The online course “Psychology of media communications of the digital age” examines the theoretical aspects of the psychology of mass communication of the XXI century and forms the skills of using effective technologies in the practical work of media professionals, both in the development of the information society and the widespread digitalization of content.
About the course
The course is aimed at solving a wide range of social and psychological problems of mass media functioning in the digital environment, as well as at the analysis of actual and significant for the professional community problems of confronting asocial and manipulative intentions of actors of different types, which correlate with the tasks presented in the Doctrine of Information Security.
In this course
The following are studied:
- Basic concepts of the psychology of journalism as a scientific and practical discipline;
- effective practices of the mass media of the 21st century.
Consideration is given to:
- historical stages in the development of the field of creativity in general and effective technologies of creative media activity;
- the latest research in the field of journalism;
- peculiarities of journalistic thinking;
- issues of media audience segmentation;
- peculiarities of dialog with different subgroups of media audience and cooperation with citizen journalists
- The main trends in the development of information activities under the conditions of widespread digitalization of the content of traditional media and online communications;
- ways to counter antisocial manifestations in the modern media sphere.
As part of the study of organizational and managerial issues in journalism, the course analyses the peculiarities of mass media activities under the conditions of widespread Internetization of society and digitalization of mass media content.
The course also describes the latest methods of modeling mass-communication activities for interaction with various social institutions in society.
Format
The course includes video-lectures on the topics of the section (with presentations), analytical, problem-based and creative exercises, control tasks and tests. After mastering all the material in the course the students are given control tests.
Requirements .
Trainees can master the course without preparation.
Course program
Section 1. psychological studies of the mass media
1.1 Introduction to the psychology of mass communication
1.2 Psychology of journalism and related sciences
1.3 Psychological studies in journalism
1.4 Historical and philosophical traditions of consideration of creation
Section 2: The human being as the creator and consumer of media products
2.1 Characteristics of journalistic creativity
2.2 The journalistic work: from conception to realisation
2.3 The journalist’s axiological basis and professional activities
2.4 The audience as a mass-communicative community
2.5 Typology of the media audience
2.6 The effectiveness of information activity: the psychological aspect
Section 3: the social and technological approach as a factor in the development of dialogical relations in journalism
3.1 The mobile capabilities of the media
3.2 Socio-psychological modeling of communicators’ activities
3.3 Game-playing in modern media activities
Learning outcomes
- Analyze and systematize different types of information and information flows to create persuasive media texts from the point of view of the implementation of the social-psychological aspects of the media
- predict the effectiveness of their perception, using modern approaches and principles of socio-psychological modeling of communicators of different types
- prepare media products in different sign systems (verbal, audio, video, graphics, animation);
- apply psychological knowledge to solve applied problems in assessing the possibilities of organizing effective dialogues with real and potential media audiences;
- identify manipulative intentions of different actors of information activity, analyze the socio-psychological/post-communicative consequences of their impact on the mass audience, create counter-argumentative texts;
- apply the methods of psychological self-regulation and self-help in stressful circumstances of mass-communication activity;
- organize and implement innovative projects to create media products.
Developing competencies
- ability to analyze from psychological positions the phenomena of modern media practice and on this basis carry out a wide range of diverse actions, contributing to the application of innovative approaches and creative technologies in the creation of media texts;
- the ability to solve professional problems related to the analysis of specific communication situations faced by professional journalists and media executives (mass media);
- the ability to organize and conduct psychological research in the field of studying the audience of the mass media, to use knowledge of the mechanisms of perception of mass information to model the optimal types of texts and organize interactive communication with representatives of different typological groups of the audience.
