Professional Orientations of Journalists in the Face of the Mediatization of Society

The article studies the transformation of professional orientations of journalists in the context of the mediatization of society. Researchers define mediatization as a two-way process that refers to the development of digital technologies, the spread of the Internet and new media within which media and social institutions mutually influence each other. The advancement of digital technologies, the increased availability of the Internet, smartphones, and social networks for a wider population trigger the mediatization process. The institute of journalism and the professional activity of a journalist is the most vulnerable to mediatization. To study the transformation of professional orientations of journalists in the context of the mediatization of society, we carried out a series of in-depth interviews with journalists (N = 10) in 2020–2021. We also analyzed data from international and Russian sociological studies made between 2012 and 2016. The results showed that under the mediatization of society, it is the audience that guides a journalist. And this, in turn, attracts advertisers. In addition, there occurs ‘a desacralization’ of the image of the journalist since the audience is involved in the news production process. In the face of the struggle for the attention and trust of the audience, there emerges the necessity to update the principles of efficiency and fact-checking. As for the ethics of a journalist, the informal rules of conduct, adopted in a particular publication are the priority, while the norms enshrined in professional codes fade into the background. The freedom and independence of the journalist are declining, which professionals themselves associate with political and economic pressure and regulatory restrictions. Editors, media owners, the editorial policy of a publication, inner convictions, and personal values — all of this affects the journalist’s activities. According to journalists, the image of a professional acquires a negative colouring in the public eye due to the erosion of the credibility of media practitioners. Finally, mediatization processes lead to over-information, which increases the risk of journalists’ burnout.