As part of the scientific and methodological round table "Regional Information Agenda on Ecology and Media Effects", scientists from the Institute of Media, Social Sciences and Humanities of South Ural State University presented the results of their research carried out with financial support from the Russian Science Foundation (project No. 23-18-20090, https://rscf.ru/project/23-18-20090/) and led by I.V. Sibiriakov.
Liudmila Shesterkina, Head of the Department of Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations at the SUSU Institute of Media, Social Sciences and Humanities, noted:
"The topic of the round table is extremely important for our region, as environmental issues are directly linked to the quality of life. That is why media's coverage of the environmental agenda is so crucial. Our research showed that environmental reports often cause tension and anxiety among the population: no matter what is written, it is perceived as bad news. But it should not be taken that way. If environmental problems exist, it is important to understand how to address them, how to improve the situation, and how to move forward. I feel confident that the research conducted by the SUSU researchers and presented by our colleagues from St. Petersburg universities will help us better understand the current situation."
Doctor of Sciences (Philology) and Professor Lidiya Lobodenko emphasized that the round table marked an important culmination of the years of research conducted under a grant from the Russian Science Foundation. The researchers presented:
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Approaches to studying the impact of the content of mass media and social media on ecology, and the media effects in modern media space (Igor Sibiriakov, Doctor of Sciences (History), Professor at the SUSU Institute of Media, Social Sciences and Humanities, and project manager); results of neuromarketing studies on the impact of media texts about regional ecology on youth audiences (Lidiya Lobodenko, Doctor of Sciences (Philology), Professor at the SUSU Institute of Media, Social Sciences and Humanities); and a digital analysis of the impact of media texts about regional ecology on the emotional state of young people (Maksim Lapshin, Candidate of Sciences (Philology), Associate Professor at the SUSU Institute of Media, Social Sciences and Humanities).
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Analysis of the patterns of attention of young people to media texts about the ecology of the region (Anna Cheredniakova, Doctor of Sciences (Pedagogy), Professor of the SUSU Institute of Media, Social Sciences and Humanities); and the problem areas of social communication on environmental topics (Olga Kharitonova, Candidate of Sciences (History), Associate Professor at the SUSU Institute of Media, Social Sciences and Humanities).
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Unique databases: “MTRE: Media Texts on Regional Ecology” and “NEMT: Neuromarketing of Environmental Media Texts”.
Vera Achkasova, Doctor of Sciences (Politics), Professor, Head of the Department of Public Relations in Politics and Public Administration at St. Petersburg State University, shared her opinion on the importance of such research:
"The topics covered at the round table and in the university's research are extremely broad and highly relevant, especially for a region facing a number of environmental challenges. It is truly gratifying that the specialists present here are striving to find real solutions to these problems. South Ural State University is at the forefront of this work, offering a significant number of practical and scientifically-based approaches. The contribution of the media is particularly noteworthy, opening the space for a broad discussion of the environmental agenda and creating conditions for free expression of opinions and positions. This is a significant achievement of the university community."
Larisa Sharakhina, Candidate of Sciences (Philology), Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Public Relations at St. Petersburg State Electrotechnical University "LETI", emphasized:
"The regional media agenda largely shapes public attitudes towards environmental issues. It all starts with every one of us. In my opinion, the most promising direction for media is the integration of user-generated content (UGC), engaging citizens in social environmental projects, and promoting such initiatives through individual user accounts. It's important for people to have a sense of involvement and understand that their personal actions can make a positive contribution to the development and improvement of the environmental situation in the region."
The event concluded with presentations of a monograph on the "Media Effects and Impact of Online and Social Media Content on Ecology on Youth Audiences in a Region of Environmental Risk", and a textbook on the "Formation of a Region's Environmental Image in the Information Agenda of Online and Social Media (Using the Example of Cities in the Chelyabinsk Region and Yekaterinburg for 2019–2023)."
The research was carried out with the financial support of a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (project No. 23-18-20090, https://rscf.ru/project/23-18-20090/) under the supervision of I.V. Sibiriakov.