The 10th Annual International Moscow Readings conference “Mass Media and Communications 2018” took place at the Faculty of Journalism of Lomonosov Moscow State University. During two days over 200 reports were presented by representatives from more than 30 countries. The discussed issues were devoted to different aspects of media – from the mediation of modern society to disseminating information in social networks through emoji. The correspondent of “Journalist Online” Artem Kolyadko took exclusive comments from prominent media scholars.
Professor Paolo Mancini
University of Perugia, Italy
©Darya Egorova
One of the keynote speakers Paolo Mancini told about the phenomenon of “Echo Chambers”. It is a metaphorical description of a situation in which beliefs are reinforced by communication and repetition inside a closed system. By visiting an "Echo Chamber", people are able to seek out information which reinforces their existing views, potentially as an unconscious exercise of confirmation bias. This may increase political and social polarization and extremism.
– Professor Mancini, do you think that digital media are interested in destroying “Echo Chambers”? Or conversely, digital media are interested in creating ‘’Echo Chambers” in order to preserve their audience?
– I would say both. The general tendency of the media system is fragmentation and segmentation. That means that we have more and more sources of information. Each of these sources is addressed to its own segment – target audience. This is an obligatory tendency. Occasionally I can be exposed to another source of information. ‘’Echo Chamber” will increase its importance but this will not exclude that I am exposed to a different source of information. There will be an attempt of an Internet provider to make me closer to «Echo Chamber». But obviously I must be opened to other sources of information. I can switch the TV set on and find interesting information even if my preferred interests are opposite. It’s an obligatory direction forced by Internet and television providers. But this does not exclude that by chance I can use other sources.
– What type of the content will be mostly spread online in future – video, audio, text?
– I would go for visual entertainment. For instance, I came to Moscow by plane. And most passengers were watching movies on their phones. Visual entertainment is going to be more and more fascinating. We are moving from hard news to entertainment even online.
– What about you? What kind of information do you prefer and what sources do you choose?
– Just reading news. I prefer digital editions of traditional media. I am an old-fashioned consumer. I am a part of digital divide. I am not a digital native. So I go digital after passing through print press.
– What newspapers do you read? Which of them can you recommend to your colleagues?
– I read only Italian newspapers. I am subscribed to two different newspapers with different views. One of them is a Center-Left Newspaper and the other one is Center-Oriented. I am a Center-Left person but at the same time I want to have a universal point of view.
– Could you name any particular reasons why you like our faculty?
– You deal with different types of journalism. You work a lot on television journalism, new media journalism. And you are very internationally oriented. You pay attention to various media systems, to different types of journalism around the world.
Professor Hannu Nieminen
University of Helsinki, Finland
©Darya Egorova
Keynote speaker Hannu Nieminen made a presentation “Inequality, social trust and the media: Towards citizens’ communication and information rights”.
– What measures are being undertaken in Finland in order to raise the image of Finnish media?
– Actually, in Finland media credibility, especially in news media, is quite high, even according to European standards. In a few recent years, there has been a discussion about increasing problems of the media’s ability to serve the information needs. One thing is that the Ministry of Communication and Transportation established a round table discussion with all the parties and stakeholders in the media. Not only researchers but all the main media outlets were there – the biggest newspapers, radio and television companies. During this dialogue the Ministry proposed a specific program of media policy development in Finland. Last July, the government approved certain measures to improve not only the economic condition of the media in Finland but also to establish a border of framework for further development and the dialogue between the stakeholders. So this was one of the examples how we create a good atmosphere in Finland in relation to the media and in relation to the society.
– There is a gap in media credibility in different countries of the EU. In Finland the trust is high and, for instance, in Greece it is much lower. How do you overcome this gap in a context of EU policy and what measures are to be taken?
– This is a question that we have to discuss with EU members. We cannot solve this problem as one country anymore. We need European action. Right now I don’t see any development in this direction but I think we have a chance in a long–term perspective. We are not talking particularly about Greece – we are talking about the whole European Union. We have Facebook, Google, we have all the problems they bring to Europe. And they have dealings with individual countries. The UK, France, and Germany – they are big enough to resist and negotiate with these corporations. But small countries do not have this ability, they do not have enough strength and force to discuss. So we need EU to present the whole European policy.
Dr. Massimo Ragnedda
University of Northumbria, Great Britain
– What programs aimed at the reduction of digital inequality exist in the UK?
– There are concrete cases in the UK that provide such programs. They are provided by some private institutions, particularly banks. The youth train people how to use the Internet properly, how to use the Internet and get tangible outcomes. For instance, how to create online curriculum, how to create bank account or to do shopping online. There are a lot of different initiatives on training of digital literacy of both private and public institutions.
– Do you interact with government in order to have support and to implement your ideas in life?
– Definitely. Both in the UK and Italy because I am from Italy and work in the UK. Government works in this direction in order to reduce digital inequality of the society by providing digital skills, by providing projects that are called “digital inclusion”. The idea is to involve people into social inclusion by using information and communication technologies, the information provided by the Internet.
– On what professions and areas of life should we accentuate our attention firstly in order to eradicate digital inequality in the society?
– This question does not need to be addressed to a particular profession because it is on the border of social exclusion. Helping people use the Internet means including them into the society. One of the researches done in the UK by a private institution showed that 18% of the population is not even able to fill the form online. And this is a kind of a paradox – people who need this kind of social service most are those who are not able to use the Internet to reclaim back. The paradox is that these advantages are moving to those who are not even excluded from this kind of opportunity. In such case, the elite get the most. It reminds me of words written in Gospel of Matthew: "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer". Richer means not only in terms of income, but also in terms of skills, social status and social networking.
Professor Andreas Hepp
University of Bremen, Germany
©Darya Egorova
Professor Hepp presented his topic “The ‘making’ of deep mediatization: Between media corporations and pioneer communities”.
– What could you say about the level of mediatization in Germany?
– Let us start from the mediatization as a concept first. From my point of view it has become an important concept, because we begin to realize when we talk about media it is not only about media process but it is about how mediatization processes change our time. When we talk about mediatization of education one should say that it is mediatizated at a basic level as well as all universities in the country. What concerns the University of Bremen, concerns other universities in Germany. Computers are not bought for students anymore because everyone has them. Why does it make sense to buy a computer if everyone has a laptop or a mobile device? We provide Wi–Fi network across the chambers. On the other hand, we provide other various digital resources, digital libraries, for example. Besides, the University of Bremen has an online teaching system. There are some other differences that come from one department to another.
– Do you use online conferences as a method of teaching your students?
– I use a lot of digital tools in order to teach and cooperate. I still think that it makes a difference when you discuss something in a room, when you see each other. It is something that will not be lost. On the other hand, digital infrastructure is very helpful for supporting the process of learning. For example, for sharing information, having access to publications and things like that.
– Will gadgets totally replace books in the future? Will books disappear from a studying process in university?
– I will start with radio. Many people nowadays listen to the radio on the net. There is an app which you use on your mobile phone. Nevertheless, it remains radio. It has the sense of even live broadcasting. And the same situation is with books. For sure, books’ physical form will change. When it comes to an academic book: if we speak about journal articles I do not know anyone who read them in a printed form. And the same situation is happening with academic books. So if you look at the numbers of copies which are sold, the number of sold copies (including electronic books) has an increase while the number of printed book declines. Nevertheless, books remain books no matter what form they have. So we should not link media to any specific form.
Professor Philip Seib
University of Southern California, USA
©Darya Egorova
– In your point of view, what skills does a student need to be hired as a journalist in a media company?
– I am fairly basic – you need to have writing skills and an interesting way of thinking. The technical skills are not that difficult. But if you know how to analyze the issues, if you know how to write well – that’s what we should train students for. I don’t support a universally shared opinion that there are a lot of professors who concentrate on very specific fields: everything from coding to photography or visual and digital presentation. I don’t agree with such an approach.
– How do you appreciate extraordinary students?
– I encourage them to dig deeper, to get more information, to verify the information. We give fellowships to our PhD students and they are sent to conferences. But mainly our Masters and undergraduate students actually do journalism. And that’s the question if it is what they want to do – we need to train them how to do it well, how to ask tough questions, how not to be satisfied with bad answers and how to keep digging the information.
– How do you keep in touch with your former students?
– I keep in touch with my former students and learn from what they are doing. Some of my former students have become academics and I listen to their presentations.
– What strikes you most in our university?
– This is my third visit to MSU. I like the quality of the professors and students. I’ve always been impressed by students here. They ask good questions and they seem really interested in the world.
Professor Pal Tamas
Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungary
©Darya Egorova
The report of Pal Tamas was dedicated to artificial intelligence and scenarios of journalistic self-identification in 2030.
– You said that one of the concepts is that journalism as a profession will die in the near future. What do we expect from journalists in the next five years, from your point of view?
– Well, the profession, of course, will not die. The proportion of the concept that I call “artisans” is increasing. This will not be a highly intellectual profession, but will be a technology for processing information: a humanitarian, not necessarily a computer. And polishing. And there will be very few people who I call “public intellectuals”. Such journalists as Vladimir Pozner or Yury Dud will be exceptions. And a huge number of people will hang around in the editorial office, do some things and, of course, swing the rights that they are highly intelligent people and they need to give more money.
– What, in your opinion, distinguishes Pozner from an ordinary, average specialist?
– When journalism began to evoke in the 19th century (even in Russia there was Chernyshevsky, for instance), great journalists proceeded further – they created the right image of public life for people. I still think that these high public intellectuals should do it. They shouldn’t be alone – the need to act along with the humanities and politicians. But if you proceed from the fact that you need only a quiet place, little money and a career – fine, you can be a good person, but you will not be a journalist in such a high sense that I speak about. At least, about which I dream, I think and would like to bring up such people.
– What features does Russian journalism have? What would you highlight first?
– Ability to survive. Under all conditions, the ability to survive. It is very important. Here is the model of survival of an educated person. This is certainly a good example for so many people in the society: people need to know how to survive. This requires public people you know.
– If tomorrow all the journalists would stop being paid money, and only those who would work for the idea would remain, would there be many such people left?
– Still, keep in mind that Russian journalism is hundreds of thousands. They have children, mothers. But I proceed from the fact that I do not criticize a man who at least feeds his children, his elderly mother. But I would be afraid of those people who are not interested in their elderly mother, but are interested only in high matters. They would be some fanatics. I would be afraid of such people.
Dr. Evie Lambrou
Frederick University, Cyprus
– During your presentation you were talking about gamification methods. Which of them do you use in the educational process?
– I don’t use them – I suggest using them. I suggest that we should include gamification in our curriculum because it is something that engages the youth. The students in general have more digital knowledge in digital techniques than we have – the older generation who teach. So we should take advantage of that, enable them to bring the skills in, welcome the skills – so eventually we come to something that is tangible and productive. And we keep students engaged in the area. Gamification means that you use gaming techniques in the presentation of news. It has already been used by commercial channels, by the industry. So we should take an insight and we should work with it.
– Is gamification only a theory or do you have concrete ideas for the educational process?
– We are working on it. We have two new curriculums and the proposal will be finished at the end of this academic year. So, hopefully, starting from the next academic year we will have something on.
– You say that the spirit in your university has changed to the better within 5 last years. What’s the secret?
– I’m just saying that the universities have to adapt to changes. And this is reached due to technological advances and globalization. We are in a constant need of adapting and adjusting our curriculum in case of content. We are introducing new subjects and also abolishing other ones that have become out of date. Within these 5 years I have been changing the curriculum from time to time, but this time we are going to restructure the whole system.
– Do you feel the spirit of our university?
– I don’t have enough time to see that. I can judge only by what I have read. I have a great respect for Lomonosov University. It’s been my first visit to Moscow. I am glad that the university is so populous and vibrant. And I am impressed very much with your dean. I enjoyed her presentation very much.
– In what spheres is your university extremely advanced?
– Our university is advanced in technological things and we are very good at researching social sciences from the point of journalism.
– Do you have graduates who emigrated and have become media stars abroad?
– The fact is that we are Greek-speakers. To become a media star you need a language that is spoken by more than 10 million people. If you say rather we have media stars in our society, the answer is “Yes, we do”. But let me pose this question in another way. Sometimes in May I start getting calls from various media saying “I will need two guys for sport reporting or I need someone to make a TV-show”. But I do not have so many students and graduates.
– How many journalism students do you have in your university?
– It depends on a year. This year we have roughly 50. We are a small department.
– Do you notice that young generation starts “losing” their memory?
– No-no-no. They are not losing their memory – they are using their brain differently. They have less concentration. Their memory is fine. There are studies that indicate that because of computerizing we have a lesser concentration span. Instead of 45 minutes as it used to be, it is now about 25 minutes. Because we gear to read shorter texts we lose the capacity to focus on larger texts. However, it does not mean that something is wrong with your brain – neither worse nor better.
– What about cultural exchange of students between our universities? Do you believe in such a perspective?
– There are possibilities depending on agreements between the universities. The idea of a student spending time abroad in another university is beneficial for the students and the university as well. If you are going to a different country you get to know a different culture. That allows to enlarge your horizons and broaden the understanding of the world.
– How do you remain so optimistic and smiley?
– It is so boring to say “this is not good and that is not good”, to be stubborn and snobbish. The life is too short for that. I do not have time to waste – I have time to enjoy.
Dr. Anna Gladkova
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
©from the collection of Anna Gladkova
– In your opinion, have the goals that were set at the beginning of the conference been achieved?
– I think the goals have been achieved. Researchers from all across the world discussed various issues regarding digitalization of modern media in regional, national and global aspects. The conference also contributed to building productive and mutually beneficial relations across institutions and countries, which is quite important. I can say that both myself and my colleagues really enjoyed organizing Moscow Readings event and I hope conference participants enjoyed their stay in Moscow with us too.
– Why is the conference memorable for you personally?
– I have been on the organizing committee of this conference for ten consecutive years but the conference this year was really special. For the first time ever, we held a round table on media systems and journalism education in the CIS countries. Scholars and media educators had a very productive discussion about national and global factors in journalism training programs, and also about the way digitalization is influencing media education in CIS and other countries of the world. Also, we had a great round table meeting on digital inequalities organized by the IAMCR Digital Divide Working Group in collaboration with UNESCO chair. It was a wonderful opportunity to discuss the problem of digital divide on different levels and in different national contexts.
