INSTAGRAM AS A PLATFORM FOR FORMING THE IMAGE OF THE COUNTRY (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE ACCOUNT OF THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE AND OF THE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY PERSONAL PROFILE)

Today, Instagram social network is one of the most popular in Ukraine. In addition, it is the most dynamic web resource, because its developers regularly optimize all features. If it was previously used only as a platform for distributing photos and their short descriptions, today it is a resource that also plays an important role in creating and disseminating information and messages. It is a social network that has won a large audience, especially young people. That is why it also influences the formation of public opinion and the image of the country and its authorities. Instagram is a particularly valuable resource in the work of a journalist, because nowadays it plays the role of the original source, as here you can find the latest and most interesting information directly from the participants of the informational events. The peculiarities and ways of submitting content on the account of the Office of the President of Ukraine and on the personal profile of Volodymyr Zelensky on the social network Instagram, as well as the motivation of the posts, are being examined in this scientific paper. The main "messages" which are created and distributed in order to form a positive image of the government authorities have been analysed. The main disadvantages, as well as the positive tendencies of the analysed in the work Insta-pages, that affect the image of Ukraine in the international arena, have been distinguished. A comparative analysis of the State Institution account (Office of the President of Ukraine), and the personal page of V. Zelensky, which previously had nothing to do with the political life of the country, has been done. Modern science needs researches in the field of Instagram accounts. After all, in order to work effectively on such a resource, it is necessary to optimize all knowledge and skills in this area. And compliance with all the requirements and following the trends of Instagram will help to form a positive image of our country in the world.

PECULIARITIES OF FAKE MEDIA MESSAGES (ON THE EXAMPLE OF RUSSIAN FAKES ABOUT UKRAINE)

Information wars have long been used as a full-fledged weapon against the enemy, using both manipulation and completely fake messages. The methods used to disseminate false media messages by their authors are completely different, but the goal is almost always the same - to make the target audience that consumes information, believe and be influenced. Scientists have identified three main elements of the media chain: the author of the message - the transmission channel - the recipient of the message. According to M. McLuhan, media channels of information transmission are a technical continuation of natural channels: radio (auditory), printed periodicals (visual), television (combination of vocal and visual), and Internet MMC (combination of auditory, optic and visual). Therefore, it is worth considering the ways in which fakes are distributed - through photos, videos or just texts. Very often two or sometimes three distribution channels are used, because video can accompany text and attached to it photos, so this division should be considered conditional. Having analysed fake reports from the Russian-language media segment, it became possible to draw conclusions about the use of basic evaluation criteria according to professional journalistic standards of publications. The emotionality of the texts, which was conditionally divided into two groups - "excessive emotionality" and "moderate neutrality" was taken into account. As for the excessive emotionality of the texts, it has been determined that it is most common in the video, a little less in the photo, and very little in the texts. As to the studies concerning the topic of fakes in the Russian-language media segment, a vast majority of studies concerned Ukraine, and military issues namely. Usually, the authors of fake media reports aim to destabilize the situation, and to make the target audience believe in nonsense and behave predictably, to divert attention from their own problems.

MESSENGERS AS A PROMISING PLATFORM FOR MEDIA CONTENT DISTRIBUTION

On the Internet, the media are fighting fiercely for every reader, viewer, or listener. Every year it becomes more and more difficult to keep and interest your audience. Therefore, the media are looking for new channels to distribute their products. Official sites and pages on social networks are losing popularity among the audience every year, so editors are forced to look for new and promising ways to communicate with their audience. One of these is the so-called messengers. Messengers are essentially reminiscent of a specific media subscription, but the audience receives the information for free. The most popular messengers in the world are Telegram, Facebook Messenger, Wechat, and WhatsApp. And in Ukraine, the most popular social platform for communication is Viber (97% of Ukrainians have it downloaded on their mobile devices), as well as Telegram, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp. But Ukrainian media most often use Viber and Telegram to distribute their content. Interestingly, in different studies, you can find different terms that describe these social platforms, namely: applications, social networks, communication platforms, social platforms, and messengers. The first messengers appeared in the 90s of the last century, but the peak of their development is now. They are quickly gaining popularity among the audience, but not all media use them properly to distribute their content. Therefore, we will consider them in more detail, as well as give the rules for publishing posts on such social platforms.

USING PUBLIC OPINION POLLS IN THE COVERAGE OF THE 2020 LOCAL ELECTIONS IN TV NEWS

For many Ukrainians, the “window” into the world of news is television, especially television news. Having studied the news programs of all-Ukrainian channels, it can be noted that despite broadcasting local elections facts on all TV channels, they did not get such great media interest as the presidential or parliamentary ones, which may indicate little attention of central media to local politics. With the increased public interest in sociology during the election period, the proper dissemination of sociological information is important. It is important for people to learn from the media about reliable rankings accompanied with mandatory methodological information. The study proves the most problematic in the coverage of polling was the publication of information about customers in the media. Survey results manipulation also occurred through using research from dubious and pseudo-sociological institutions and ignoring information from well-known and authoritative organizations. Such non-compliance with the standards of releasing public opinion polls violates the requirements of the Electoral Code and causes the neglect of citizens’ rights to full and objective information about the elections. The conclusion can be made that television, as a popular channel for obtaining information among Ukrainians, did not give the audience full access to the results of sociological research on local elections. The paper offers some solutions to the situation, for instance, increasing the responsibility of the media for disseminating incomplete and unreliable survey results. It is also significant that sociological services provide comprehensive information about their research. If sociological companies are open and provide full reports, the media will have more opportunities to release complete information about the polls to the public. In addition, enhancing general media literacy, the ability to interpret survey results and define their accuracy and reliability will contribute to the citizens’ resistance to sociological data manipulation in the media.

THREATS TO THE FREEDOM OF LOCAL NEWSPAPERS OF UKRAINE UNDER QUARANTINE

Media freedom in Ukraine which is one of the fundamental basics of civil society development, guarantor of the up-to-date, verified and objective information in conditions of pandemic, infodemic and economical crisis with ecological catastrophe, came under influence of threats which are slowing the democratic development and are complicating the exit from quarantine. Threats to media freedom during pandemic are existing at legislative, economical, financial and human rights defense levels. In conditions of quarantine, economic crisis, infodemic and ecological catastrophe journalists have no access to official events of power bodies, do not attend their sittings. This caused lowering the opportunity to control the transparence of the work of power authorities and other institutions. Due to the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 quarantine a serious threat to media freedom in Ukraine appeared. Regional, city and district printed newspapers which are the closest to their readers by content have suffered on it. Quarantine conditions made especially hard the results of ecological catastrophe in Western Ukraine due to raising the water level in mountaineous rivers up to 10 metres and following severe floods which destroyed roads, bridges, buildings and access to Internet communication. Based on the situation analysis, threats to media freedom and rights of journalists have been differentiated, researches of violation of media freedom in Ukraine during period of quarantine (March-July 2020) by the Institute of Mass Information (IMI) and media materials about detaining Ukrainian journalists in Russian prisons during the war on Donbas were reviewed and summarized. The following methods assisted to fulfillment the tasks of research: analysis of documents about regulation of media freedom of international organizations where Ukraine is a member – United Nations, the Council of Europe, OSCE, International Federation of Journalists, comparative analysis of data by international organization “Reporters without Frontiers”, statistical analysis of polls of chief editors of local newspapers by National Union of Journalists of Ukraine. In order to support democratic development of Ukraine, defense of freedom of the local press, its journalists and other staff threats to freedom of Ukrainian regional, district an city newspapers and to journalists’ security had been identified and differentiated, the necessity to fasten in Ukrainian legislation the status of journalism as one of the key spheres of the country’s information security in fightning with pandemic and infodemic had been proved, legislative ways of counterfeiting threats to media freedom had been developed. In particular, in order to reduce threats to media freedom in Ukraine it is necessary to amend Civil, Criminal, Labour codes and the Code of administrative violations by including there articles which proclaim the key status of journalists’ activity in conditions of COVID-19 quarantine. These changes are necessary in order to obtain: legislative guarrantees for obtaining social defense by journalists who suffered violations, to introduce the mandatory insurance of life and health for the costs of the owner of the media; mandatory insurance of journalists and editorial technics (video and photo cameras, notebooks, tablets, smartphones and other digital technics) for costs of media owners; to arrange up-to-date medical treatment, social and psychological support and medical-psychological rehabilitation to journalists who survived illnesses, physical and psychological injuries during their professional work for costs of guilty party and those who organized beatings, injuries and traumas against them. The results of research have very important scientific and practical meaning for improving media freedom and journalists’ security because they widen media-theoretical, theoretical and law presentations about threats to media freedom in Ukraine in pandemic conditions, assist the opposition to infodemic, prove the legal support of journalists’ security and assist to readers’ rights for prompt information without disinformation.

FEATURES‌ ‌OF‌ ‌INFTAINMENT‌ ‌PENETRATION‌ ‌INTO‌ ‌THE‌ ‌NEWS‌ ‌ JOURNALISM‌ ‌OF‌ ‌TV‌ ‌CHANNELS‌ ‌:‌ ‌«1+1»,‌ ‌«STB»,‌ ‌«ICTV»‌ ‌

The article describes the peculiarities of infotainment penetration into news journalism of TV channels: «1+1», «STB», «ICTV» (on the example of programs: «TSN», «Vikna-nowyny», «Facty. Informaciynyi vypusk»). Infotainment as a multifaceted means of filling the television air, a multifunctional aspect of mass and interpersonal communication is considered. Efficiency is achieved by working on certain schemes, as shown in this paper. The author draws attention to the fact that in Ukraine the active introduction of the infotainment method on television began after the collapse of the Soviet Union. During the economic crisis, the media faced financial difficulties and needed large advertisers, so to attract audiences, TV editors began to provide political and social information through the entertainment aspect, following the example of Western colleagues. The reasons and peculiarities of the infotainment genre in Ukrainian TV news are determined, the ways of presenting information on specific TV channels are analyzed, the role of a journalist and presenter in news broadcasting is revealed. In the process of analyzing issues of programs «TSN», «Vikna-nowyny», «Facty. Informaciynyi vypusk» it was found out that in their work correspondents from all creative «tools «of infotainment most often use structural and compositional techniques: visual design, elements of artistic montage, lives. Common techniques in news broadcasting are also: «journalist as an actor» and «topic as the core of content», meaningful components. Correspondents and presenters often use language play, emotionality and irony in the stories, thanks to which it is easy to present information, a person understands well what the presenter is talking about. One way to achieve the availability and attractiveness of information is a language game. Its essence is the transformation of stable phrases, proverbs, aphorisms etc. Currently, Ukrainian infotainment in news and information programs on domestic television is in its infancy. Its distribution in the TV content of all-Ukrainian channels promotes the development of the media themselves, because interesting news attracts advertisers, so, in our opinion, this genre is the future.

THEORETICAL JUSTIFICATION PROBLEMS OF ORBITAL MASS MEDIA

Modern media not only (such as radio, newspapers, television or online journalism), but also the full range of media (e.g. theater, music, exhibitions, cinema, drama, opera, visual arts etc.) promote narrative – interpretive both the journalist and the audience the contexts of the realities referred to in the journalistic presentation. But with the introduction of holistic systems of ideologically united mass media, the narrative is no longer characterized by the temporality or length of interpretations. Contexts and narratives of mass media content no longer mask under assumptions or hypotheses a specific ideological, party, worldview position, which is far from thinking about the cognition of life, journalism, the work of a journalist. The once dualistic use of the context of the interpretive environment has turned into a non-constructivist model of pressure on the audience not through plots, but from fundamental ideological and ideological, and often direct, party proposals. It is proposed to consider the context as a basis for interaction and different media, which are not only united by common ideological narratives, but which have a certain center around which all the content is not loaded on the target audience. We have the effect of orbital mass media – within their content proposals there is an interaction of authors and audiences in order to distribute such content, which in the framework of informing about something or someone not so much improves media and audience interaction as an element of severe content pressure on the audience. Those journalistic broadcasts that are broadcast by these groups of media.

SOCIAL NETWORKS AS AN INFORMATION SOURCE IN JOURNALIST WORK

The use of social networks as an information source in journalistic work is considered. Recently, sites such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram have become part of the traditional sources for journalists to obtain material about current events, the public’s assessments and opinions, government activity, etc. At present, social networks are integrated into the ordinary professional practice of collecting news and facts, which means including them into the structure of sources for journalistic work. The modern media rely on them to meet the ever-increasing demand for information, as well as to benefit their advantages like convenience, efficiency, ubiquity and popularity. Considerable attention is paid to the journalists’ use of material from official pages of statebodies and government officials’ personal accounts on social networks. As the authorities have the powers and resources and determine the ways of development of the state and society, they are one of the key communicators influencing the formation of the media agenda. Therefore, their engagement on social platforms provides journalists with the access to socially important information. Social networks, due to their usual bidirectional communication, can also help establish and maintain contacts with people and structures – organizers, participants or witnesses of events. Moreover, it is also an opportunity to learn about many different views, get starting ideas and tips from users for forthcoming publications and topics. Collecting information from social networks is directly related to the main identifying characteristics of the journalistic profession and compliance with the basic journalistic standards: objectivity, reliability, unbiasedness, and balance. Without exaggerating the importance of social platforms in the journalistic context, it should be noted, however, that they expand opportunities for the profession. Proper use of social networks helps journalists to create quality content; they are a relatively new tool for traditional journalism, which is to inform about events of socio-political and other spheres of state and society’s life.

UKRAINOCENTRICISM AND PROPAGANDA: REALITIES OF REGIONAL TELEVISION OF LUHANSK REGION

The article considers the process of development of Luhansk regional television since the beginning of the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine in 2014. This period is characterized by physical occupation of Luhansk and Donetsk regions, annexation of the Republic of Crimea, aggressive hostilities under the guise of illegal armed groups. , economic and advocacy activities. The analysis of the functioning of the broadcasting system in Luhansk region showed that the transformation of the regional information field and mass information activities were significantly influenced by the accompanying military aggression - hybrid and information war. Russia's aggression against Ukraine has changed the constant mass communication activities of local, regional and national media. In May 2014, TV companies in Luhansk and Donetsk regions were seized by pro-Russian militants and later "nationalized" by the terrorist groups «LNR» and «DNR». The physical occupation of part of the territory of Luhansk (ORLO - occupied districts of Luhansk region) and Donetsk (occupied districts of Donetsk region (ORDO)) regions led to the rapid annexation of part of the information space to saturate it with Russian propaganda and local separatist television channels. At the same time, a Russian propaganda model of speech was introduced in ORDLO. Instead, the revived in evacuation channels of Ukrainian regional television (IRTA, LOT (and its successor UA:Donbass) improved the technical base of TV studios, used the latest technologies, changed the quality of content, which became intelligent, diverse, focused, including audience territories and is based on Ukraine-centric positions.

METHODS OF USING SOCIAL NETWORKS BY UKRAINIAN JOURNALISTS

The article identifies the positive and negative aspects of using social networks in the performance of professional duties of journalists. It was found that with the development of social networks, the journalist’s life became easier. After all, it has become easier to search for information, more access to sources and people who can comment on certain events. Access to sources and individuals who can comment on certain events has also been greatly facilitated. Access to politicians, public figures and celebrities who can be written on social networks has also been greatly facilitated. In the process of research, the method of systematic study and analysis of individual social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare, Tik Tok, was used to write the article. As well as through systematization, analogy and generalization, the materials of in-depth interviews conducted specifically for this study were studied. Research has shown that journalists can use social networks in different ways in their work. Much depends on the specifics of the job, the tasks and responsibilities of the journalist. That is why the specific cases, situations and experiences of media workers are important, which show how best to use social networks at work depending on the needs and tasks of the journalist, as well as his editorial office and company. This paper outlines the main features and characteristics of social networks, identifies ways to use them by journalists, describes the positive and negative aspects of the use of social networks. It is also analyzed which social networks are suitable for the use of certain tasks in the work of a journalist. Researchers outlined the main opportunities and benefits of using social networks by various organizations and companies, and part of the focus was on the use of this tool by employees of media companies. However, there is no single policy, rules and guidelines for use yet. In general, the tasks set and solved in the research process do not cover the topic of social networks. Further research can be provided on the features and characteristics of social networks, their use by journalists.