Thematic Model of City Newspapers of Megalopolises (Сontent-Analytical Study)

Abstract

The article presents the results of a comparative content-analytical sociological study of city newspapers of thirteen million-strong cities in comparison to editions of six small and four medium-sized towns of Russia. The research, conducted by Faculty of Journalism of Lomonosov Moscow State University in 2013-2017, shows that thematic models of these city newspapers issued in different localities along with common features also have essential distinctions. In megalopolis newspapers, in general, the thematic field is very wide, though editorial offices do not pay equal attention to different subjects. Two thematic disproportions were found in the content of newspapers of million-strong cities. The media picture that prevails in their content is generally concentrated on the sphere of leisure and consumption, hardly mentioning productive, professional life of citizens. The second disproportion is connected with the fact that the main attention is paid to social problems of everyday life, the habitat, infrastructure of big cities, but not the person, persons inner world, values, morals, psychology, and relationship with other people. Media of million-strong cities rather work in line with a commercial paradigm. The research has shown that the smaller the town is, the closer newspapers are to requirements and problems which concern inhabitants, they try to light the most important spheres of their life and more evenly distribute the attention to different aspects of activity of the readers, including history, traditions, national crafts. Newspapers of the medium-sized and small towns reflect objective needs of citizens; help to solve specific problems, to keep traditions and basic values.

Toward Tourists–Media–Cities Tourism: Xi’an as a Wanghong City

“…In comparison, the media in cities approach emphasizes the diverse roles and values of media outlets such as newspapers, advertising posters, video screens, mobile devices, and other new forms in cities [63,64]. There have long been studies that discuss the role of newspapers in organizing urban life, providing public services to citizens, reflecting the objective needs of citizens, helping to solve specific problems, and maintaining traditions and basic values [63,65]. For example, Matthews discussed the value of city newspapers as a regional media outlet in the aftermath of disasters [66].…”

Content-Analytical Study of the Evolution of the Publication «Kultura» (1929-2019)

“…В качестве примера недавних наших исследований с помощью этого метода можно упомянуть контент-анализ газет средних и малых городов России, целью которого было изучить базовые характеристики содержания и оформления таких газет. В выборку попали 66 газет из девяти областей шести федеральных округов [12]. Аналогичная методика была применена в исследовании 18 ведущих городских газет российских городовмиллионников, когда исследовались основные структурные, тематические, жанровые и иные характеристики газет [13].…”

“…В выборку попали 66 газет из девяти областей шести федеральных округов [12]. Аналогичная методика была применена в исследовании 18 ведущих городских газет российских городовмиллионников, когда исследовались основные структурные, тематические, жанровые и иные характеристики газет [13].…”