Socio-Institutional Determinants of Journalism

Abstract

In such a rapidly and fundamentally changing world, journalism is also undergoing permanent changes. Because of this, there is a need to revise its fundamental concepts and approaches. This article aims to explore the institutional aspects of journalism with the involvement of terminological, functional, social analysis of this phenomenon. The research methodology is based on the most authoritative and recognized socio-anthropological theories of society and journalistic theories of journalism proper. An attempt is being made to make a new additional contribution to the existing scientific knowledge regarding the understanding of journalism in general, as well as its functions and tasks from the point of view of the socio-anthropological approach, which, despite existing publications on the stated topic, has not yet found active application in them. It is found that the consideration of journalism as a social institution is a necessary basis for studying the social and creative nature of journalism. The specified perspective of consideration reveals its basic, creative for humanity, its meanings and meanings. Journalism appears to be an important and effective way of transcending a person from his biological origin to a cultural one, interiorization and internalization of socio-cultural codes, socialization and self-identification of a person. Hence, the most important institutional functions of journalism are socio-forming and culture-forming. A detailed classification and explication of these functions requires further detailed study. Journalism, in other words, appears as one of the types of higher – creative – activity, the calling of which is the improvement and harmonization of human life in society.