Media Futurology: Sense Journalism Vis-a-Vis Robotization of Media Production and Society

For citation: Zorin K.A. (2016) Mediafuturologiya: «zhurnalistika smysla» v usloviyakh robotizatsii mediaproizvodstva i obshchestva [Media Futurology: Sense Journalism Vis-a-Vis Robotization of Media Production and Society]. Mediaskop 1. Available at: http://www.mediascope.ru/?q=node/2078

© Kirill A. Zorin

PhD, Head of the Chair of of Journalism, Siberian Federal University (Krasnoyarsk, Russia), Kirill_zorin@mail.ru

Abstract

This paper concerns the need for futurology research in the media sphere and journalism practice. We can see fast changes in media consumption, audience fragmentation, formation of closed information communities and other trends. Unfortunately, future is not seen as a core subject for universities media science and journalism education. However, the technical sphere evolution and realization of Galileo’s idea of mathematicisation of nature have involved the robotisation process even in such fields as journalism. Use of computer programs for writing news and fact verification raises the question about survival of this profession and a place for people in the media communication process. This question is particularly important for the western model of journalism, in which it is understood as a social service, when the majority of journalists deal with facts alone (fact finding, verification and dissemination) and some can interpret facts and explain reality. Journalists come to compete with computers and drones: modern education courses offer training in programming languages, data journalism and the like. But there is another way, which the author calls “sense journalism”. The audience wants not only strict fact registration, but also information about the desirable future and the related ideals, values, and meanings. Prescriptive information makes us value facts and find a way of acting. In the conditions of the growing complexity of  social practice and social fragmentation this model of journalism can help the profession to survive. We need to discuss the effective and prompt means for developing competences that are demanded for this “sense journalism”.

Keywords: media futurology, futurology, future, media production, labor robotics, media education.

Notes

Miroshnichenko A. (2015) O roli defitsita i izbytka v media i ne tol'ko. [On Shortage and Redundancy in Media and on Some Other Things]. Chastnyy correspondent [Private Correspondent] 3 (June).  Available at: http://www.chaskor.ru/article/o_roli_defitsita_i_izbytka_v_media_i_ne_tolko_38589

Sibirskoe mediaprostranstvo 2020: Mat-ly I mezhdistsiplin. nauch.-prakt. konf. s mezhdunar. uchastiem (26−27 marta 2015 g.) [The Siberian Media Space of 2020: The Proceedings of the 1st Interdisciplinary Conference (March 26−27, 2015)]. Krasnoyarsk, 2015. Available at: https://sites.google.com/site/sibirskoemediaprostranstvo2020/sbornik

http://truthteller.washingtonpost.com/

http://www.narrativescience.com/

http://fmf.ria.ru/news/20141201/409675042.html

http://www.rbc.ru/opinions/economics/25/11/2015/5655a0de9a794787e126f548

http://megamozg.ru/company/surfingbird/blog/21408/

http://myanalog.ru/V_visualmediaschool.ru

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