Media Effects in Modern Neo-Information Society

The article proposes a systematization of the main media effects cultivated in the modern neo-information society, draws conclusions about their relationship and interdependence. Information overload, which produces information noise, becomes the cause of media effects. All sources of information noise are currently predominantly embedded in the field of the Internet, which, on the one hand, determines information liberalism, and on the other hand, as a result of the provision of illusory freedom, the overall effect of media manipulation increases. In turn, information noises give rise to such a process as information anomie. Pseudo-news precedents, differentiated into fake and post-truth, based on the motives of media controllers, are considered as manifestations of information noise. Media fraud is a radical form of post-truthization of the information agenda. The classical media effects are the spiral of silence, moral panics, information fatigue, narcotic dysfunction and compassion fatigue, which must be considered from an interdisciplinary perspective – both in the context of social sciences and natural sciences (in particular, medicine), since the influence of media on society and inspired media effects become more and more systemic, targeted, spreading to all spheres of social everyday life, unrecognized by consumers, as a result of which they often turn out to be beyond regulation and control.

A world of two agendas

This article studies the efficiency of different samples for content analysis of news in media effects studies by comparing the agenda-setting effect of a classic sample with the effect of a sample drawn based on audiences’ self-reported media habits. Contrary to the belief that exposure to sampled media content is necessary for observation of media effects, samples drawn based on overall readership/viewership of the media are more efficient than samples based on audiences’ actual consumption habits. A traditional media sample yields a stronger agenda-setting effect compared to a sample drawn based on self-reported media habits. But correlations between the two media samples are also strong. The findings suggest that a broad intermedia agenda-setting process makes it possible for researchers to draw a traditional sample that is representative of the issues salient to audiences regardless of their level of exposure to the sampled media. In other words, even in a demassified media environment, traditional samples are still the best option for media effects researchers.

Importance of Media Literacy for Political Communication in Russia

The article analyses the role and importance of media literacy for political communication in Russia using the example of student life. The purpose of this article is to develop and test a new model of political communication with an emphasis on media literacy as a factor in the dissemination of political information in society. This approach opens up new perspectives for the study of political communication by the public. The authors have developed a four-component model of political communication, which includes the following components: socio-demographic data, media literacy, media effects and political behavior. This model was tested in an online survey on student media literacy in Russia and its impact on political communication (N = 632). The article also uses data from open sources and databases. Using the Chi-square test, it was found that media literacy, as a factor in political communication, plays a more important role than socio-demographic characteristics. In other words, media literacy is much better at explaining media effects and political behavior than the socio-demographic profile of the respondents. This conclusion, of course, applies only to student youth in Russia and needs further empirical verification.