AD ALTA
JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH
can be detected in a relatively narrow segment of the media
sphere. In the case of the present study, the authors preferred the
second option of analysis.
The media space can be described as the totality of
systematically structured elements (institutions, organizations,
and statuses) and the media fields they produce (functions, roles,
and effects) or as a sphere of values and meanings produced by
the textual and contextual semiotic structures. What is proposed
as the model of analysis is text as a system comprising values
and meanings as its elements and the context as a set of
communicative actions arising in relation to the text. The
context, therefore, includes both the information sphere, the
functions of media, and the effects provoked by the publication
of the text.
The objective of our study is the identification of contextual
contradictions emerging in the media space and the definition of
value and semantic incompatibilities impeding effective
communication based on these contradictions. The object of the
study is presented by incompatibilities emerging in the process
of identification and assimilation of values.
The theoretical sources of the research are primarily presented
by the studies on axiology of journalism and mass
communication [9-11]. To define the operating concepts and
specify the methodological prerequisites we referred to the
studies in the fields of myth theory [12-14] and structural
semiotics [3, 15]. We also deployed the positions and ideas of
theorists of the world-system approach related to the analysis of
historical and social processes [16, 17].
The evolution of the notion of the "world-system" originates
from the definition of "world-economy" [16, p. 14], the essence
of which is found in the autonomy of and organic unity based on
internal connections and exchanges. "World-economy" as a
capitalist system was interpreted by I. Wallerstein and was
included in the group of "world-systems" along with "world
empires". According to Wallerstein, the world-system is a
"territorial and time space comprising many political and cultural
units but, at the same time, presenting a single organism the
entire activity of which is guided by unified systemic rules" [17,
p. 75]. Capitalist world economy with a claim for global
dominance and sociocultural universalism historically became
the first virtually alienated form of human existence. In the New
Age period (which starts from the 18th century in Russia) world-
empires also acquire the qualities of world-systems with their
own unique virtually alienated forms (which include journalism).
The issue faced by every world-empire in the process of its
evolution into the state of a world-system lies in a double-sided
conflict between tradition and modernity on the one side and
global and universal world-economy and its own world-systemic
periphery on the other. Currently, the world-system
methodology is developing within the framework of the concept
of multipolarity – an explanatory model of the transition from a
unipolar world (the dominance of the world economy) to the
coexistence of macro-regions (world-systems).
The global world economy is based on the myth of individual
liberty of a person, which, in turn, presents a foundation of
liberal ideologies and identity understood as personal autonomy.
Every world-system is forced to produce (or historically
reanimate) the myths ensuring its integrity and value
consistency. Identity in world-systemic relationships is viewed
as a form of membership of an individual in the community of a
"pole" of the world-system. The formation of this identity type
involves multiple agents among which is the world-systemic
media that not only execute the myth translation function but are
themselves based on the "attitude towards media as a national
and cultural value" [10, p. 319].
The axiological approach to the study of a myth in modern
media involves value analysis as a method of journalism
research [18, p. 222-232]. The present study is based on the
world-system methodology that includes the application of
cross-cultural analysis. To acquire empirical data, we deployed
the procedure of content analysis of media texts.
Deriving from the statements described above, we referred to the
study of a specific situation and chose the media coverage of
Russian humanitarian aid provided to Italy for the fight against
the coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in 2020. According to
TASS, "from March 22 till the morning of March 25 15
airplanes transporting about 11 Russian military virusologists
and epidemiology specialists of the Ministry of Defense of the
Russian Federation, eight medical and nursing teams, equipment
for the diagnosis and disinfection landed in Italy. Russian
specialists work in an area in North Italy that has suffered from
the coronavirus pandemic the most – the city of Bergamo" [19].
An unusual situation has formed – Russian military transport
aircrafts landed in a NATO country in close proximity to the
important bases of this military-political bloc; moreover, the
difficulty of handling this fact was caused by the fact that it was
military rather than civilian epidemiologists who arrived to help,
and the accusations of them previously working in Syria began
to spread quickly [20]. As is widely known, the policy of Italy as
a member of NATO regarding the internal conflict in Syria is
diametrically opposite to Russian. Moreover, in the most
significant European media and, consequently, in public opinion
there is a long-established myth of a "dictator Putin" and the
"authoritarian Russia". Therefore, the fact of Russian medical
professionals’ arrival to Italy served as a trigger for cognitive
dissonance that became the core of political myths produced by
this situation.
In the framework of world-system analysis, this case presents an
object of special interests: a semi-peripheral (according to
Wallerstein’s understanding) country provides help to a
capitalist core member country. Understanding of the
sociopolitical situation prevailing in the world affected by the
pandemic and the attempts of analyzing the countries’ political
strategies and specific actions as the stages of implementation of
these strategies lead to the intensification of meaning flows
circulating in the world-systemic media.
It can be concluded that there is a reflective transition from the
first Ockhamian intentions (things existing reality) to the second
Ockhamian intentions (concepts about these things) taking place.
Along this transition, mythological concepts accumulate
meanings and the generation of forms of spreading these
concepts occurs. In an attempt of making sense of the role of an
author in these processes, we inevitably conclude their transition
from an intention as an orientation of consciousness towards a
certain object towards a communicative intention contributing to
the representation of specific concepts in the text.
Referring to the corresponding materials of the InoSMI
1
information and analytical portal allows us to analyze this non-
standard media situation. The practice of this portal involves the
systematic publication of fragments of articles from leading
world media on relevant topics with an opportunity to access the
original – the full text of the source, which allows identifying the
predominant world press tendencies in covering political,
economic, cultural, and sports events. We must note that the
InoSMI portal presents a project of RIA “Novosti” and is
therefore not free in its conceptual focus on the search for
various materials about Russia in world media. However, the
sample of materials about Russia is representative in this way:
foreign publications about Russia selected by InoSMI for
publication contain information allowing analyzing the
conditions of political mythogenesis.
We also selected 74 pieces of material from Russian media
("Meduza", "Izvestiia", "Delovoi Peterburg", "Novaia gazeta",
"Vzgliad", RIA "Novosti", "Gazeta.ru", "Lenta.ru", RBK,
"Tsargrad", TASS, "Rossiiskaia gazeta", "Moskva24",
1
InoSMI is a portal of analytical reviews undertaken on an ongoing basis. It is owned
by the Russian Information Agency (RIA) “Novosti” and financially supported by the
Federal Agency on Press and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation
(Rospechat).
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