Ethical Responsibility of the State Media in Covering Crisis Situations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52575/2712-7451-2026-45-1-117-126Keywords:
crisis journalism, risk society, media ethics, social responsibility, state media, crisis managementAbstract
In the context of a growing number of crises in the risk society, the role of mass media in shaping public perception and contributing to social resilience becomes increasingly significant. Special attention is paid to the specifics of the state press as an institution located in the area of intersection of public communication and state interests. This study aims to investigate issues of journalistic responsibility of state media through a case study of media coverage of the oil spill in the Kerch Strait. The analysis is based on publications on the Internet portal of Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The analysis is grounded in the theoretical contributions of U. Beck, E. Herman, N. Chomsky, and the theory of social responsibility of the press. A combination of discourse analysis, content analysis, and a comparative legal approach was applied to articles published in Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The research identified three key ethical violations: ideologization, absence of critical framing, and manipulation of focus. The results enhance our understanding of media behavior during crises and highlight the importance of reinforcing ethical standards to ensure public trust and informed civic engagement.
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