Ethnic journalism

Ethnic journalism is journalism that performs the functions of self-knowledge by the people of their ethnic existence, the consolidation and integration of an ethnic group, the preservation and development of its cultural identity. As a rule, ethnic journalism is journalism in the language of ethnic groups; its addressee is primarily a representative of their own ethnic group.

Ethnic Journalism of Russia

Journalism of the peoples of Russia is a multifaceted phenomenon, which is traditionally described by the ambiguous term “ethnic journalism”. About 20% of non-Russians living in the country are about 200 different national groups ^[1] . It is assumed that all of them can have their own channels of communication, information, exchange of news and discussion of pressing problems and issues. In many national regions of Russia, the national language is not a leader in the media . This is due to a demographic reason, characterized by an excess of the Russian population in number. In psychological terms, the Russian language gives a lot of advantages, expanding the possibilities of intercultural communication, social growth and employment ^[1] .

Understanding the term “ethnic journalism” by I. N. Blokhin

Blokhin noted that “ethnic journalism” has a dual character. Firstly, this includes journalism, which addresses the subject of life and culture features of any peoples living not only in Russia but also in other countries, as well as the problem of interethnic interaction. Secondly, they often mean journalism, which relates exclusively to the peoples of Russia, to the ethnic minorities of Russia, diaspora journalism, presented in the media and published both in national languages ​​and in Russian. In the first case, the goal of journalistic activity is to inform about the diversity of other cultures in the world, the second meaning is to consolidate ethnic groups, include them in the system of interethnic communications, preserve and develop national culture. Hence the conclusion that the national-cultural topics of the media is the main criterion in determining their type ^[1] . The addressee of ethnic journalism is a representative of that ethnic group in whose language it exists. Ethnic journalism mainly develops in national republics, regions with a noticeable predominance of national groups, where native speakers are preserved, where there are developed conditions for the existence of a national language - schools, religious and community centers, radio and television broadcasting in the national language, print, and everyday communication. Journalism telling about ethnic cultures, generally about the problems of national and interethnic relations and addressed to an audience interested in national relations, regardless of its ethnicity, I.N. Blokhin suggests calling it ethnic journalism. He believes that it will be convenient to designate a separate type of journalistic activity both in relation to its content, and based on the characteristics of the audience, and "as the level of qualification of media employees, which is characterized by an ethnological culture of thinking, searching, collecting, interpreting information ^[1] .

Ethnic Journalism as a Factor in Russia's Geopolitical Development

At the end of XX - beginning of XXI centuries. the problems of ethnic identity intensified in the country. Ethnic press was an important phenomenon for building civil society. The relevance of this concept is due to ethno-political processes and the needs of the geopolitical development of Russia. After the breakup of the USSR, republics proclaimed sovereignty on behalf of the titular people and gave the status of the state only to the titular language. These facts sharply raised the question of the correlation of civic and ethnic identity of citizens ^[2] . The basis of civil society in the Russian Federation was the Russian civil nation - the Russians, it became important to justify the place and role of ethnic media in the formation of a multi-ethnic civil society in the Russian Federation. The 2002 census showed that the “Russian people” had formed in the country. Newspapers such as Tatar News (1993), Karaite News (1994), Noah's Ark (1997), Makhachkala weekly Panorama of Dagestan (1998), and the Ufa magazine Vatandash (1995) were printed in Moscow. the Yekaterinburg newspaper "Uraltau" (1995) and others with their births noted the emergence of a new type of publications - the press of post-ethnic nations. Since 2007, more than 60 newspapers and magazines of post-ethnic nations - “Azerros” (“Azerbaijanis of Russia”), “Azerbaijan Congress”, “Bulletin of the Union of Armenians of Russia”, “Jewish News”, “International Jewish Newspaper”, “German Newspaper”, “Georgian word”, “Ukrainian news”, “Assyrian newspaper”, “Tatar world”, “Free Kurdistan”, “Russian Koreans”, “Greek newspaper” and others. Civil (post-ethnic) identification, according to the content of newspapers, includes in its structure: recognition of oneself as a citizen of Russia (part of the general); recognition of the state language of Russia as a native language; recognition of "their" subject of the federation as an integral part of Russia; recognition of the unity of Russia; recognition of the general superethnic mythology (history) of Russian citizens ^[2] .

Criticism

Features of ethnic journalism. The problems of tolerance.

Tolerant or conflicting coverage of ethnicity in the media - the problem is important for science and practice. Calmness, mutual relations, mutual understanding of people of different races, nationalities living in multinational Russia depend on the tolerance of the media in this area. Speaking about conflicts, the activities of journalists and the conflicting information related to interethnic relations, we should not forget about their opposite - a peaceful and quiet life in a stable society, peaceful activity of ideologists, politicians and the media, about tolerant information regarding relations between different groups of people. Equality, peacefulness and tolerance are important signs of a normal democratic society ^[3] .

The concept of tolerance has been actively used in recent years by journalists, politicians, scientists around the world. It involves the recognition by people of the fact that our world is multidimensional and diverse, that representatives of different races, faiths and nationalities (or ethnic groups) live in it, in different countries, with different national or ethnic cultures, norms of behavior, with their own values ​​and habits. Since the media directly affect the formation of mass representations of people, including in the field of interethnic relations, their civic position and responsibility to a large extent depend on whether the country and its regions will have international peace or whether ethnic tension will be maintained and ethnic hatred incited. Ethnically colored information transmitted to the mass consciousness through modern Russian media, by the will of ideologists and politicians or other sponsors behind them, can be tolerant, and can be conflicting. That is, it can contribute to stability and tranquility in society by integrating a multi-ethnic population, but it can also disintegrate and divide it into opposing groups. A similar trend is observed in the media in many regions of Russia. The danger is that the media and journalists can use simple ethnographic facts and features of people's lives for political purposes. The media, as practice shows, can lead the mass consciousness away from the tolerant ideas of the equality of all ethnic groups before the law, to the ideas of priorities and benefits, the ideas of chauvinism and racism. And this can lead - and often leads - to interethnic conflicts ^[3] .

Literature

1. Blokhin I. N. “Ethnological culture of a journalist” // Bulletin of St. Petersburg University. Ser. 9, 2008, issue 2, part 2
2. Kondakova N. Multilingual Press of Russia // Press and Ethnic Tolerance. M., 2000.S. 16 - 17.
3. Round table "Problems of national and personal identity in a globalizing world" // Values ​​and meanings. No. 5 (8). M., 2010.S. 8
4. Gallyamov R. R. Ethnic civic identity of peoples in the Republic of Bashkortostan:

ways of formation and development problems // Ethnoses and cultures at the junction of Asia and Europe: Ufa: Guillem, 2000, p. 326.