Community Media Audience in Russia: sources for growth and opportunities for research (Thematic stream: “Researching Community Media Audiences”)

Abstract: In last decades serious social and political changes happened in Russia. They cause the transformations in social attitudes and social climate, change the situation with public sector. To the moment the data show that that protest potential in modern Russian society is quite low (about 25%, Levada-center, 2011). At the same time civic activity is evidently shifting to the Internet – the number of users is increasing (in average on 19% per year, FOM, 2010), diverse sources for social activity and public discussion appear. This means for scholars the necessity to elaborate proper methods to study new audiences, their attitudes and opinion on acute topics, to analyze civil potential of modern audiences and the discussion which takes place around community and civil media. At the Faculty of Journalism (MSU) the method of multidimensional analysis of mass consciousness texts was implemented for this research goals. It lets obtain even more detailed and nuanced picture of mass consciousness than the picture created on the base of representative poll results and make some prognosis concerning the development of civic consciousness of the most active part of Russian society.

Future directions for alternative and community media research (Thematic stream: “Researching Community Media Audiences”)

Abstract: Reviewing the findings of the research presented during the Researching Community Media Audiences panel, this presentation will discuss future direction for alternative and community media research.

Q&A Sessions