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In this short essay, Keith Negus responds to Toby Bennett's request for a personal account of his involvement in the emergence of cultural economy during the 1990s. It brings together reflections on a particular journey into academia, identifies the influence of specific individuals, considers the institutional environment in the UK at the time, and includes observations about the broader political and intellectual context within which cultural economy emerged as a distinct idea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Douglas Kellner emerged in the late 1980s as a media theorist. This article reconstructs his intellectual trajectory, analyzing the developments and problems of his media theory. His path was influenced by so-called Western Marxism, notably by the Frankfurt School and, later, by British cultural studies. Kellner made both currents of European thought dialogue and incorporated them into French postmodernism, in a context configured by the 'culture wars' in the United States. All of this shaped the analysis of what he called 'media culture' and, a few years later, 'media spectacle', as well as his proposal for critical media literacy. It is argued that Kellner proposes an innovative synthesis in theoretical and methodological terms, outlined with Cultural Marxism. On the other hand, his proposition is not exempt from conceptual contradictions that generate analytical simplifications during the practice of research, as it moves between immanent to transcendent critique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article undertakes a theoretical analysis of mass media as a means of mass communication, which is a vital factor in the socialisation and well-being of humanity. The article aims to conduct a theoretical analysis of the role of mass media as a crucial factor in socialisation and well-being, to identify its impact on the human psyche, mass consciousness, and behaviour. The article also aims to assess the level of media literacy in Ukraine, investigate both the positive and negative aspects of the influence of mass media on mental health and emphasise the importance of psychosocial support through mass media in crisis situations. The study uses theoretical methods (content analysis, comparative analysis, generalisation, and systematisation) as well as an analysis of empirical data on the level of media literacy in Ukrainian society. It has been found that communication in the internet space should be aimed at immersing individuals in the media environment and oriented towards self-realisation and consumption tools. It has been noted that mass media exert a certain influence on the human psyche, mass consciousness, behaviour, and thoughts, which affects the process of socialisation. The conducted analysis of scientific research showed that the media literacy level among people in Ukraine is increasing. In Ukraine’s information space, electronic means of information transmission dominate. At the same time, it has been emphasised that information can control individuals, affect their psyche, and stimulate their thinking, actions, and deeds. It has been asserted that the process of information transmission is purposeful. It is determined that mass communication is not limited to specific videos or texts as tools of information transmission. It has been found that personal development is an uninterrupted process and continues even in complex and extreme conditions that exist in Ukraine now. It has been established that the crisis is a source of a person’s development. It has been shown that mass media is a useful tool for psychosocial support. One of the most important approaches to psychosocial aid via mass media is the dissemination of helpful information and skills that can help people with various mental states, problems, etc. It has been emphasised that mass media can provide information about professional aid, the availability of useful resources to support mental health, and whatever. It has been found that mass media cannot replace professional psychotherapy or counselling, especially in severe cases. It has been highlighted that mass media can have both positive and negative effects on mental health, particularly causing stress, anxiety, and depression. It also has been noted that mass media have a greater impact on the psyche of teenagers than adults. It has been claimed that the positive impact of mass media includes their ability to effectively and diversely disseminate information, increase the level of users’ education, provide new forms of entertainment and facilitate relaxation, as well as ease communication and establish new communicative connections. On the other hand, mass media can manipulate the psyche and public opinion, and spread fake news and disinformation, leading to a destructive impact on the psyche and developing dependence on them. It has been concluded that media have a significant influence on society, especially on children and youth, hence media literacy becomes essential for effective interaction with mass media and adequate behaviour in the information environment. In the modern world, where media play a crucial role in society and social issues, media literacy becomes an important competence for professionals in the field of psychosocial work. This professionally important quality encompasses understanding media systems, critical thinking, the ability to analyse social problems, readiness to communicate with media, and selfassertion in the media space.

The article covers the main principles of the contextual approach in studying the elective course “Theory of Mass Communication” in pedagogical universities. The aim of the article is to substantiate the effectiveness of applying the contextual approach to teaching the elective course “Theory of Mass Communication” to undergraduate students in pedagogical universities (specialties “Geography” and “Music Art”); to develop situational tasks aimed at fostering media literacy, the ability to codify, and the creation of informational sectoral blocks for dissemination in educational and media spaces. In the research, methods of content analysis, specification, problem-posing, as well as task-based and contextual approaches were used. It has been found that the study of university-wide elective courses appeals to interdisciplinarity in thematic correlation. On the one hand, it involves developing a system of situational tasks that contribute to improving the professional training of students in the specialties “Geography” and “Music Art”. It has been substantiated that the contextual approach is oriented towards teaching material based on methodological foundations, theoretical sectoral knowledge, and forms of activity. The context in the study of academic disciplines involves transforming didactic material, where the objective meanings and significance of sectoral knowledge are transformed into the personal experience of the future teacher. The integral platform allows for the design of situational tasks, the resolution of which combines educational and educational-professional experience. Situational tasks, based on the contextual approach to teaching the course “Theory of Mass Communication”, are built considering the professional training of students in higher pedagogical institutions in the specified specialties (“Geography” and “Music Art”). The didactically processed field of mass communication as a university-wide discipline encompasses thematic blocks such as “Basics of Mass Communication”, “Artistic and Aesthetic Parameters of Mass Communication”, “Sociological and Psychological Dimensions of Mass Communication”, and “Mass Communication in the Conditions of Digital Society”. A diachronic consideration of the development of mass communications allows for identifying the cultural and historical factors that shape the transmission paths of channels aimed at the recipients of certain knowledge. Addressing the diachronic consideration of mass media information significantly expands the understanding of its essence and the processes of information transmission within mass communication models. It has been outlined that the social and psychological aspects of mass communication determine the language behaviour of professional communicators. This specific feature was taken as the basis in developing situational tasks for communicators – future geographers and musicians. The prepared tasks were correlated with the normative disciplines studied at the stage of professional training. It has been concluded that studying the elective course “Theory of Mass Communication” based on the contextual approach contributes to the development of professional competencies of teachers who transmit sectoral information in the conditions of the informational educational environment. It has been proved that the study of semiotics of mass communication should be considered at the level of modelling cultural codes (since geographical names, musical and artistic works contain cultural and historical information, which is actualized in educational discourse at the stage of transmitting sectoral knowledge). Situational tasks, aimed at transmitting sectoral information at the level of a professional communicator (manifestation of language culture), should appeal to conducting press conferences as a type of communication, building one’s professional image. The experience of students working with advertising material considering the professional training direction is positive.

21. yüzyılın bilim dünyasında “medya çalışmaları”, dijitalleşme ve ağ tabanlı teknolojilerin günlük hayattaki etkinliği sebebiyle toplum ve kültürle ilgilenenler için yadsınamayacak bir hâl almıştır. Bu alandaki sosyal çalışmaların ve araştırmacıların sayısı da gün geçtikçe artmaktadır. İşte tanıtımını yapacağımız Mehmet Haberli’nin Medyatikleşme ve Din adlı kitabı (2023) da bu kritik konuyu ele almakta, yaşanan değişimleri medyatikleşme bağlamında meta-analiz yöntemi ile açımlamaktadır. Doç. Dr. Haberli, gelişen medya kültürü konusunda sosyolojik ve iletişimsel tahayyüle sahip ve Türk akademisinde medyanın din bağlamında incelenmesine öncülük etmiş bir araştırmacıdır. Özellikle Sanal Din isimli kitap çalışması (2014), medyanın din sosyolojisi literatüründe yeni bir kulvar açtığı yıllarda özgün bir çalışma niteliğindedir. Yazarın ayrıca sanal cemaatler, dijital çağda dindarlığın dönüşümü ve dijital din araştırmaları konularındaki çalışmaları dikkat çekmektedir. Bu çalışmaları ile “teorik anlamda” yeni medyanın dinle ilişkisine Türkiye’de ilk değinen sosyolog olduğu söylenebilir. İnceleyeceğimiz kitabı da yazarın bugüne kadarki bilgi birikiminin bir hülasası olarak değerlendirmek yerinde olacaktır.

This article aims to analyze the way in which members of the K-pop (South Korean pop) group Bangtan Sonyeondan, also known as BTS, build their presence on Instagram, enabling different forms of projection and identification by among your fans. Initially, the relationships between art, culture and technology are discussed based on Communication Theories (Adorno & Horkheimer, 2020; Morin, 1997; Kellner; 2001; Williams, 2011). Next, the focus is on cyberculture and the role of social networks in reconfiguring relationships between idols and their fans (Recuero, Zago & Soares, 2019; Pinheiro, 2009; Andrade, 2020). Finally, a Content Analysis (Bardin, 2011) of the profile of the group BTS, a phenomenon of the Korean wave (Mazur, 2020), is carried out in order to analyze how, through posts, they seek to activate this dual nature of myths modern: identification and projection, glamorization and proximity to the everyday universe, with a constant presence on social networks as a strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research puts forward the theoretical concept "print imprint," articulating the connection between the printed newspaper and its reader's "Self." This paper contends that the printed newspaper draws out the meaningfulness of ownership, touch and nostalgia, all influential ingredients of the self. This research centers on interviews with 19 former readers of a weekly newspaper that shuttered. The findings illustrate the significance, usefulness and uniqueness of the printed newspaper. In particular, participants expressed a relationship with the printed newspaper, calling it "my paper." Ultimately, this research argues that the loss of the weekly newspaper prompted a loss or lessening of self of the abandoned readers. Finally, this article argues this "print imprint" extends beyond printed newspapers and should be considered for all print products, including magazines and books, pointing to future research possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a sociologist of communication, the author wonders what function common sayings have. Phrases crystallized in collective imagery and used by many individuals in a certain context, common sayings are support bases of verbal communication, able of creating a comfortable setting for oral (or written) human relations. To exchange common sayings means to share a common culture: not by chance in the past a great number of phrases has come from Latin repertoires, or from Shakespeare's masterpieces, or -- in a more distant past -- from the Bible, the Gospels, and the Koran. In our time a large number of common sayings come from the media: the text provides some examples of widespread expressions to be commented, coming from different branches of popular media culture (songs, radio and television programs, movies, comics, political communication). Nevertheless, quickness and frantic pace of media production do not seem to guarantee the permanence of common sayings among generations: the expressive cycles are increasingly shorter, and the digital culture is playing a decisive role in differentiating and fragmenting generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks into the representation of family and family education in Russian feature films during 1955–1960 when Soviet filmmakers began to explore the complexities of family life, often reflecting the broader social and political changes of the time. Thus, the family became a microcosm for examining issues of identity, personal struggle, and societal expectations. Soviet feature films of the Thaw era offer a rich tapestry of family images that reflect a complex interplay between personal and societal changes during that period. By focusing on individual experiences and emotional depth, these films provide a critical lens through which to understand the evolving of Soviet family life and the broader cultural transformations of the era. They are valuable in the media education context for their nuanced portrayal of human relationships and their subtle critique of the socio-political context of the time. Soviet feature films of the Thaw era represent a rich and transformative period in cinematography, reflecting broader socio-political changes and contributing to the evolution of film as a medium. From a media studies perspective, these films provide valuable insights into the cultural production of the period, the negotiation of ideological boundaries, and the power of narrative and representation in shaping societal values, family values and historical memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the study of the value conflict, which has a verbal embodiment, and in some cases it is impossible to distinguish it from a communicative (verbal, linguistic) conflict. The purpose of the article is to study the verbal embodiment of value conflict in the categories of linguoecology. Modern media abound with information about conflicts and serve as a platform for the struggle of some values with others. Common communicative benefit is that, when verbalizing conflict, the techniques of rhetorical argumentation prevail over dysphemization and invectives. All of the above determines the relevance of the article. Different linguistic units used in media discourse are considered as representatives of the conflict. For the first time, the article describes the means of representing axiological marked conflict in media space, taking into consideration the linguistic and pragmatic potential of units of different levels and its representation in media texts of different genres. Such a description contributes to the formation of skills for confident recognition of not only value problematics, but also the means of its representation in media texts, and as a result, the skills and abilities to create relevant professional media texts, diagnose media texts causing and reflecting axiologically marked, significant for linguistic culture conflicts. The novelty also lies in the study of standard and substandard units, neutral and expressive, nominative and tropeic ones, in common media text space, which can also contribute and determine the media education result, for example in creating impactful vivid media texts with an updated pragmatic effect. Media education and media literacy are mutually complementary. Predicting the language unit conflictogenicity in the media and skills to avoid it increase media literacy which is necessary for protection against cyberbullying, online fraud and other types of Internet threats. The empirical material is traditional media texts of topical issues related to different genres, posted on the official websites of media. Not only traditional linguistic descriptions and class stratification, but also elements of contextual and transformational analysis have been chosen as research methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors suggest introducing the concept "psychological media competence" into psychological terminology. It has become necessary because of the new demands on the professional abilities of an educational psychologist in the new conditions when human development and education are greatly mediated by the new digital media: the Internet and TV. The article stresses the importance of diagnosing the professional competence of a psychologist that enables him/her to understand the mechanisms of a personality's formation in a media environment; to define the psychological potential of media content: developing or destructive; to regulate media communication which involves children; and to prepare other participants in the educational process: teachers, children and their parents for the productive and safe functioning in a media environment. The article presents a comparative analysis of the concepts semantically related to "psychological media competence": "media competence", "psychological competence" "psychological culture" and "media culture" and defines their place in a metalevel model of psychological media competence. The article studies the components of "media competence" and its levels. It also proposes methods of investigating a psychologist's readiness to fulfill his/her functions in a media environment. It shows the necessity of an interdisciplinary approach and integration of propositions of different psychological paradigms to the solution of the tasks of personality development in a media environment. The article presents a theoretical description of "psychological media competence", which, according to the authors, will make it possible to carry out its operationalization, to elaborate programs of development and methods of diagnosing the psychological media competence of participants in the educational process, thus contributing to its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the recent Russian and Serbian pop-political entanglement. Russians usually rely on hard-power elements like military, energy and economics, but in the last several years they became active as sport club sponsors, telecommunication provider's partners and film producers. The article examines the latter phenomenon of increasing presence of Russian characters within Serbian media culture, whether it is domestic, Russian or American production, like in the case of Stranger Things, where a Serbian actor Nikola Đuričko plays a Russian smuggler. The central figure though is young actor Miloš Biković, hired many times by Russian film producers in the last decade. His film The Balkan Line (2019) is examined in this article as a representative of Russian soft-power influence as well as their geopolitical stance. The Balkan Shadows (2017–present) and Stranger Things (2016–present) are analysed as pro-western counterparts in this superpower struggle within Serbian media culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Media educational potential of the television industry in improving media literacy of broad audience is represented in the article. The complex of theoretical and empirical methods such as: modeling; case-study; classification; design; testing (n=276) is used. The conclusion is made according to the results of the study, that is media educational potential of the television industry in improving media literacy of broad audience is mostly laid in the opportunity of modern television channels to make an off-air interaction with real audience (realizing it in on-line and off-line spaces), thus attracting the audience. Using of media educational potential of the television industry in improving media literacy of broad audience increases confidence to television channels and also makes the television content more demanding and competitive. That is the reason why media educational potential of the television industry in improving media literacy of broad audience is interpreted as a special model of media culture development of modern neo-information society, based on principals of media responsible approach (according to media ethnic rules and standards) to realization of media communications by all actors of media space -- media producers and media consumers (taking into account the combination of these media roles in modern sociocultural realities). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the mythological model of reality construction that underlies television news programs on domestic and Western TV channels. Analyzing the main trends and contradictions in visual image functioning within the media over the past decade reveals the creation of symbolic reality as a means for people’s spiritual and practical orientation in everyday life. In today’s media culture, which is saturated with visual images, the interpretation of what is seen in the context of simulacra, recognizable visual codes, and strict construction models, becomes crucial. Deciphering the hidden meanings embedded in media materials forms the basis for understanding the cultural context of society. The Covid-19 pandemic, apart from being an informational event that affected numerous countries, also emerged as a factor influencing various economic and demographic processes. Within the media, this topic has developed into a self-contained narrative with its own plotline, characters, and actions, characteristic of a mythological cliché. It delves into matters of human life and death, thus tapping into the primordial fears and unexplored depths of the viewer’s consciousness. The analysis highlights that the media employ a mythological structure when constructing reality and providing information about the pandemic. В статье рассматривается мифологическая модель конструирования реальности, лежащая в основе телевизионных новостных программ отечественных и западных телеканалов. Анализ основных тенденций и противоречий функционирования визуальных образов в СМИ последнего десятилетия выявляет создание символической реальности как способа духовно-практической ориентации людей в повседневной действительности. В современной медиакультуре, насыщенной визуальными образами, актуализируется вопрос интерпретации увиденного в контексте симулякров, узнаваемых визуальных кодов и строгих моделей построения произведения. Расшифровка скрытых смыслов, заложенных в материалах СМИ, является основой для понимания культурного контекста общества. Пандемия новой коронавирусной инфекции Covid-19 явилась не только информационным событием, охватившим многие страны, а фактором, влияющим на многие процессы экономики, демографии. Данная тема в материалах СМИ приобрела самодостаточный сюжет со своей линией повествования, героями и действиями, свойственными мифологическому клише. Она затрагивает вопросы жизни и смерти человека, тем самым обращаясь к архаическому страху и скрытым глубинам сознания зрителя. В результате данного анализа подчеркивается: при конструировании реальности и информировании о пандемии СМИ используют модель мифологической структуры.

The purpose of the article is to analyse modern culture in the aspect of digital consumption of mass media in the conditions of dynamic changes in the media space. The research methodology is based on a variety of theoretical, empirical, and structural-functional methods. A wide range of approaches were used, including systemic, comparative-historical and semiotic analyses, culturological and activity approaches. The conclusions of the study summarise the main theoretical propositions, in particular: the article carries out a theoretical and methodological analysis of modern approaches to the scientific exploration of media culture and media consumption; the culture of media consumption was analysed from the perspective of dynamic changes in mass communication means; the transformation of the culture of media consumption of digital content in the new conditions of its creation and interaction in this area is interpreted; digital content consumption practices based on visualisation priorities (screen culture) were revealed; attention is focused on the peculiarities and dependence of the culture of digital content consumption on media literacy and media competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This research aimed to Analyze the professional culture model in the tennis industry with the mediating role of psychological culture and media culture. Methodology: This research has been done in terms of applied purpose and descriptive-correlational nature. The statistical population of this research included all tennis coaches and athletes in Iraq, and based on Cochran's formula, 385 were selected as a sample. Over 400 questionnaires were distributed for assurance, and 393 questionnaires were correctly analyzed after return. The research tool included a researcher-made questionnaire. Eight Sports management specialists checked the face and content validity of the questionnaire, and its reliability was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha method (0.90). The software used in data analysis was PLS. Findings: Based on the findings, professional ethics effectively promotes cultural values and professional responsibility in the tennis sports industry due to the mediating role of psychological and media culture. Originality: According to the findings of this research, more attention should be paid to professional ethics and elements of ethical culture in team and individual tennis training. Also, different exercises and training programs can be designed to reinforce cultural values and professional responsibility in tennis. This research can be one of the few studies conducted in the field of professional culture in the tennis industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family issues have always been an important topic in Russian feature films. Films about family and family education, challenges of parent-child relationships are essential for media education of the younger generation. The educational potential of feature films is that they position family values and foundations, help build models of intra-family interaction, teach respect for the older generation, help strengthen intergenerational ties and preserve the best traditional values. This article presents the sociocultural context of the image of family and family education based on Russian feature films. The author carried out an interdisciplinary analysis of the main approaches, concepts and family models presented in pedagogical, psychological, cultural, and sociological studies. The main research methods are theoretical analysis and synthesis; generalization and classification, content analysis, abstraction and specification, and generalization. Using these methods, the study identifies the main transformation processes and changes characteristic of the presentation of family issues in the Soviet and post-Soviet periods, associated with the key priorities of state family policy, ideology, pedagogical views and psychological ideas. Based on the analysis, the main stages of transformational processes of reflecting images of family and family education in Russian feature cinema are identified from the point of view of the main conceptual approaches, directions, goals, and objectives of media education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research investigates the political and ideological contexts of the family image and family education in Russian post-Soviet and contemporary feature films. The transition from the Soviet era to the post-Soviet period brought significant changes in social values which were presented in the portrayal of families on screen. With the break-up of the Soviet Union and the transition to a market economy, there was a resurgence of traditional values, including a renewed emphasis on the nuclear family as a source of stability and security in an uncertain world. Overall, the ideological and cultural analyses of contemporary Russian feature films focused on the family image reveal a complex and multifaceted portrayal reflecting the ongoing evolution of Russian society and culture. These films provide insights into the tensions between tradition and modernity, individualism and collectivism, and the impact of political and social changes on family dynamics in Russia. Thus, the depiction of the family image and family education in Russian postSoviet and contemporary feature films is shaped by a complex interplay of political, social, and ideological factors. Recently, there has been a resurgence of conservative values and an emphasis on traditional family structures as a bulwark against perceived Western influence and moral decay. This has been reflected in some Russian feature films promoting traditional gender roles and family values as essential to national identity and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to describe the phenomenon of widespread use of online shopping platforms, which is framed as consumption behavior in media culture. The phenomenological method was used in this study, which involved four informants who were interviewed in-depth about their experiences with online shopping platforms. According to the studies, even though informants could use online shopping applications, some still saw it as an alternative to traditional shopping practices. In contrast, others indicated that online shopping had become their daily behavior. Additionally, the study highlights that although informants recognize the benefits and convenience of online shopping, they are also aware of its drawbacks. This awareness underscores the need for consumers to be cognizant of the risks associated with online shopping activities. As online shopping becomes increasingly popular, it remains essential to carefully consider its advantages and disadvantages to avoid potential problems. Overall, the study provides insights into how online shopping is perceived and utilized, emphasizing the importance of balancing its benefits with the awareness of its inherent risks.

This article attempts to outline the functioning of streaming series in media culture. Its main thesis is that the series have not only become a new type of narrative, which should not be downplayed, but also a barometer of moods, needs and various social and existential experiences — a true testimony of their times.

Mobile phones represent a new era in telecommunications beginning in the 1980s with the development of first-generation mobile phone networks. This article addresses the early history of the mobile phone from a cultural and aesthetic perspective with focus on representations of mobile phones in advertising. The aim is to explore whether images of early mobile phones as trendy and stylish artefacts suggested by examples in a previous study by the author represent a more common aesthetic trend related to advertising and consumer culture in the 1980s. The study is based on a sample of Scandinavian advertisements from 1980 to 1989.

Why is contemporary culture, with its feminist agenda, not satisfied with the severed head of Holofernes or John the Baptist, but finds Perseus’ severed head in the hands of Medusa the Gorgon highly relevant? This paper presents a hermeneutical analysis of neo-mythological simulacra as manifestations of posthumanistic trends in contemporary visual culture, using Luciano Garbati’s Medusa with the Head of Perseus, publicly installed in New York in 2020, as an example. The hermeneutic analysis of the archaic myth and its visual representation explores the transformation of Medusa’s image, from its chthonic and unattractive form to a more personal and aesthetically pleasing depiction that originated in antiquity and has influenced the contemporary portrayal of Medusa in the media as well. The analysis then uncovers the basis for the feminist interpretation of Medusa as a figure that challenges the symbolic patriarchal order embodied by Perseus, while remaining a representation of the uncanny. The contemporary media’s preoccupation with the archaic heritage may be attributed to an unconscious longing for the lost harmony with the world. This thesis is supported by examining the cultural dialogue between Garbati’s contemporary art object and the Renaissance sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini, which reveals the paradox of anthropocentrism. In the context of Renaissance tendencies, the symbolic killing of Medusa demonstrates the destruction of a holistic human and nature consciousness, as reflected in both archaic and religious myths. This destruction has led Western culture towards positivism, nihilism, and self-negation, while simultaneously affirming the concept of the superman and the nomadic subject. Contemporary Perseus literally transforms into a body-without-organs, losing organization and integrity; Medusa, in turn, resembles the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland, personifying the chaotic power of reactive forces that render a person in a state of being a body-without-organs—or a head without a body. Consequently, Perseus himself becomes a monster or a failed hero, representing the posthuman and postgender, and serving as a neo-mythological symbol of posthumanism. However, these tendencies do not contribute to the restoration of harmony and integrity; instead, they exacerbate internal conflict and selfdestruction in the technogenic era, leading humans to exclude themselves from the universe and perceive themselves as system errors. Почему современной культуре с ее феминистской повесткой недостаточно отрубленной головы Олоферна или Иоанна Крестителя, но актуальна отрубленная голова Персея в руках Горгоны Медузы? В статье проводится герменевтический анализ феномена создания неомифологических симулякров как проявления постгуманистических тенденций в современной визуальной культуре на примере бронзовой статуи Лучано Гарбати «Медуза с головой Персея», публично установленной в Нью-Йорке в 2020 году. В ходе герменевтического анализа архаического мифа и его визуализации исследуется трансформация образа Медузы от хтонически-безобразного до личностно-прекрасного в период античности, что, в частности, повлияло на формирование современного медийного образа. Далее выявляется основание феминистской интерпретации символа Медузы, побеждающей символический патриархатный порядок в лице Персея, при этом оставаясь воплощением жуткого. Интерес к архаическому наследию в современной медиакультуре объясняется бессознательным желанием обрести прежнюю гармонию человека с миром, что подтверждает анализ культурного диалога современного арт-объекта Гарбати и ренессансной скульптуры Челлини, выявляющий парадокс антропоцентризма. Символическое убийство Медузы в контексте ренессансных тенденций демонстрировало разрушение связи человека и природы, воплощенной как в архаическом, так и религиозном мифе, приведшее западную культуру к самоутверждению сверхчеловека и номадического субъекта. Современный Персей буквально превращается в тело-без-органов, лишаясь организации и целостности, а Медуза напоминает красную королеву из «Алисы в стране чудес», олицетворяющую хаотическую власть реактивных сил, вынуждающих человека находиться в состоянии тела-без-органов, в том числе без головы. Так Персей сам становится монстром или героем неудачником, а по сути постчеловеком-постгендером, неомифологическим символом постгуманизма, тенденции которого не способствуют восстановлению гармонии и целостности, а ведут к усугублению внутреннего конфликта и саморазрушения человека техногенной эпохи, который сам себя начинает исключать из мироздания, считая ошибкой системы.

Copyright of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseno y Comunicacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseno y Comunicacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of the article is to reveal the peculiarities of the phenomenon of heroisation based on the analysis of the theoretical and practical discourse of modern media culture. Research methodology. The method of theoretical research, analytical method, terminological analysis method, structural-functional method, phenomenological method have been applied. Scientific novelty. Heroisation as a phenomenon of modern media culture has been studied. The understanding of the heroic in the Ukrainian media culture of the beginning of the 21st century has been updated. On the basis of the analysis of the theoretical and practical discourse, characteristic features of heroisation in media culture have been revealed. The stages and strategies of heroisation have been analysed, while the place and role of the subjects of heroisation have been considered. Conclusions. Characteristic of the process of heroisation is the attribution of specific heroic qualities to the heroised figure and with reference to achievements, attitudes, or actions. Attribution and media communication of heroic deeds or heroic qualities is usually implemented by means of "heroic media narrative". The subjects of the heroisation process are the hero himself, thier supporters or opponents, and the audience watching the heroisation. In modern theoretical discourse, different phases of heroisation are distinguished: the initial approval of the hero; a phase of positive (in the form of admiration and respect) or negative (rejection and demonisation) resonance; the consolidation phase through cultural practices; deheroisation, which includes all processes that lead to the loss or deprivation of the status of a hero. Typical strategies of heroisation in media culture are peripetia, agony, anthropomorphisation, and concentration of action, as well as a number of strategies based on heroic semantics specific to a certain period and culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current increase in religiously motivated radicalism is a serious social problem in various countries. Through our qualitative research, which was based on the knowledge and experience of experts recorded during the focus group interview, it was possible to identify the most frequent causes of religious radicalism in Slovakia today. The Slovak Republic, a small post-communist country in the region of Eastern Europe, served as an empirical example for research purposes. Following the research findings, a second research objective was set, namely to present the possibilities and contribution of citizen journalism that can play a key role in tracking, documenting and sharing cases of religious radicalism. The research presents the causes of religious radicalism and the optimal possibilities of citizen journalism, which would adequately respond to contemporary religious radicalism with the use of online media. The activities of "people's journalists" appear not only as a trigger for public debate that takes place on social media, blogs, and independent journalistic platforms but also as a necessary voice calling for accountability and transparency of solutions concerning religious radicalism, which is inherently complex and a multifactorial process, often leading to extremism. This study attempts to answer the question of why civic engagement using online media is important in this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Alternative Francophone is the property of Alternative Francophone and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper presents a survey among students aimed at identifying levels of media and digital citizenship when working in an online environment. The task of the study is to examine which types of behaviour are typical for students when working with media texts in terms of the degree of sensitivity to media texts, the degree of reflection on civic issues, the degree of reflection on the distribution and content of media texts. 101 students from metropolitan schools participated. The questionnaire consisted of 47 statements, using a 5-module scale for assessing agreement in the following groups: ‘Civic culture and attitude to civic participation’, ‘Preference to reading and problem solving’, ‘Working with media texts in Bulgarian language classes’, ‘Self-assessment when working with media texts’, ‘Attitude to media’. The results show: students’ lack of interest in political issues; preference to read short texts; lack of confidence in distinguishing credible from non-credible information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Perspectives on Culture / Perspektywy Kultury is the property of Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article examines the essence of media culture, the degree of its impact on public life and corporate activities in the market of photography services, describes the features of media culture and the activities of young people in social media. Furthermore, it focuses on the principles of media culture and its main trends within the information-oriented society. The results of the study present the main mistakes that photo services businesses make in promoting, as well as ways to avoid these mistakes, and offer recommendations on key social media platforms for companies that provide photography services. Based on theoretical knowledge about the essence of media culture and the specifics of social media promotion, the essential goal of media culture is to build an identifiable brand and create positive emotions in current and potential customers. The presence of media culture can be traced in almost all spheres of human activity. It has a significant impact on human consciousness through the use of information technology in sociocultural processes. The modern information system of society in the context of media culture necessitates taking into account accumulated experience, as well as analysis of the theoretical and practical aspects of human activity, which is why social media are of particular importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital systems change attitude to music as the sound dimension of cultural life, which can be transformed into a commodity. Despite the fact, that people increasingly interact with each other via digital media, attributes of music underlying the ability for communicational interaction, are often ignored. Even though even before music digital reproduction methods emerged, music was subject to assimilation in the exchange economic acts, now digital world has permanently altered ways of interaction with music as now it is based on datification of virtual actions and digital shades of random preferences. Music is simultaneously interactive and presentational and in the participatory mode, including its collective, non specific interactive creation in real time, it possesses significant individual and social implications. Music as part of real life is not really presented in the virtual reality and its potential social costsare still to be comprehended and evaluated. Everyday communicational interactions among people face to face are filled with musical models between interlocutors as they share features with music itself, but these constituents are absent in digital systems, designed to perform communicative functions. The article introduced the idea that digital technologies encompasses only a limited and specific cultural understanding of music, whichat least distorts or even suppresses its abilities, which distinguishes it as flexible and quite functional environment for social interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research looks into a comprehensive analysis of the family portrayals in Russian feature films in terms of media education. This opens up a whole range of scientific research objectives that would allow such an analysis to be carried out: to define the family portrayals and their role in Russian feature films; to study philosophical and anthropological approaches to family and family upbringing in Soviet and Russian feature films; to determine the main genres of media texts in which the topic is reflected; to state media education objectives at each specific historical stage; to trace the transformational alterations in the family image created in Russian feature films; to consider social, cultural and political contexts of the theme including the media texts authors’ concepts of interpreting the topic in Soviet and Russian feature films; to define the typical family patterns presented in audiovisual texts; to specify media education goals at each historical stage; to predict further representation of the topic under study in Russian films of different genres. Moreover, it is essential that the research into the topic of family and familial relationships in Russian films should mainly focus on analysing the opportunities of studying such audiovisual texts that are an effective means of influencing various audiences, especially children and young people, in the context of media education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article attempts a critical philosophical analysis of the ways to reinvent the production of contemporary media culture on the example of two franchises, “The Last of Us” and “Cyberpunk 2077”. Modern media culture is a complex mechanism ensuring the transmission of various messages through the production and subsequent human consumption of media products. Douglas Kellner, following Jean Baudrillard, positions media culture as a spectacle for pleasure. In the digital space, media culture includes a number of mediums, such as video games, movies, music, etc. Since postmodernism is an integral part of modern capitalism, the production of media culture for profit involves the (re)invention of various media texts. Using philosophical vocabulary, the example of the franchises “The Last of Us” and “Cyberpunk 2077” show how such media culture products are created. Simulation, pastichization, and remediation become tools for the production of contemporary media text and thus refer to what has already been produced. The article presents an analysis of video games as a simulative space within the framework of the philosophical categories of Jean Baudrillard, Fredric Jameson, and Gilles Deleuze. The author also analyzes the genre component of franchises using the proposed by Fredric Jameson terminology of pastiche, and the developed by David Bolter and Richard Grusin concept of remediation. Within the “The Last of Us” franchise we can see that the transition from one medium to another, from a video game to a film, is an actively used way of copying media text. When such copying occurs, there is a loss of interactivity with the media text, which can negatively affect the consumer experience. In the “Cyberpunk 2077” franchise the same transition not only does not impair the consumer’s interaction with the media text but complements it by connecting the stories of two different mediums with each other. It is concluded that the analyzed franchises, having a similar base of production, diverge in terms of creativity, showcasing the potential approaches through which media culture products can undergo reimagining and reinvention.

This study pays close attention to the agenda of the most popular social media public pages among digital youth. It was revealed that the key ideas contained in community publications are in line with the contemporary Russian state ideological course and traditional culture. Among the values promoted by the communities, historical memory, family, patriotism, protection of the weak and economic growth are prominent. The study of the media geographic agenda shows that events taking place inside Russia are most widely covered, while international news is of interest to young people only if it is relevant to Russians. Culture and humor are among the most frequent topics of publications.

The functioning of the media in the information society accompanies the activity of the components of information perception. Any media text as an information product contains certain content characteristics, is placed in an appropriate genre-forming environment, and has individual characteristics of influence, formation, and information support. Convergence processes fundamentally transformed the social importance of the factual and documentary component of the content, expanded the content and typological structure of information culture carriers, led to the development of new approaches to managing information flows, and gave a powerful impetus to the development and revision of the conceptual base of information activity. Philosophical-anthropological paradigm – in its comprehensive form – involves taking into account both the audience’s universal existential and essential characteristics, as well as its diversity of psychophysiological properties. Based on this, we can conclude that the ways and ways of human existence cannot be unified; each person is an autonomous being, capable of choosing communication, learning about the world, and changing one’s own existence through communication. In this, a person can rely on a fundamental phenomenon: the idea of freedom and tradition. A person can protect his existence and enrich it with the help of objectified epiphenomena of himself – science, literature, religion, art, philosophy – and in the direct life process, through self-knowledge. Most researchers, trying to generalize the essential assets of Ukrainian liberal thought, come to the conclusion that it, asserting itself in the conditions of brutal anti-national oppression, had a deeply humanistic orientation and was based on faith in the historical future of the Ukrainian people. It was thanks to liberal thought that the basic principles of the science of the history of Ukrainian culture were formulated. Ukrainian scientists strongly advocated the need for democratization of social life and criticized the aristocracy of spiritual values and the Marxist theory of class struggle.

The article introduces a logical analysis of the contemporary virtual pedagogy, which seems to have developed no basic trends so far. Teaching staff, education management, and, to a certain degree, parents keep failing to adapt to the rapid technological progress. This cognitive unpreparedness manifests itself as axiological modality. Most representatives of the senior generation involved in the academic process tend to demonstrate cautious or even negative attitude to virtualization. The author aims at introducing a more insightful attitude by devaluating critical or negative attitudes to virtual pedagogy and the role of social networks in it. The article discusses the factors and manifestations of this unwilling acceptance by schoolteachers and university staff. The main emphasis is not on the electronic tools per se, but on the virtual communication and academic discourse as objects of learning.

This study discusses Portuguese and Brazilian history magazines in circulation for the last 20 years. Understanding the History magazines as potential educational media products, what elements distinguish them from a dialogical perspective with the concepts and meanings of textbooks? In this article we seek to understand the history magazines in Portugal, identifying their pedagogical purpose, besides of their sense of disseminating historical knowledge and their commercial interests. We aim to raise questions from a panoramic view of the Portuguese editorial projects in circulation nowadays. To do so, we’ll use the Brazilian cases as reference, both because of the theoretical contributions already consolidated around this topic, and the potential cultural dialogs in Portuguese language in the publishing and historiographical production fields. What relationship or distinction can be drawn between these printed materials and school textbooks? This is thus an attempt to analyze the existence of strategies to meet the needs of history teaching, official curricula and the readership ideally formed by education professionals.

Media culture is a major challenge for media and communication studies. Without media culture, there can be no understanding of media reality, just as there can be no orientation in a media society consisting of a complex interdependence of media, culture, technology, and communication. It is a categorical self-identification of the contemporary media person in the conditions of dynamic media transformation and an important condition for presence and interaction in the media environment of the information society. This article examines some theoretical approaches to media culture and argues that the debate about culture should be a discussion about media development. It concludes that there is no culture outside the media or media communication, and the responsibility for media culture now also lies with the audience.

Phenomenology has enriched film studies through the work of Christian Metz, Gilles Deleuze and Vivian Sobchack among others, but its descriptive methodology can also contribute with animation research. In this text we analyze phenomenologically the experience of watching an animated narrative in order to bring to light the a priori structures and dynamics in which animation makes sense. We will delve into the particular attitude of the subject that allows immersion in the animated narrative world, which assumes an intersubjective dimension that articulates a personal growth process with cultural practices oriented by expectations of encounter and recognition typical of contemporary communication. This phenomenological description allows us to understand the value that the audience find in animated stories. The essay also exposes the assumptions that underlie animation studies from their own theoretical frameworks and methodologies. It therefore offers a primary guidance for systematizing and strengthening interdisciplinary research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In May 1954, the story broke internationally of Marta Olmos, recipient of the first widely known, male-to-female sex reassignment conducted in Mexico. Her doctor, Rafael Sandoval Camacho, claimed that homosexuality could be cured and that, through transitions, queer Mexicans could be made into 'socially useful' citizens. While initially celebrated as a scientific triumph placing Mexico among elite nations, and receiving support from individuals close to the Ruiz Cortines administration, opinions soured as critics – physicians, politicians, cartoonists and clerics – condemned Marta for renouncing manhood through a fraudulent cure that threatened the binary sex/gender order underpinning Mexican nationalism. Sex reassignment, understood through foreigners including Christine Jorgensen and associated with 'anti-social' queer Mexicans, thus exemplified misplaced priorities during a period in which the state sought to 'modernise patriarchy'. While self-affirming for Marta and permitted unofficially through state indifference, sex reassignment became seen as anti-Mexican. Thus, Marta's case illuminated how the state reconciled development with policing its patriarchal order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research looks into a comprehensive analysis of the family portrayals in Russian feature films in terms of media education. This opens up a whole range of scientific research objectives that would allow such an analysis to be carried out: to define the family portrayals and their role in Russian feature films; to study philosophical and anthropological approaches to family and family upbringing in Soviet and Russian feature films; to determine the main genres of media texts in which the topic is reflected; to state media education objectives at each specific historical stage; to trace the transformational alterations in the family image created in Russian feature films; to consider social, cultural and political contexts of the theme including the media texts authors' concepts of interpreting the topic in Soviet and Russian feature films; to define the typical family patterns presented in audiovisual texts; to specify media education goals at each historical stage; to predict further representation of the topic under study in Russian films of different genres. Moreover, it is essential that the research into the topic of family and familial relationships in Russian films should mainly focus on analysing the opportunities of studying such audiovisual texts that are an effective means of influencing various audiences, especially children and young people, in the context of media education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the essence of media culture, the degree of its impact on public life and corporate activities in the market of photography services, describes the features of media culture and the activities of young people in social media. Furthermore, it focuses on the principles of media culture and its main trends within the information-oriented society. The results of the study present the main mistakes that photo services businesses make in promoting, as well as ways to avoid these mistakes, and offer recommendations on key social media platforms for companies that provide photography services. Based on theoretical knowledge about the essence of media culture and the specifics of social media promotion, the essential goal of media culture is to build an identifiable brand and create positive emotions in current and potential customers. The presence of media culture can be traced in almost all spheres of human activity. It has a significant impact on human consciousness through the use of information technology in sociocultural processes. The modern information system of society in the context of media culture necessitates taking into account accumulated experience, as well as analysis of the theoretical and practical aspects of human activity, which is why social media are of particular importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital systems change attitude to music as the sound dimension of cultural life, which can be transformed into a commodity. Despite the fact, that people increasingly interact with each other via digital media, attributes of music underlying the ability for communicational interaction, are often ignored. Even though even before music digital reproduction methods emerged, music was subject to assimilation in the exchange economic acts, now digital world has permanently altered ways of interaction with music as now it is based on datification of virtual actions and digital shades of random preferences. Music is simultaneously interactive and presentational and in the participatory mode, including its collective, non specific interactive creation in real time, it possesses significant individual and social implications. Music as part of real life is not really presented in the virtual reality and its potential social costsare still to be comprehended and evaluated. Everyday communicational interactions among people face to face are filled with musical models between interlocutors as they share features with music itself, but these constituents are absent in digital systems, designed to perform communicative functions. The article introduced the idea that digital technologies encompasses only a limited and specific cultural understanding of music, whichat least distorts or even suppresses its abilities, which distinguishes it as flexible and quite functional environment for social interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the article is to consider the defining trends and aspects connected with the implementation of the conception of infotainment in the practice of the event industry. The research methodology predicts the usage of, firstly, the descriptive level combined with an analytical method to characterise the current stage of the event industry, its events category B2C and B2B, secondly, context-structural analysis of infotainment as a concept and model thanks to which the author has managed to identify the causal links between certain types of event activities and essential features of infotainment, which is the condition for the possibility of implementing the practice of the event industry. Scientific novelty is, first of all, that on the article level, the problem of implementation of the conception of infotainment in the practice of the event industry was actualised, which was mainly considered in the context of journalism and TV. Conclusions. It is affirmed that the concept of infotainment is one of the methodological platforms that can be used for reasoning and explanation of the logic of deployment and the content specifics of individual event activities, and also their place in modern (world and national) mass culture. The author suggests the statement according to which the given model of the media culture helps in registration content and information creates favourable conditions for the development of event management through synthesis educational-cognition and entertainment components in event activities, helps to decode and perceive complex meanings and images in their continuous flow and frantic information dynamics. It is underlined that initiating cultural-intellectual ―game‖, infotainment stimulates heuristic potential of thinking, especially in terms of perception and assimilation of cultural codes, and with the help of fragmenting the content, activates the initiative of event participants in terms of creatively completing the full picture of what is happening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]