be observed when questioning any source of information.

The reporter must be well versed in the subject of the conversation.

When preparing for an interview, keep the task in mind. If you need to get facts, specific data, find out figures for a note, reportage, article, etc., each question should be built with this in mind.

Each question should consider only one aspect. By asking two questions in one, you allow the subject of the interview to “dodge” one of the answers, giving him the opportunity to answer only the one that seems to him the most understandable, simple or convenient.

The question should be asked in an interrogative form, not in the affirmative.

Strive to ask open-ended questions. They will help to avoid monosyllabic answers: “yes” or “no”.

Questions should be neutral.

Questions should be simple.

Listen for answers.

Documentary method of collecting information

The skill of a journalist is associated with the ability to use reliable sources of information. The provider of such information is a method of studying reality with the help of a document.

A document in journalism is considered to be any object created for the purpose of fixing information expressed with any sign system. A document can be a letter, an audio or videotape, a photograph, a drawing, a resolution, a magazine article…

The study of documents is a method that allows you to obtain information of a very different nature - from the fundamental provisions of science to diary confessions that give an idea about their author. With the help of documents, information obtained during the interview or observation is verified. It becomes an argument and evidence when a journalist needs to prove his case in court. Reliance on documents makes publication solid and secure. A professional journalist takes every opportunity to provide himself with copies of the documents with which he has to work.

It is necessary to imagine what type of documents fell into your hands. In journalism, the following classification of documents is accepted:

According to the method of recording information: handwritten, printed documents, films and photographic films, magnetic and digital records.

According to the status of the document: official and unofficial

According to the degree of closeness to the empirical material: primary and secondary

According to the method of obtaining the document: according to the established sample and target.

Depending on the nature of the document and the purpose of the journalist, there is a choice of methods of analysis. These can be general methods (comparison, comprehension) or special (psychological, sociological, forensic).

There are various ways to check documents. Traditionally, they are divided into external and internal evaluation.

Establishing the authenticity of a document. The external signs of the document are considered - its form, language, style, dating. The rules that apply in forensics are also suitable for journalism:

whether there are any errors in the document;

whether the institution or person on behalf of which the document is drawn up is competent to certify the information contained in it;

whether such an institution exists, whether it has been reorganized or what it was called before, at the time when the document was drawn up;

whether the content of the document corresponds to its form;

whether the spacing between text and captions is unusual;

if the document is multipage, are all pages numbered, is the paper the same, its quality and color.

whether the stamp or seal is clearly visible.

Establishing the reliability, reliability, truth of the information contained in the document. Here it is appropriate to find out: what information was used by the compiler of the document, whether the names of officials were distorted.

It is desirable to establish the date of appearance of the document and its number.

In addition, it is necessary to distinguish in the document from assessments, since assessments are a subjective thing and the author could be interested in his interpretation or in silence.

Establishing the truth of the information helps to cross-check the document with the help of the entire range of available documents on this issue, their comparative analysis.

When extracting from a document, a professional journalist always:

Fixes the exact title of the document, its author, date and place of publication;

Encloses in quotation marks the removed fragments of the text and indicates the pages;

Marks with special signs own thoughts and assessments that arose during reading;

Upon completion of the work, it specifically checks all quotations, titles, numbers, last names, first names and other information.


Topics and tasks of laboratory work

journalistic information reporter interview

Ways of fixing and accumulating information for future information messages.

Business game "From fact to rumor".

Techniques and methods for obtaining primary information (work at the facility) and its fixation.

Collection of operational information outside the audience.

Ethical standards of behavior of a reporter in dealing with people.

Ways to check and recheck information, records and facts; collection of additional information when preparing the text of the information message.

The choice of the genre of performance in connection with the nature of the event.

Holding a press conference in the audience on a specific topic.

Organization and setting up a reporter service in newspapers of various types.

Solving the creative problems of a reporter.

Description as a way of fixing information.


Questions for offset


The concept of journalistic information

Types of journalistic information

Requirements for journalistic information

The specifics of reporter work

Fact and requirements for news

Main types of information sources

Observation as a method of collecting information

Types of observation

Interview as a method of collecting information

Interview Rules

Question classification

Documentary method of collecting information

Document classification

Establishing the authenticity and reliability of a document

Experiment as a method of collecting information


control test


What type of information does the statement of the President of Russia refer to:

eventful

interpretive

basic

All information circulating in society is:

real information

potential information

A message about an upcoming anniversary of something can be categorized as:

hot news

calendar

organized

What are the priority qualities of a reporter:

personal charm

efficiency

Short meetings at which journalists get acquainted with the position of the organizers of the meeting on a particular issue are:

presentations

briefings

What method of gathering information will you use when describing the opening of an art exhibition:

interview

observation

At the stage of developing the concept of a future work, a journalist needs to decide on the object of study. In this capacity, a specific everyday situation, and a problem that requires careful consideration, and certain social phenomena, and people's activities, etc. can act. In all cases, the journalist is involved in the cognitive activity of collecting and analyzing factual data. For the successful implementation of this stage of work, a journalist needs to perfectly master various methods of collecting information, since the content richness of the future work depends on the quality of the collected material. Therefore, in journalistic practice, a whole arsenal of methods for collecting information is used.

The journalist, before undertaking an investigation, accurately determines the relationship between the chosen topic and the problem, classifying them. And the more complex the object of knowledge, the more adequate methods of studying it will be required. In the most general sense method- a way or a way to achieve a goal, a certain way ordered activity.

All methods can be conditionally divided into two large groups: the first of them are used in the collection of empirical data: observation, experiment, interview, etc., and the second - in the analysis of the information received. Here you can name the classification, grouping, typology, etc.

One of the productive methods of A.A. Tertychny calls "a change of profession." We believe that this type of work can be attributed to the method of participant observation or experiment.

The analysis of the considered literature allows us to say that there is no clear distinction between the methods of obtaining information and its sources. So, M.V. Grigoryan, in our opinion, there is a confusion of concepts: “... the sources with which the journalist works. This:

  • * Surveillance.
  • * Reading and studying documents, as well as books, magazines and newspapers.
  • * Press conferences.
  • * An experiment that journalists resort to quite rarely, as it requires a lot of time and energy.
  • * Interviewing (individual and mass - then this is already a survey conducted most often through a questionnaire). All these sources, as a rule, are involved in journalistic investigation” [Grigoryan, URL: http://www.twirpx.com/file/123859 (Date of access: 15.04.13)].

All of the above is mentioned in the theoretical literature both under the guise of sources and as methods of investigation. In practice, analyzing the methods and sources of obtaining information in A.V. Mamontov, we are convinced that it is quite difficult to draw a line between them. For example, an interview as a process is rather a method of obtaining information, and the content of the interview is a source of information. However, it would still be more logical to consider the person giving the interview as the source of information.

Among the traditional methods, the method of observation is distinguished . At its core, writes G.V. Lazutina, lies "a person's ability to perceive the subject-sensory concreteness of the world in the process of audiovisual contacts with it" [Lazutina, URL: http://evartist.narod.ru/text10/09.htm (Accessed: 26.04.13)]. Journalistic observation always has a purposeful and clearly defined character. “It is the deliberateness of perception and awareness of tasks that allows you to look - and see” [Lazutina, URL: http://evartist.narod.ru/text10/09.htm (Date of access: 26.04.13)]. The authors of the collection “A Journalist in Search of Information” note that “when engaging in observation, a journalist should also remember about possible objective and subjective difficulties.<…>People can change the tactics of their behavior if they find out that they are being watched” [Journalist in search of information, 2000, p. 9].

Based on these features of observation, theorists in the field of sociojournalism expressed the opinion that “as an independent method, observation is best used in such studies that do not require representative data, and also in cases where information cannot be obtained by any other methods” [ Journalist in search of information, 2000, p. 10].

Systematic observation presupposes the journalist's focus on a particular situation in certain periods, while non-systematic observation presupposes spontaneity in choosing the observed phenomenon.

The position of the observer in non-participant observation is as follows: a journalist, as a rule, is outside the observed situation and does not enter into contacts with the participants in the event [Journalism and sociology, 1995, p. 111]. He quite consciously takes a neutral position, trying not to interfere in the course of what is happening. This type of observation is most often used to describe the social atmosphere, for example, around elections, various public actions, socio-economic reforms, etc.

Participant observation involves the participation of a journalist in the situation itself. He goes for it consciously, changing, for example, his profession or “infiltrating” a certain social group in order to recognize the object from the inside. "Change of profession" is possible in cases where the journalist is sure that by his unprofessional or unskilled actions he will not cause either physical or moral damage to people. For example, it is contraindicated for media employees to introduce themselves as doctors, lawyers, judges, public service employees, etc. Such prohibitions are stipulated both by the relevant norms of journalistic ethics and by certain articles of the criminal code. Here are the thoughts of the journalist N. Nikitin on this subject: “The rules of the game with active observation become too important to allow oneself not to know them or not to remember them. From the old days ... one rule: a journalist cannot pretend to be a professional whose activity is closely connected with life, physical and moral health, and the material well-being of people. The main rule: forget that you are a journalist. Here, truly and above all in front of yourself, become who you say you are. Information cannot be obtained by any other methods” [Nikitin, 1997, p. 25].

The method of experiment in journalism is often identified with the method of participant observation: “The experiment is understood as a method of research based on controlling the behavior of an object with the help of a number of factors influencing it, the control over the action of which is in the hands of the researcher” [Journalist in search of information, 2000, p. 12].

In the experiment, the object, according to B.Ya. Misonzhikova and A.A. Yurkov, is a means for creating an artificial situation. This is done so that the journalist can test his hypotheses in practice, "lose" some everyday circumstances that would allow him to better know the object under study. By participating in an experiment, a journalist has the right to intervene in the situation, influencing its participants, managing them and making some decisions [Misonzhikov, 2003, p. 116].

The researchers pay attention to the fact that “during the experiment, the journalist does not wait for people, certain officials, entire services to reveal themselves spontaneously, i.e. random, natural. This disclosure is deliberately caused, purposefully "organized" by them themselves... An experiment is an observation accompanied by the observer's intervention in the processes and phenomena being studied, under certain conditions - an artificial challenge, a conscious "provocation" of these latter" [Misonzhikov, 2003, p. 117].

Thus, the experiment is connected with the creation of an artificial impulse, designed to reveal certain aspects of the object under study. A journalist can conduct an experiment on himself by infiltrating the social group he needs, become a "dummy figure", etc. At the same time, he not only influences the situation, but also seeks to involve all persons of interest to him in the experiment.

It is advisable to conduct an experiment in journalistic practice only in cases where the correspondent is faced with the task of deeper penetration into life, when he needs to identify the true behavioral reactions of people with the help of various influencing factors, and finally, when it is necessary to test hypotheses about a particular object of social reality. .

The term "interview" comes from the English. "interview", i.e. conversation. Note that this is both an independent journalistic genre and a method within another genre. This emphasizes the complex nature of the investigative journalism genre.

In an informal interview, questions are arranged according to a different principle. Due to the fact that this method is focused on the deep knowledge of the object, it has a smaller content specification. Questions are determined by the topic of the conversation, the atmosphere of the conversation, the scope of the problems discussed, etc. Scientist S.A. Belanovsky writes about the appointment of these two types of interviews: “A standardized interview is designed to obtain the same type of information from each respondent. The answers of all respondents should be comparable and categorizable... The non-standardized interview includes a wide range of survey types that do not meet the requirement of comparability of questions and answers. When using a non-standardized interview, no attempt is made to obtain the same types of information from each respondent, and the individual is not an accounting statistical unit in them" [Belanovsky, 1993, p. 86].

Scientist M.N. Kim also distinguishes between interviews according to the degree of intensity: short (from 10 to 30 minutes), medium (sometimes lasting for hours), sometimes they are called “clinical”, and focused, conducted according to a certain methodology, since they are mostly focused on studying the processes of perception and in their duration can be limited only by the objectives and goals of the study [Kim, 2001, p. 75]. For example, a journalist needs to identify certain socio-psychological aspects of readers' perception of certain texts on the election campaign. To achieve this goal, a focus group is created, a moderator (leader of the focus group) is elected, a program and a research procedure are drawn up, and finally, work with a focus group is launched according to the established program.

biographical method , used in journalism, borrowed from related fields of knowledge: literary criticism, ethnography, history, sociology, psychology. This method was first used by American scientists in the 1920s. It was then that the beginning of large-scale research on Polish peasants in Europe and America was initiated in the USA, carried out by the Chicago sociologist V.I. Thomas and his Polish colleague F. Znaniecki [Biographical method, 1994, p. 5].

In journalism, the biographical method is used in a form adapted to professional needs. With its help, various life-historical testimonies, observations and memories of eyewitnesses of certain events, family-historical documents (letters, diaries, family records, descriptions, etc.) are collected. Due to the fact that many social processes are sometimes inaccessible for direct study, journalists turn to the testimonies and stories of members of various social groups. The witness is speaking incognito. In journalistic material, he may be presented under a fictitious name, or he may appear as a kind of well-wisher who provided the editorial office with relevant information. Thanks to these testimonies, the journalist recreates processes that are difficult to observe.

Thus, we have considered the various methods used in the collection and analysis of information. Each method has its own rules, and special working tools are being developed, with the help of which the goal is achieved. The features of their use depend, firstly, on the tasks facing the journalist, secondly, on the object and subject of study and description, and thirdly, on the scale of organizational measures related to the practical application of a particular method. It should be noted that today there is a tendency towards complementarity and interpenetration of methods, which increases the level of culture of journalistic work. This interpenetration is especially noticeable in the field of television journalism with its integrated approach and visualization of all processes.

The history of journalism as a social institution and industry for the production of socially significant information is marked by the unique works of reporters, feature writers, feuilletonists, who revealed to the world vivid facts, events and phenomena. And these works were born after a conversation with janitors (as with Vladimir Gilyarovsky), with cosmonauts (as with Yaroslav Golovanov), as a result of an experiment (as with Anatoly Rubinov). It would seem that the most random situations and details became sources of information. But the secret of the success of journalism remained unchanged: the authors of unique works knew "how to find a needle in a haystack", i.e. mastered the art of working with information.

Modern society provides inexhaustible arsenals of information in the most diverse ways and forms. Does a modern journalist need to run out into the street at dawn for information, if the Internet gives out gigabytes of information every second? There are no unambiguous answers to this question. You need to know where the "golden key" to information wealth lies, and you need to know how to use it.

You can search for news everywhere. However, there are a few proven recommendations.

  • 1. Start by filing a local newspaper. It contains an abyss of interesting topics, since almost every material can have a sequel, even a crime report from the scene of a unique event. Ask the question "What happens there after a year (month, week)?" Finding the answer to this question can save your desperate situation. In addition, you will please your editor, who, like all editors, probably loves when his newspaper or media company follows the development of the topic.
  • 2. Do this experiment with the filing of a competitor of your publication, company, holding.
  • 3. Read advertisements and private announcements - you will certainly not be left without prey.
  • 4. Look at the calendar. Since in Russia it is rare that a day goes by without a memorable date or a holiday, you can find something that will surely interest a potential audience. Maybe an inconspicuous date - the 100th anniversary of the battle of Ulan-Ude - is a chance to write (shoot) a colorful report or interview an expert?
  • 5. Use your diary often to plan ahead for your work. Imagine how happy a May flood record can be in October

in a certain area of ​​a city or region. How are things there today?

  • 6. Do not pass by fences with graffiti and posters posted on them.
  • 7. Listen to "kitchen" radio: sometimes there will be something that will be the basis for the topic of your material.
  • 8. Pay attention to store signs - they change often. It is possible that something interesting is prepared for buyers there, i.e. readers, listeners and viewers.
  • 9. Watch the traffic. Perhaps, in the most familiar place, a new road sign or traffic light suddenly appeared, a pleasant or, conversely, an emergency happened.
  • 10. Remember about the existence of special categories of people who, by fate itself, are placed in those places where news is concentrated or exchanged. These are taxi drivers, controllers in public transport, traders in street kiosks and frequenters of the markets, hawkers selling newspapers, sellers of ice cream, beer and cigarettes. As a rule, these people do not occupy high places in the social hierarchy, but turning to them is useful for knowing the fullness of life, for studying its extreme manifestations. This source allows you to improve the quality of the reporter's work by changing the usual outlook on life - the transition from "high" ideas to understanding life as it really is.
  • 11. There are "seasonal" and routine topics: the opening of the summer or hunting season, flu epidemics, university sessions, calendar holidays - the list can be continued indefinitely... People are always interested in them! So, forward but to the old addresses, but from a new angle. And to make it really new, it is better to prepare in advance for writing seasonal materials.
  • 12. Analyze how a global event may affect the residents of your city or region. Infrequently, but such a connection is found. For example, when the supply of consumables to the international space station Mir was transferred from American shuttles to our spacecraft, the environmental situation in some regions of Russia threatened to worsen, because the number of launches of spacecraft, whose accelerating track passes just over these regions, increased. There was a reason to ask questions to experts.
  • 13. It is recommended to regularly - according to the once and for all adopted schedule - ring up your informants from various spheres of life.
  • 14. Read official documents - laws, regulations, decisions, instructions, etc. Your goal is to find facts and points of view that answer the most important questions. It is necessary to refer to official sources. Get acquainted with office work in those institutions whose work you cover. To begin with, in order not to let down your confidant, and then the editors, find out which documents are open and which are closed to outsiders. Find out how to access draft documents, and who can give permission to read an interesting document. From time to time, ask for copies of documents to set a precedent: giving you copies should become a habit among representatives of institutions and departments.
  • 15. Attend press conferences regularly. Do not throw away, without reading, press releases, reference materials prepared by press services and marketing departments.
  • 16. Don't feel sorry for business cards, hand them out right and left. Someone can call and suggest a brilliant topic or break the news.
  • 17. Listen to conversations on the bus, tram, taxi, subway.
  • 18. Listen to what your friends, neighbors, family members are talking about.
  • 19. End any conversation with the question: "What else is new going on?"
  • 20. Turn to the Internet for broadening your horizons, self-education, and fact-checking.

Of course, this list of recommendations is not exhaustive. An experienced professional can give other, but no less useful advice. It is possible that the student himself reading our textbook already has his own "addresses" for requesting news. It is important to set for yourself and solve one of the initial professional tasks - to learn how to search and find facts.

It is equally important to have the knowledge, skills and abilities to work with sources of information. The professional competence of a journalist presupposes broad erudition in the geography and hierarchy of information sources, knowledge of the legal basis for their functioning and use.

Sources of information are usually distinguished by their origin, form of existence, degree of reliability and reliability.

By origin sources of information can be classified into open and confidential (often personal). Open sources include arrays of information about the activities of state bodies and institutions, political and public organizations, enterprises, educational, health, sports, and cultural bodies - those organizations that, in accordance with the law, are required to provide information about their activities without restriction (with the exception of limited information access or containing legally protected secrets). Open information is freely available on official websites, in mandatory reporting documentation, in publications of state or departmental publications. For details and comments, as prescribed by law, requests should be made on behalf of the media, preferably in writing, so that it is easier to record and, if necessary, prove the fact of the appeal.

Access to information from confidential sources is limited because it is protected by special laws (for example, laws on banking secrecy, commercial secrecy, privacy, etc.). Access to it is open depending on the degree of openness of the organization itself, department or owner of personal data. Therefore, it is possible to use such information without fear about its reliability and reliability, as a rule, with the sanction of its owners. In particular, commercial information may be contained in press releases and reference materials prepared by press services and marketing departments of companies.

By form of existence sources of information are divided into official, naturally existing and investigative. Official sources, as a rule, are of an open nature, and due to their availability to citizens, information from them is of interest to a journalist as an argument in the process of studying the situation. In other words, it can and should be referred to, as if offering the reader to verify for himself the validity of the author's assertions. The source of naturally existing information is life itself, that element of human relationships, which now and then creates situations: sometimes conflict, sometimes extraordinary, sometimes heroic. Such information is obtained with difficulty, requires professional skills and knowledge, but it is precisely this information that is the field of attraction for true chroniclers of our time.

Investigative information is unique information obtained by a journalist in the course of complex work: long-term observations, experiments, conversations with confidential information carriers, and analysis of diverse information. It is especially highly valued, as it represents a new disclosure of the situation and often becomes a factor in changes in the social, economic, cultural life of society. Once published, it begins to circulate in society and be used for a variety of purposes. Suffice it to recall the "Tagged Atoms" experiment to reveal the mechanism of the postal service in Russia in the investigation of Anatoly Rubinov, the investigation of the German journalist Günther Wallraf on the situation of emigrants in Europe, the famous Watergate case of American journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, which led to the resignation of US President Richard Nixon .

By credibility and reliability sources of information are regarded as unambiguously reliable and reliable, when the information is documented in accordance with all the rules, there are real and responsible witnesses, etc.; reliable, but unreliable, if there is no documentary or witness evidence, and therefore additional verification is required; reliable, but unreliable, as a rule, containing information from eyewitnesses or participants in the events, but without documentary evidence. Information from the last two sources needs further analysis and is suitable mainly for rough work or is used as a pretext for an investigation. Initially reliable but unreliable information (or reliable but unreliable) as a result of painstaking work in many cases is confirmed and leads to the appearance of journalistic sensations or sharply polemical speeches.

The most common methods for collecting information are empirical methods those. experienced, requiring direct study of the situation (observation, interview / conversation, experiment) and empirical-theoretical- work with documents, questionnaires, surveys, work with databases on the Internet.

Observation- a favorite method of collecting information from journalists of all times, including those armed with modern gadgets and digital technology. In terms of time, observation can be short-term (if it is a one-time event, such as, for example, an ice jam on a spring river is blown up) and long-term (if a versatile and long-term study of the situation is required). According to the degree of activity of a journalist, observation is divided into non-included (simple) and included. In the first case, the journalist observes what is happening from the outside without interfering with the situation, while in the second he becomes an actor and one of the participants in the observed process. When open observation is not included, the participants in the events know about the purpose of the presence of the correspondent, sometimes they help him, often they simply do not get distracted from their main activities and give the journalist the opportunity to sort out the situation. In some cases, open surveillance opportunities are not enough. Then a more productive, albeit more complex, included covert observation is used, which in journalistic practice is called "a journalist changes his profession", or "the mask method". It requires compliance with both ethical and legal norms of interference in the activities of certain organizations or individuals. For example, health care institutions, law enforcement agencies, secure enterprises, and a person’s personal life are closed to the use of the “mask method”. One of the main conditions for a journalist to use the "mask method" is to master at least the basics of the profession to which he temporarily changed his reporter. Here we can recall classic examples from the history of Russian journalism, when reporters watched city life while driving a taxi, or talked about the school, trying on the role of a teacher. With good reason, it is believed that covert surveillance requires versatile skills and abilities from professionals.

Interview / conversation - hardly the most popular method of collecting information, especially these days, due to the mass availability of digital voice recorders. But often journalists rely only on flawlessly working technique, forgetting that an interested, sympathetic attitude to the topic of an interview or conversation, to the personality of the interviewee requires erudition and preparation. Questions - open and closed - should be thoughtful and balanced, and the topic of conversation has been studied in advance with the maximum depth that circumstances allow. There are a variety of interviewing techniques and techniques that you need to master throughout your professional career. Many manuals have been written and published about the methodology and technique of the interview, including in recent years.

Experiment in journalism refers to a kind of social experiment. It involves the use of special methods of studying the situation. In contrast to observation, here the journalist himself creates the circumstances in which he "places" the actors. In other words, he puts experience. The "perturbing" (experimental) factor is chosen most carefully. It can be a simulated situation (changed working conditions, an incentive system), a form of control, the involvement of specialists or experts, the creation of artificial obstacles, etc. An important condition is the observance of the legal and ethical framework of the experiment that does not violate the nature of its specific participants. Experiments are field experiments, taking place in natural conditions (for example, on a city street) or labor processes, or laboratory experiments, when an artificial environment is created to monitor the development of the situation. The "experiment on oneself" is especially popular with journalists, when the author experiences living conditions, entering into a difficult situation (for example, how to live only on a student scholarship), fixing personal observations and the results of the experiment.

Empirical-theoretical methods of collecting information require organizational training and intellectual effort. They are associated with the analysis of the information received, the grouping of sources and the construction of preliminary research hypotheses.

Work with documents- the most common, but also laborious method. It is necessary to rank documents by classes, types, level of information presentation. They are:

  • – official, public and private;
  • – primary (in originals) and secondary (in copies, photocopies and "scans");
  • - naturally functioning (newspaper issues, official orders, historical monuments) and "provoked" - created specifically for any occasion (for example, an extract from an employment order, a response to a media editor's request, a certificate from a person's place of residence);
  • – by tangible medium – in printed form, visual (video material, photograph), electronic form.

Each of the types of documentary sources of information requires special and careful study in order not to lead the journalist to false conclusions and assessments. For example, a photocopy of an official document that is not certified in form may turn out to be a fake, and a document with an illegible signature of an official and a blurred seal of an institution may contain false information. And when analyzing a “provoked” document specially prepared for one purpose or another, it is important to establish for whom and for what need it was born.

Questionnaire and survey- a kind of sociological methods of collecting information. Journalists turn to them in order to identify the interests of the audience, its educational level or political, value preferences. The questionnaire form is also used to clarify the positions of specialists, politicians, and observers when a complex and topical conflict is being investigated. The central correctness condition, i.e. the correctness of using the method is compliance with the standard requirements for the representativeness of the study, i.e. representativeness of materials: how many participants in an oral survey or questionnaire in a particular area - by sociological standards - can provide a result that corresponds to the real opinion of the public or experts. It is not easy to comply with these requirements, therefore, in many cases, editorial offices prefer to order research from professional sociological services.

Working with databases and resources on the Internet for all its seeming accessibility, it is an intellectually capacious method of collecting information. It requires not only computer literacy, but also knowledge of the specifics of network resources, compliance with legal norms and ethics (netiquette) of using various information.

With the penetration of the Internet into almost all aspects of society, the understanding of the creative processes in journalism is also changing. The specificity of the products produced by modern multimedia editors is such that a publication can acquire additional meanings on a radio carrier, get new shades on a television channel, acquire analytical depth, being transformed to the specifics of a paper carrier. An important element of this life is the activity of the consumer in the content of the media. Consumers independently form information platforms, whether it is a forum or a special section - Internet comments. Nevertheless, the vectors of this activity are often set by professional journalists using either crowdsourcing technologies, when the task is literally thrown into the crowd, into the network, when the audience joins the collection of information, or methods of moderating user content, or even programming the emotional intensity of the discussion due to entering into discussions on Internet platforms.

In the digital age, it is increasingly difficult for journalists to remain competitive by relying solely on the high quality of their content. At the same time, the digitization process offers new opportunities for media to interact with the public. Attention is required to such aspects of communication as the use of personalized services, two-way communication with the audience, emotional attachment to the brand, reader loyalty. Under these conditions, journalists have to build the digital component of their work according to new rules and compete with new communicators who are more adapted to functioning in the digital environment.

A key factor in overcoming the current decline in the media industry today is the ability of journalism to move away from its traditional strategies and adopt innovative approaches.

The need to innovate traditional creative models is dictated, among other things, by the unprecedented speed of digitalization, which is causing significant changes in the preferences and behavior of the media audience. That is, the development of new media is important not in itself, but by its effect - the transformation of communications between the media and the audience. American media researcher W. Crosby in his work "What is new media?" distinguishes three types of communications in media: interpersonal media is the "one-to-one" type, mass media is "one-to-many" and, finally, "new media" is the "many-to-many" type, which fully reflects the concept of a new information field . True, it should be noted here that the designation "new media" can hardly claim the status of a scientific and professional term, it is rather an everyday name, since novelty is a quality that is transient with time, and it does not contain the originality of the modern media revolution. It seems that in this respect the name "network media" will be sufficient and accurate.

At the center of the new information space is, of course, the consumer of information, who is now not just a contemplator, but also a participant in the process of news formation (i.e., strictly speaking, he can no longer be called a consumer). Therefore, the essence of the new information environment is not only multimedia, but also interactivity, which makes it necessary to radically revise the outdated media model and create a new one that is consistent with the goals and objectives of the network society, which is also constantly changing. A modern person chooses how it is more convenient for him to receive information: for example, he can simultaneously watch TV and surf the Internet, listen to radio on the network, receive news mailings on his mobile phone.

This approach led some researchers to say that the media is being replaced by SII - a means of individual information. In such personalized media, according to M. Castells, "individual communication" is added to traditional mass communications. In other words, with the help of mobile technologies and the Internet, which provide multiple entry points into the communicative space, any personal topic can be disseminated in the mass communication network. The consumer plunges into the information ocean, but at the same time takes the position of an active user. The materials prepared by the editors are increasingly coexisting with messages produced by the users themselves.

An example of such media is a friend tape. facebook, where the user does not even have to be a writer. Participation in the information exchange is provided using the "like" button and the like. The existential formula of the modern user can be defined as "I like - it means I exist." Thanks to the "share" and "like" buttons, the process of forming a new audience begins. It is much more active than the audience of past eras: it is interactive.

Journalists turned this process to their advantage and began to use social networks to promote their products. However, it turned out that they are not able to control the process: in the new information space, any message is distributed non-linearly, since it does not have a single coordination center. The role of journalists here is quite special - they become community managers, "communicators", realizing their unique abilities in a completely different way. An example is how the media, in the search and production of information, moved from insourcing technology (editorial focus on the full life cycle of the product) to crowdsourcing - a new partnership model between the information platform, which has some purpose, and the general public, which can act as a resource. helping to achieve this goal. In the context of journalism, crowdsourcing has specific applications, namely: the audience is attached to the collection of information.

The results of using crowdsourcing in a number of editorial offices exceeded all expectations. A good example of this is the American Internet media. Huffington Post, which employs 186 full-time employees and an army of 6,000 unpaid bloggers. fast paced huffpo forced the traditional media New York Times And Washington Post before News Corp And Forbes, rethink the established rules of journalism regarding the creation and distribution of stories. Crowdsourcing has given journalists a range of new opportunities. The main thing is that the new toolkit made it possible to take a different look at the process of obtaining information, journalists began to actively use multimedia methods of obtaining and presenting information in their work.

The methods under consideration are based on the process of content production by the audience. The concept was named UGC (user-generated content- user-generated content); according to it, a large number of users are able to self-organize and form the content of a particular information platform. Production processes go beyond the "geographical" limits of the editorial office itself and potentially cover the entire mass of users / readers of this media, which are transformed from a consumer audience into an audience of co-workers and collaborators of information.

In editorial practice, a whole set of information collection tools has been tested and disseminated, which are characterized as multimedia(i.e. using modern technical and software tools that combine text, sound, graphics, photos, videos in one digital representation):

  • - viewing resources that concentrate information important to the audience (for example, analysis of public procurement sites);
  • - subscription to RSS-channels, which allows you to automatically identify new blocks of information according to specified criteria in a timely manner. This tool can also be used to record the activity of consumers in relation to the media produced by the editorial office or the author;
  • – viewing the content of Internet forums to determine in which direction the agenda is changing. You can also directly contact the forum participants with a request to answer the questions of interest to the journalist;
  • - viewing blogs, the authors of which gather thousands of audiences in order to obtain opinions, information and determine trends in the movement of thematic preferences;
  • - view messages in Twitter is an effective tool for accessing ultra-fast news;
  • – analysis of information in social networks is a very promising tool for interaction between the media and the audience. In addition to the fact that users create and distribute messages for the purpose of their self-realization, networks have the function of organizing a communication space. The social network contains information about its members - their age, zero, range of interests, and this opens up the possibility for targeted appeal to readers and viewers;
  • - Internet comments of readers on the publications of professional journalists provide feedback and allow during the discussion to identify both the weaknesses and strengths of this particular publication, and in general to receive an unflattering assessment of the entire work of the journalist. That is, comments, being, from the point of view of the consumer, an integral part of the journalistic text, enrich it with new - sometimes fantastic - angles and meanings. This aspect requires the editorial staff to be able to appreciate what is written, as a rule, by anonymous creators, as well as to build a defense against psychological attacks.

The question arises about the effectiveness of the use of multimedia methods for collecting information. The answer to it depends on the competent organization of this process in the editorial office. Here is how, for example, the work of journalists with the content of blogs is built.

Blog(abbreviated from English. weblog) - an online journal (a journal not in the meaning of "periodical", but in the meaning of "ship's journal", "diary", etc.). In form, this is a page with short entries in the following format: a link to a place on the web and a small, often underlined subjective comment. Bloggers in their diaries discuss the most significant topics, often the same ones that are raised in the media. Blogs and social networks distribute all existing types of information in large volumes. Unlike the media, which broadcast only mass information, they also disseminate special information, including professional and individual personal information (including information and feelings that are often hidden from others and have arisen on the basis of personal experience). This information is not necessarily up-to-date, new and aimed at a wide audience, although it may be such, reflecting the interests of social actors, and reporting unknown facts.

The presence of content collected by users is one of the main specific features of the Internet. Blogs are a platform where such content is collected as conveniently as possible. It is not uncommon for the media to base their stories on blogs. As a rule, this happens when journalists do not have the opportunity to obtain information from other sources, but the event is so significant that it is impossible not to write about it. In such cases, one has to rely on the opinions of eyewitnesses, to compare the facts. But bloggers do not support their reasoning with the opinion of experts, they do not use the statements of experts. On the one hand, their opinion is absolutely subjective, but, on the other hand, an idea of ​​society's attitude to the problem is formed from a multitude of subjective opinions. However, in general, the productivity of the blogosphere as a high-quality information environment raises serious doubts. It can be especially difficult to measure the validity and reliability of information provided in the blogosphere, and therefore it is dangerous to completely trust this source.

Unlike communication via phones and letters, which is limited to people's personal space, blogs are a public repository of personal information, perhaps the first in history. Journalists are starting to use blogs when looking for unique data. Manually selecting news from the general flow of information that passes through the blogosphere every day is difficult. There are automatic methods for analyzing the content of the blogosphere, developed by Yandex companies and, to a lesser extent - Liveintemet.ru. However, they allow you to track mainly only massive information flows. Search engines do not have a specific algorithm for indexing exclusive information, and these engines often run idle. Exclusive information is found in the blogs of famous people and corporations. Their active use can lead to the fact that mass notification of their target audience through blogs will crowd out mailing lists, press releases and other forms of organized informing journalists.

"Rossiyskaya Gazeta": rg.ru/2012/05/12/jet-blog-site.html - material about the reaction in the domestic and foreign blogosphere to the disaster superjet, where all quotes are presented with hyperlinks to cited blogs (05/12/2012).

"Rossiyskaya Gazeta": rg.ru/2012/02/01/foto-site-anons.html - material about photographs of the new "superphone" blackberry(05/01/2012): "Technoblog cracberry, specializing in the publication of insider information about the company's products Research In Motion, published photos of a smartphone that the Canadian manufacturer intends to bring to market in the second half of this year. "The text also contains a hyperlink to the blog from which the information is taken.

"Rossiyskaya Gazeta": rg.ni/2012/01/27/google-site-anons.ht ml - a message about an innovation in Google Plus(01/27/2012): "The innovation was announced on his personal page by Bradley Horowitz, Vice President Google". A hyperlink to the blog is also provided.

"Gazeta.RU": gazeta.ru/social/2012/05/10/4577993.shtml - material about the plane crash Supetjet(05/10/2012): "One call to a crew member goes through, does not pick up the phone. But I do not rule out that he left the phone at the hotel," photographer Marina Lystseva wrote in a microblog in Twitter. Photographer-blogger Sergey Dolya added that he sent several SMS messages to the phones of the Russians on board. But there was no answer. There are no hyperlinks to blogs in the text.

The head of the group of internal services of the Internet company "Yandex" K. Kolomeets highlights five functions of multimedia methods :

  • 1) effective collection of information necessary for the preparation of high-quality journalistic material;
  • 2) organizational function - effective tools can reduce the cost of producing media products, organize the work of the editorial office and increase the speed of information exchange within the editorial team;
  • 3) with the help of multimedia tools, it is possible to pack media products in a qualitative and interesting way, taking into account the interests of the user;
  • 4) a variety of ways to deliver media products to consumers;
  • 5) providing authors and editors with high-quality and stable feedback.
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  • Kolomeets K. Practicum: creating your own media on the Internet // Journalism and convergence: why and how traditional media are turning into multimedia / ed. A. Kachkaeva. M., 2010. S. 56.