Thematic and Genre Diversity in international journalism (cases of Russian and USA quality press)

For citation: Kolesnichenko V. Thematic and genre preferences in foreign reporting (cases of Russian and US quality press) // Mediascope. 2021. 2. Available at: http://www.mediascope.ru/2700

DOI: 10.30547/mediascope.2.2021.3

© Victoria G. Kolesnichenko

PhD alumnus, Faculty of Journalism, Lomonosov Moscow State University (Moscow, Russia), victoria.kolesnichenko@mail.ru

Abstract

This article reports the findings from a study of thematic and genre preferences of foreign reporting exemplified by the US and Russian quality press in 1995 and 2015. The research is based on the results of content analysis of the materials published in the following newspapers: The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Izvestia, Novaya Gazeta and Kommersant.

Based on the results of the analysis, the author concludes that the thematic preferences in the newspapers under review virtually do not change over time. Thus, politics, diplomacy and various crises such as military conflicts, terrorist activity and incidents dominate the coverage of foreign affairs, whereas news about social and cultural life of other countries is rarely in the spotlight.

The genre characteristics of the texts are also not subject to radical changes. Both in 1995 and in 2015, news stories prevail in the American and Russian press. In 2015, columns emerged as one of the common genres in Russian foreign reporting. The newfound demand for this genre can be explained by the fact that in 2015 representatives of expert communities more often took part in the coverage and commenting of foreign events as authors.

Keywords: foreign reporting, genres, content analysis, quality press, journalism topics.

Notes

Chego boyatsya rossiyane [What Are Russians Afraid of?]. FOM. 2015. Available at: https://fom.ru/Nastroeniya/12101

Feather A.J. (2015) Top 15 Issues That Have Americans Worried. ABC News, March 19. Available at: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/top-15-issues-americans-worried/story?id=29758744

Interes k sobytiyam na Ukraine: monitoring [Interest in Events in Ukraine: Monitoring]. FOM. 2015. Available at: https://fom.ru/Mir/11929

Newport F. (2015) Gallup Review: U.S. Public Opinion on Terrorism. Gallup. November 17. Available at: https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/186665/gallup-review-public-opinion-terrorism.aspx

Riffkin R. (2015) Americans Name Terrorism as No. 1 U.S. Problem. Gallup. December 14. Available at: https://news.gallup.com/poll/187655/americans-name-terrorism-no-problem.aspx

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