AGENDA 5.0: CITIZEN JOURNALISM IN SHAPING THE AGENDA
Abstract
Modern society, immersed in information flows, is increasingly faced with the phenomenon of information overload. In such conditions, data perception occurs mainly fragmentarily and at two levels - conscious and unconscious- when a significant part of the information is absorbed in the form of so-called information noise. A critical element of technology that attracts or distracts attention is the activities of citizen journalists, who act as opinion leaders for certain audiences of social media users. Their ability to quickly disseminate information from public perceptions about the "mass support" of individual ideas or positions makes them a powerful tool for influencing public opinion. Using the publications of citizen journalists as a source of news, creating the necessary information background, and initiating or supporting specific topics is only part of the manipulative potential of modern citizen journalism, which actively functions in ecosystems of social networks, blogs, and messengers.
The special relevance of the study of this topic is determined by the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, in which the information sphere has become one of the key fronts of the confrontation. The spread of fakes, manipulative coverage of events, and attempts to create alternative realities are all components of an information war in which citizen journalists play both a positive and a negative role. On the one hand, they contribute to the prompt informing of society and the mobilization of public opinion in support of state policy and international assistance to Ukraine; on the other hand, they can unconsciously or consciously contribute to the spread of manipulative narratives or misinformation.
The proposed study's purpose is to analyze the specifics of citizen journalists' involvement in forming an agenda in society and to study the influence of journalists' personal biases on the choice of strategies for presenting information. Special attention is paid to identifying the main methods of manipulation.
The proposed study's purpose is to analyze the specifics of citizen journalists' involvement in forming an agenda in society and the influence of journalists' personal biases on the choice of strategies for presenting information. Particular attention is paid to identifying the main methods of manipulation and mechanisms of influence on the audience through the channels of civic journalism in war conditions.
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References
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