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Myths and stereotypes as the basis of manipulation in the media. Myths and the media Mechanisms of formation of modern myths in the media

The central media, as one of the most powerful tools for the unstructured management of social processes at the state level, can ultimately be oriented in two directions:

  • or strive to provide the audience with the most objective and relevant information, both necessary for life and ensuring the development of horizons and raising the moral level of society;
  • or create an information background that will contribute to the degradation of information consumers, as well as create a favorable environment for all kinds of deception and manipulation in various areas public life.

In the second case, the managerial essence of the media is hidden as much as possible and replaced with false goals of self-financing, the pursuit of ratings, mandatory pluralism, and so on.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the main methods of forming a chaotic (kaleidoscopic) worldview among a mass audience and established information myths, the dominance of which in the information field ensures the use of central media mainly in the second scenario.

Myths underlying manipulation

The myth of neutrality

To achieve the greatest success, manipulation should remain invisible. This requires a false reality where its presence will not be felt. It is important that people believe in the neutrality of the fundamental social institutions:

  • Honesty and impartiality of government and its constituent parts. Corruption and deceit are justified by human weaknesses. The institutions themselves are beyond suspicion.
  • People must believe that the media only reports events and opinions, and does not shape them.
  • Science (which is closely related to economics) is also supposedly neutral and objective.
  • Education system from primary school up to the university level, according to the manipulators, is free from directed ideological influence.

All these myths are intended to convince the population that no private views can have a dominant influence on the decision-making processes in the country.

The Myth of Media Pluralism

The illusion of information choice is based on the fact that people are willing to mistake the abundance of media for a variety of content. Information monopolies offer only one version of reality - their own. But when similar opinions come from different sources, it creates the idea of ​​uncontrolled, free and natural information. Choice is truly impossible without diversity, but if in fact there are no objects to choose from, then the choice is either meaningless or manipulative in nature (when the illusion is created that it makes sense). We squander our freedom of choice on a lot of meaningless decisions (what show to watch, what washing powder to buy - and they are all very similar), but the really important things remain hidden from our attention all the time.

The myth of the absence of social conflicts

Manipulators, while painting a picture of life within the country, deny the existence of social conflicts. All attention is diverted to other problems - the desire to climb up the middle class, the image of an external enemy, etc. The greatest success and support from the media are those films, television programs, books and public shows (Disneyland) that offer a significant portion of violence, but not affect social conflicts. Genuine works that recognize reality are lost in this stream of cliches.

The Myth of Individualism and Personal Choice

Choice and freedom are presented as something desirable and purely personal, individual rights are placed above group rights, and the desire for material wealth in an individual family is encouraged. Orientation towards an exclusively egocentric worldview, when environmental problems and environment, social differences are ignored, but all attention is directed to increasing the rate of production and consumption. Private property in all spheres of life is considered the norm: no one is surprised by the fact that the healthcare sector, the education system, and cultural institutions are commercial and focused primarily on making a profit, and not on the benefit of the whole society.

The Myth of the Unchangeable Nature of Man

Theories are being promoted that point to the inherently aggressive side of human behavior and the immutability of human nature itself. It is argued that existing conflicts are inherent in a person, and not imposed by social conditions. A popular “scientific” approach is one that measures the evils of society in detail, but ignores important social parameters. Attention turns to physical side life: living conditions, fashion, technical innovations, the possibility of gender reassignment, etc. If suddenly messages appear about favorable changes, possible ways out of the crisis, they are criticized or ridiculed, people are quickly helped to “correctly” interpret such information.

Myths are created to keep people in line. When they can be quietly introduced into the consciousness of the masses, myths gain enormous power, since most people are unaware of the manipulation that is taking place.

Methods of presenting information that form a kaleidoscopic worldview

Fragmentation as a form of communication

To effectively and quietly introduce myths, a special method is used to disseminate information, which can be called fragmentation. News on radio and television is fragmented into numerous unrelated messages; in newspapers and magazines, articles are deliberately broken up by advertising pages. Advertising interferes with equal indifference in all information and entertainment programs, regardless of what we are talking about, lowering any social phenomena to the level of insignificant incidents. People’s already low ability to critically analyze information is completely disabled. A common feature of most central media is the heterogeneity of the material presented and the denial of the relationship between events.

Even children's programs follow a similar commercial model and are interrupted by blocks of advertising. This is explained by the fact that children cannot focus their attention on anything for a long time and need rest. But in practice, gradually increasing the period of time when children concentrate on one thing is a factor in the development of their mental abilities. Discussion programs reduce the importance of the subject of controversy and, through fragmentation, focus attention on disparate points of view and minor details, missing the main point. Even if someone expresses a sensible thought, it will be lost in the subsequent stream of advertising, gossip, intimate scenes, and flat humor. The frankness of the presentation of information and the flow of various criticism create the illusion of freedom of opinion and access to information.

The fragmentation method is used not only by the media. Most of the cultural and educational system carries out atomization, specialization and microscopic division. Subjects and disciplines are arbitrarily and forcibly divided into narrower ones, interdisciplinary relationships are denied: “economics - for economists, politics - for scientists studying political sciences.” Although in reality these areas are inseparable from each other, scientifically this relationship is ignored. As a result, society produces specialists who perfectly understand their narrow topic, but do not have the knowledge to cover global processes in their entirety. Streams of unrelated information cause information overload, while the amount of meaningful information does not increase. Fragmentary information is offered as reliable “information”, which ultimately leads to misunderstanding, and then apathy and indifference.

Immediacy of information transfer

Immediacy is not only associated with the crushing method, but is also a necessary element for its implementation. Speed ​​of information transfer is not always an advantage. The competition-based system has made information a commodity like everything else. The benefit is to obtain and quickly sell such a perishable product as news. When crises arise, an unfounded atmosphere of hysteria is created. Information flashes and reports from the scene create a feeling of extreme importance, which just as quickly dissipates.

Constantly alternating reports of disasters, military operations, strikes and natural disasters make it difficult to differentiate information by degree of importance and leave no time for analysis and balanced judgments. All attention is focused on current events, and the necessary connection with the past is destroyed. At the same time, we are not talking about the technical capabilities of quickly transmitting information, which can play a positive role, but rather about the technique of manipulation that uses these capabilities to disperse and deprive of meaning. We simply do not have time to comprehend the events taking place, because this takes time.

An important goal of the manipulative scenario for using the media is the passivity of society

When successfully applied, manipulation inevitably leads to the individual's passivity, to a state of inertia that prevents action. Both the content (myths) and the methods of presenting information have a stultifying effect.

  • Physical activity decreases: a person is content with watching TV and no longer wants to be a participant in events. He is content with the role of observer. There will be no opposition if necessary. Creators have been replaced by consumers.
  • An even more dangerous consequence is a decrease in intellectual activity and increased passivity. Feelings that can force you to take active action are lulled to sleep. The viewer knows much more about the lives of fictional characters on the screen than about the fate of real historical heroes and their parents. Knowledge is lost.

Such an effect resembles lulling, does not irritate you, does not force you to react, and frees you from the need to show at least some activity. All means are good: radio, television, cinema, mass entertainment, all kinds of shows. Yes, occasionally there are programs or films that awaken awareness and draw attention to problems of great importance. But there are not many of them, because the goal of manipulators is not to awaken, but to lull concerns about economic and social reality. All events are told as if people have nothing to do with them, cannot change anything, but simply need to be aware of all kinds of events. The line between news with real events and fictional movie plots is blurring: for a passive viewer there is no longer any difference.

Efforts are needed to overcome or at least create a counterbalance to this system that causes passivity and degradation.

1) The primary task is to understand the management function of information media in all its manifestations. Development of analytical and critical abilities among a wide audience, the ability to identify public and unpublicized goals of the media, and evaluate the impact comprehensively.

2) Creativity as a way to awaken awareness. The transition from consumption to creation, the creation and distribution of information content that motivates ideological and moral development.

The article was prepared on the basis of materials from G. Schiller’s book “Manipulators of Consciousness” (Moscow, 1980). The book is a little rethought, because 30 years ago what we are faced with today did not exist. But the prerequisites were already there.

MECHANISMS OF INFLUENCE OF POLITICAL INFORMATION IN THE MEDIA ON PUBLIC CONSCIOUSNESS Nadiya Chursova

Political life modern Russia entirely dependent on the media. The art of forming obsessive images and manipulating public consciousness has reached such a technological level that makes it possible to shape the views and political preferences of people. The activities of the media are almost completely controlled by the state. IN " democratic society "There are also elements of propaganda. For successful indoctrination, a number of methods are used that shape the political culture and political consciousness of society. The purpose of the study is to consider the socio-psychological mechanisms of indoctrination through the formation of myths, stereotypes, images, rumors. Today, Russian society can hardly be called civil, because that the principles of a democratic state are not respected. The media audience is little involved in the political process, political decisions are made by the state elite and public opinion is often used as a factor of pressure on the masses. Most representatives of society do not consider their opinion decisive and remain passive. Manipulation is carried out using methods. subconscious stimulation, when the audience’s attitude to certain environmental phenomena is formed with the help of standardized simplified ideas (stereotypes, images, myths, rumors), which are introduced into the flow of “organized” news, automatically causing a negative or positive reaction in the mass consciousness to a specific event. The tasks of the media in the process of persuasion are to create a strong, sustainable attitude towards this phenomenon, not only the formation of beliefs, but also an incentive to action, the cultivation of habits. Throughout human history, various examples of suggestion can be discerned. Due to his biological nature, a person is subject to suggestion, imitation and contagion. Some psychologists argue that susceptibility to suggestion is a constant fate of a person. But the mechanisms of suggestion do not always work the same way. At various stages of its development, society may be more or less prone to suggestion. There is an opinion that in a society developing according to the laws of democracy, the mechanisms of logical persuasion operate more effectively. In conditions of tyranny, dictatorship, monarchy, people who are not accustomed to mental activity are most susceptible to suggestion. The attitudes of the younger generation in Hitler's Germany were changed within 5 - 8 years, in the Soviet Union within 10 years (from 1931 to 1941). Various techniques used for manipulation were developed in Germany during the First World War. For example, radio broadcasts used sound techniques that artificially intensified the aggressive feelings of the crowd. All Hitler's speeches were accompanied by music from Wagner's operas. Heavy, complex music had a depressing effect on listeners and created a feeling of an approaching war machine. The technique of “infection effect” of people in the crowd with a special emotional state was also used. Radio broadcasts of parades, marches, and rallies were carried out to whip up mass psychosis. According to the mechanism of behavior in a crowd, a person becomes part of the mass and falls under the power of passions. In my work, I consider suggestion through the formation of myths, images, rumors, but there are many other methods of suggestion that are also effective. One example is the mechanism of creating an “enemy image,” which is based on the idea of ​​dehumanization. The enemy must be different (of a different nationality), he must be aggressive, and he must be defended against. It is necessary to introduce only bad information about the enemy and create barriers to information that carries a positive assessment. For example, this method is described in the book “Psychological Warfare” by L. Laidbardzhir. The Germans, in the war with the French, sent false letters from various cities revealing that their (French soldiers') wives had committed adultery and that they had contracted venereal diseases. This technique was also used in propaganda during the Vietnam-American War. The Vietnamese were portrayed with the same face (in photographs in the media). In turn, the Vietnamese themselves perceived the Americans as “clumsy thugs.” The formation of a myth is the most effective historical mechanism of suggestion. In the modern situation, “myth” represents both the Greek term itself (mythos - legend, legend) and the meaning that was introduced by European scientists from the beginning of the 19th century. Cultural, national and religious institutions form myths, which are “a system modeled in the minds of the individuals within a group, the world and its fragments." [quoted from 4] The audience already has its own idea of ​​reality. Myth completes it and directs it in the right direction, either simplifying or transforming reality. Myth must be based on a specific tradition existing in society. It is impossible to introduce completely new distinct values, contrasting them with traditional ones. Myth-creation is natural for society. Society does not exist without a myth (the myth of the culture, the traditions of its people). the myth about the good of communism still lives in the consciousness of the older generation. The myth creates a “political fairy tale” in the minds of people. People need this fairy tale to believe, to work, to live for the benefit of someone, they just need to compose it competently, as soon as the Sami people. distribute roles and begin to play according to someone’s rules. Myth-making allows one to falsify political events and mythologize political figures. Memorial dates carried out by the state, celebration of anniversaries of historical events, honoring outstanding figures of our time, respect for symbols are also a way of mythologizing public consciousness. This method is widely used in the West. In our country, due to changes in the political system, symbols of statehood are only beginning to penetrate into consciousness. With the help of myths, the idea of ​​political leaders of the past is distorted. Thanks to myths, in the process of “democratization” of society, ideas about such people as Bukharin, Dzerzhinsky, Kerensky, Kolchak, Nicholas II, Stalin, Lenin, Trotsky radically changed. Sometimes a myth helps to refute the true facts of events, which are often perceived by people as fables. This is exactly how the stories of Afghans that they participated in a real war were perceived, since propaganda in the mass consciousness “fixed” the myth about a limited contingent of Soviet troops in Afghanistan. In such communicative situations, a psychological mechanism of biased assimilation of new knowledge operates. Experts argue that the possibilities for the emergence and spread of a mass social myth, as well as its abuse, with the help of mass media in modern society did not decrease, but increased. A myth can be introduced into consciousness through stereotypes. But the suggestion of information in the form of a stereotype is also a separate mechanism of socio-psychological influence on the audience. Most researchers agree that stereotypes can be “imposed” through the media. They are formed under the influence of two factors: unconscious collective processing and the individual sociocultural environment, as well as targeted ideological influence with the help of the media. In relation to political power, the older generation has a stereotype of an “imposing”, “firm hand” of a politician; the stereotype of “defensive consciousness,” that is, refusal to focus on the experience of others. The concept of “stereotype” was first coined by the famous American journalist Walter Lippman in 1922 in the book “Public Opinion”, where he defines a stereotype as a simplified, pre-accepted idea that does not arise from a person’s own experience. It arises on the basis of indirect perception of an object: “We are told about the world before we know it through experience.” Stereotypes, according to W. Lippman, initially arise spontaneously, due to the “inevitable need to save attention.” They contribute to the formation of traditions and habits among the population. They are the fortress that guards our own traditions, and under their cover we can feel safe in the position we occupy." Stereotypes influence the formation of new empirical experience: "They fill a fresh vision with old images and superimpose on that world ", which we perceive in our memory." Although the degree of their adequacy is extremely labile, stereotypes are predominantly inadequate images of objective reality, based on the “mistake” of a person who, out of habit, takes a biased vision.” “The stereotype is unambiguous; it divides the world into two categories - into “familiar” and “unfamiliar”. The familiar becomes a synonym for “good”, and the unfamiliar becomes a synonym for “bad.” [cited from 1] The stereotype contains an evaluative element. Lippman believed that the stereotype is neutral. The evaluative element acts in the form of an attitude, emotional communication. A stereotype is not just a simplification. It is “highly charged with feelings.” , is always correlated with group feelings and group actions. This led to the conclusion about the possible unity of stereotypes in certain social institutions and social systems. The stereotype, W. Lippmann further reflected, is not adequate. Stereotypes (“prejudices”) effectively control the entire process of perception, being the standard for assessing and, accordingly, protecting the individual belonging to a given group. Ultimately, stereotypes contribute to the process of interpreting the socio-political unity of a group. In this case, the formation of a stereotype goes through three stages, as a result of which a complex object is reduced to a scheme and well-known features. In the book “A Remedy for Millions” R. O'Hara names these three stages: the first is “alignment”, the second is “strengthening”, the third is “assimilation”. First, a complex differentiated object is reduced to several ready-made, well-known forms (features) , and then the selected characteristics of the object are given special significance in comparison with the one they had as constituent elements of the whole. Finally, the “aligned” and “strengthened” features of the object are selected to build an image that is close and meaningful to a given individual. situation, reacts automatically. “The intensity of the reaction,” according to O’Hara, “will depend on the intensity of the emotional impact, on the art of manipulating stereotypes. The mechanism of image formation in the process of mass communication is widely used in the election campaign. An external picture of the role is created, which allows the media. to reproduce in the mind an image that is radically different from the real person. What is important is not what the candidate offers, but what the audience perceives, which reacts to the image, and not to the person. The audience's impression of the image depends more on the media than on the candidate himself. The British psychologist Lazersfeld developed a technology for creating an image, which is still used by Western image makers. It lies in the fact that at a certain moment a problematic topic is launched across all media. For example, the ecological state of the region. Subsequently, a specific candidate makes serious and balanced statements, and competitors turn out to be not ready to discuss this topic. In particular, this technology was used in the United States during the Reagan-Carter election marathon in 1980. Foreign policy Jimmy Carter suited almost everyone. According to Gallup, the rivals' ratings differed by 1.5-2%. When a group of American diplomats were held hostage in Iran, Reagan sharply criticized the administration's foreign policy. Reagan's ratings have increased significantly. Television is the most effective in creating an image, because visual perception plays a big role in the process of influencing the opinion of the audience. An example of this is the case from the 1906 US election campaign, when Kennedy defeats Nixon. Kennedy then took full advantage of the then new television. The climax of the debate came when, in collusion with Kennedy's team, the temperature in the studio was raised. Nixon's makeup was running and he looked like a man sweating from questions. According to the results of TV viewer polls, Nikon lost the TV debate outright. However, it is interesting that those who listened to the debate on the radio believed that Nixon won. The mechanism of suggestion through rumors is most often used together with the mechanism of creating an image. Rumors are a type of information that appears spontaneously due to an information vacuum among certain segments of the population, or is specifically disseminated by someone to influence public consciousness. The conditions for turning ordinary information into rumors are that the information must be meaningful and understandable for the target of influence, and the possession of this information should help increase the prestige of the rumor's transmitter. In the election campaign, political strategists rely on rumors, disseminating this or that information important to the politician. Thus, based on the above, we see that the media play an important role in the process of instilling this or that political information. However, the effectiveness of the mechanisms of suggestion is directly related to the state of society at a given time, whether it is in a state of stability, or vice versa. The mechanisms of suggestion differ from each other in the quality and time of their impact. The formation of stereotypes is designed for a short period of time. Creating myths has a lasting impact on the audience. But all mechanisms are united by the fact that it is thanks to them that political culture and the consciousness of society are formed. Mechanisms of influence through the formation of images and rumors are designed for immediate impact (for example, during the election campaign). With the help of the media, the myth of nationality and traditions of the people is introduced into the public consciousness. People believe in the policies of their state, not noticing either the environmental disaster or other serious problems. Without a worldview formed by the media, society will no longer be able to exist at the information stage of its development. The only question is who controls the mechanisms of suggestion and with what intentions. The future of humanity depends on this.

The media, of course, play a significant role in the formation and dissemination of myths. By transmitting large volumes of information to a huge audience, they participate in the formation of public opinion, creating the image of a modern social world and have an impact both on individuals and on entire groups, including the masses. Thus, the media “create a favorable environment for the functioning of myths in the mass consciousness” Vasiliev S.S. Mechanisms and levels of introduction of myth into mass consciousness: mass media as an instrument of social myth-making / S.S. Vasiliev // Historical and socio-educational thought. 2009. No. 2. - P.38-47., especially considering that due to its specific nature, the media do not have demographic, social and national boundaries of action.

The principle of how the media works with myths is the same, however, television has long been the main “factory” of myths in Russia, so it should be given more attention. Today, TV, with the help of one of its main political products - television news - has created a virtual, mythological reality that daily influences the mood, actions, and behavior of millions of viewers. News forms a picture of the day, modern reality, and makes viewers believe that only those events that appear on television are happening in the world. At the same time, the selection and presentation of news shape the attitude of society and set assessments of events. This selection and classification of facts allows television news to manipulate the audience and makes it "an effective tool for political and economic influence." Tsuladze A.M. Political mythology. - M., ESKMO. 2003. - 383 p.

Tsuladze even concludes that “television news is myths,” while, in his opinion, “the mythological interpretation real events is carried out by television so believably that the viewer mistakes the myth for reality.” “Television takes over with a surge, pressure, countless repetitions and a change of bright “pictures” Tsuladze A.M. Political mythology. - M., ESKMO. 2003. - 383 p. and, like a kaleidoscope, captivates the viewer. Such hypnosis, Tsuladze believes, makes a person more suggestible, turns off consciousness, removes barriers to the perception of information and imposes its agenda. A person, turning into a consumer of television news, “becomes politically passive and inert, which is what is required to successfully manipulate the consciousness of the audience.” Ibid. And the faster the “kaleidoscope” spins, the more suggestible the TV viewer will become, Tsuladze is sure.

At the same time, having such significant power, Russian television does not allow the viewer to feel good and often creates a gloomy picture modern world. Thus, TV carries out a kind of “vaccination” of society: whipping up a negative atmosphere through news leads to depression and passivity of viewers. “Television, splashing streams of “chernukha” onto the audience, suppresses the will of people to resist, critical assessment reality. Moreover, after television horror films real life It’s starting to seem less scary.” Ibid. However, such methods of influence over the course of several years, writes Tsuladze, led to the opposite effect - a dulling of the population’s perception of even truly tragic events.

Religious Studies and Mythology

Consider the socio-psychological mechanisms of suggestion through the formation of myths, stereotypes, and rumors. The relevance of this topic is due to the fact that all this is happening before our eyes, and we do not notice it. The books by Sergei Kara-Murza “Manipulation of Consciousness” and Tkachenko S.V. “Information War against Russia” tell in detail about the management of public consciousness through the media.

Federal agency railway transport

Siberian State University communication lines

Department of Philosophy and Cultural Studies

Mythology and modernity

Abstract on the discipline "Philosophy"

Head Developed

Professor student gr. Mpm-112

Bystrova A.N. ____________ Bushuev E.A.

(signature) (signature)

_____________ ____________________

(date of inspection) (date of submission for inspection)

year 2013

INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………….3

CHAPTER I . LACK OF WILL IN MODERN SOCIETY…4

CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………………………….7

BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………………..8

INTRODUCTION

Mythology - (from Greek mythos legend, legend, story). Mythology is not only a collection of myths, that is, tales created by folk imagination, but it reflects phenomena of nature and social life. Myths intricately combined elements of realistic knowledge about reality, artistic images, moral norms, and religious ideas.

But also the type of functioning of cultural programs, which presupposes their perception by individual and mass consciousness. Man is a social creature. As Aristotle said, only gods and animals can live outside society. The individual is the ideal idea of ​​an isolated person that developed in the 17th century with the emergence of modern Western society. The Latin word individual itself is a translation of the Greek word, which in Russian means indivisible. In practice, the myth of the individual is not feasible; a person arises and exists only in interaction with other people and under their influence. A child raised by wild animals (such cases are known and studied. He is not human and survives in human society can not. Even a child isolated by his mother from other people does not become a person. This means that the behavioral program inherent in us biologically is not sufficient for us to be human. It is supplemented by a program written in cultural signs.

The purpose of the study is to consider the socio-psychological mechanisms of suggestion through the formation of myths, stereotypes, and rumors. The relevance of this topic is due to the fact that all this is happening before our eyes, and we do not notice it. The books by Sergei Kara-Murza “Manipulation of Consciousness” and Tkachenko S.V. “Information War against Russia” tell in detail about the management of public consciousness through the media.

Changes at the end of XX beginning of the XXI centuries have touched almost all spheres of public life developed countries politics, economics, law. The transition to an information society, the processes of globalization and the policy of multiculturalism, the global economic crisis, the wave of revolutions and wars, international terrorism and the confrontation between the “West” and the Muslim world these and other trends in social development directly affect the spiritual sphere, it is not without reason that many scientists talk about a split social consciousness, a crisis of worldview, the destruction of the value system of society and the individual. The media also played an important role in these processes.

CHAPTER I . LACK OF WILL IN MODERN SOCIETY

The media today are actively creating a unified information space, participating in socialization processes, and serving as one of the main channels for obtaining information. The focus and nature of the materials determines what views, stereotypes, opinions and types of worldviews the population will develop. The media are one of the most influential institutions involved in shaping public consciousness. However, the mass media do not always have a positive impact on society: many researchers have paid attention to manipulation through the media, believing that their main role in modern conditions is not so much informational as ideological.

Today, the media use a fairly wide range of methods of influencing public consciousness, among which are means of emotional influence (media violence, intimidation), changing the content of information (distortion, concealment of information, manipulation of the time and place of its presentation, hoax).

One of the most effective techniques impact on consciousness is mythologization purposeful introduction of socio-political myths fictitious models of reality into the public consciousness. Sergei Georgievich Kara-Murza describes the principle of action of myth in the following way: public consciousness: “Introduced into the consciousness of people and deeply entrenched there, a myth is capable of replacing reality for a long time (if certain prerequisites are present). As a result, the recipient perceives it in accordance with the interpretation of the myth and acts based on this perception. Myth relieves the recipient of the need to think hard and comprehend the world around him. A person no longer needs to understand the world; he takes a ready-made product, a myth about the world.”

Myth in modern society performs a number of functions. First of all, it complements the lack of knowledge when it is necessary to explain incomprehensible phenomena of social political life In addition, it performs other functions: axiological (orientation towards values ​​dictated by myth), integrating (unifying individuals into society), compensatory (function of consolation), ideological (formation of a worldview), normative-regulatory (influencing behavior). The implementation of these functions in society can be both positive and negative.

An important aspect of mythologization is the impact on the historical memory of society. Historical memory is the most important component of an individual, social group and society. It includes historical symbols and prototypes that provide information about the past.

The introduction of myths into the consciousness of the masses and individuals is facilitated by the low educational level of the population, a pliable political environment, lack of knowledge about the socio-political system, information overload, trust in the media and authorities, and reluctance to comprehend the events of reality and the information received. In addition, modern society is quite fragmented, and this significantly impedes the restoration of historical memory, which interferes with the mythologization of mass consciousness.

An important fact is that the consciousness of the masses contains elements of both the conscious and the unconscious. Mass consciousness by its nature is predisposed to belief in myth.

The process of mythologizing consciousness is most effective when it is directed not at an individual, but at a mass - the consciousness of the masses does not have reason, therefore its management is based on knowledge of the structure of myths and the prototypes underlying them. When they can be quietly introduced into the consciousness of the masses, as the cultural-information apparatus does, myths acquire enormous power because most people are unaware of the manipulation that is taking place. In this case, the manipulator is the government, the political elite, while through the media the authorities try to impose certain meanings on society and the masses, induce them to take action, increase their authority or, conversely, reduce the political weight of their opponents.

This scheme is especially relevant during the election period: the media, in order to please a certain political force, create such an image, the image of a candidate, that can have the most positive impact on the population. The political struggle is won by those who managed to induce the majority of voters to make a choice in their favor through various media channels.

A socio-political myth can be developed by various commercial organizations seeking to expand markets, increase their influence, win competition or maximize profits. In the case of the last goal maximizing profits we recall the myth of the new influenza A (H1N1), an epidemic, successfully implanted in the consciousness of the masses almost all over the world. In no time at all, the media spread this myth around the world, and pharmaceutical companies made huge profits.

One of the methods of information warfare is aimed at distorting historical memory: if people forget reality, then any problem can be presented using a myth.

Another myth aimed at weakening Russia is the myth of “Russian barbarism.” It is based on the idea that Russia is an uncivilized country in which tyranny has flourished and continues to flourish, that it remains medieval in the morals and spirit of the people, and that Russian people are wild by nature. This myth originated in Europe and still exists today, without changing the basic idea. The myth of “Russian barbarism” not only functions successfully in the minds of Western societies, but is also being introduced into Russian societies, causing great harm to them.

The political life of modern Russia depends entirely on the media. The art of forming obsessive images and manipulating public consciousness has reached such a level that it makes it possible to shape the views and political preferences of people. The activities of the media are almost completely controlled by the state. In a democratic society there are also elements of propaganda. For successful indoctrination, a number of methods are used that shape the political culture and political consciousness of society.

Today, Russian society can hardly be called democratic, because the principles of a democratic state are not observed in it. The population is little involved in the political process, political decisions are made by the state elite and public opinion is often used as a factor of pressure on the masses. Most members of society do not consider their opinion decisive and remain passive.

Various techniques used for manipulation were developed in Germany during the First World War. For example, radio broadcasts used sound techniques that artificially enhanced the aggressive mood of the crowd. All Hitler's speeches were accompanied by music from operas. Heavy, complex music had an overwhelming effect on listeners. The technique of “infection effect” of people in the crowd with a special emotional state was also used. Radio broadcasts of parades, marches, and rallies were carried out to whip up mass psychosis. According to the mechanism of behavior in a crowd, a person, becoming part of the crowd, falls under the power of emotions.

Another example is the mechanism for creating an “enemy image”. The enemy must be different (of a different nationality), he must be aggressive, and he must be defended against. It is necessary to introduce only bad information about the enemy and create barriers to positive information.


CONCLUSION

Obtaining information today has become as necessary a human need as many natural needs. The average person is exposed to media for several hours a day, and this figure is only increasing every year. Unfortunately, most people perceive facts without thinking about their reliability. Today, the media and some other public institutions can turn any event into a show that can lead to significant political events. Numerous manipulations lead to the fact that it is not the most worthy who wins, but the most cunning one, who did not skimp on dirty and vile methods to achieve the goal.

Methods of political manipulation are constantly being improved, its role in modern society is becoming greater every year. If earlier manipulation was used mainly within the state, with the aim of seizing, implementing and maintaining power, today manipulation methods are actively used at the international level.

Thus, today the media is an important part political system, exerting a significant influence on the development of the political life of modern society.


BIBLIOGRAPHY

  1. S.G. Kara-Murza “Manipulation of Consciousness.” M.: Eksmo, 2009.

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Shulga Nadezhda Viktorovna, Candidate of Philosophy, Associate Professor of the Department of Public Relations, Service and Tourism, Omsk State Transport University, Omsk [email protected]

Myth-making in the media

Abstract. The article examines the system of functioning of mythologies in mass political consciousness. The ways in which the media influence mass consciousness through mythological elements are highlighted. The main emphasis is on the methods of introducing political mythologies in the media. Key words: myth, mythologem, mass communications, media, political mythology.

The end of the century revived special interest in the study of political myths. The reality of the phenomenon of political mythology is associated with the massification of society, the crisis nature of political processes and social development in the twentieth century, the birth new strength public opinion management – ​​mediacracy; as a result, both individuals and government officials lack an integral, rationally constructed “picture of the world,” in which some elements of knowledge are replaced by archetypes and mythologies. A mythologeme is a constant of mythological thinking, on the one hand, and a unit of mythological discourse, on the other, which can be filled with various contents as a result of emotional reflection, mental processes and emerging social relations. Mythologemic constants recreate the mythological picture of the world in the public consciousness and in different conditions can be interpreted in different ways. We can identify a basic set of mythologies that are a strong framework of social consciousness: father, mother, death-life, illness (as a mediator), hero-villain, good-evil, path, golden age, mythology of the divine child, universal key, fate, etc. Their content in political communication can be modified in different ways, but general properties these constants will remain unchanged. We can say that it is these mythologemic constants that are the center around which a certain political mythology in its various modifications is built (spontaneously or artificially). Filling mythologies with new content represents the transfer of archetypal images to real objects of existence. Let us repeat that the mythologem is thus the closest channel for the actualization of archetypes. This allows it to be an effective tool for influencing public consciousness. Under the influence of mythologies, people begin to act in accordance with behavioral programs embedded in their unconscious. Domestic and foreign scientists identify a whole range of myth-making techniques. The first one to give detailed description techniques of political myth, was E. Cassirer. The famous researcher of mythological thinking E. Cassirer identifies three main techniques of “techniques for producing political myths”: changing the functions of language (magical use of words), rituals, prophecies. These techniques are, in essence, a simplified presentation of the system of ideological propaganda and are derived from a specific historical context. But, as historical experience shows, they are universal and are used in various political mythologies. The first technique that E. describes. Cassirer - a change in the functions of language - consists in the deliberate strengthening by the political subject of the myth-maker of the emotional function of language, which begins to dominate compared to the descriptive: “the descriptive and logical word was turned into a magical word.” Strengthening the emotional function of language lies in the fact that when using mythologemes, the initial appeal is not to reasonable arguments, but to super-rational values, i.e. to the word "magical". “A magic word does not describe things or relationships between things; it strives to produce actions and change natural phenomena.” R. Barthes wrote that the emotional function of language is inherent in the narration of myth. “Myth does not deny things - on the contrary, its function is to talk about things; he simply purifies them, comprehends them as something innocent, natural, eternal, makes them clear - but not explained, but simply stated.” The mythologem itself, with its inherent emotionally associative, metaphorical ideas about reality, is an attention-grabbing fragment of political discourse. A classic example is the Nazi mystical interpretation of the simple concepts of “nation”, “blood”, “soil”, “race”. National Socialist propaganda in Germany created its own language - the language of the Third Reich. “It was characterized by the introduction of many neologisms or the change, emasculation and falsification of old generally accepted terms and concepts that were adapted to the spirit and form Nazi ideology “The Soviet Union had its own “newspeak” (D. Orwell’s term in the dystopia “1984”), which reflected and modified reality, as the Soviet leaders wanted. Thus, in the Soviet state, everything was constantly renamed: positions (ministers became people's commissars), streets and cities, artificially created names appeared (Erlen - era of Lenin, Ninela - Lenin on the contrary), etc. Let us pay attention to the emotional load, in particular, the concept “People's Commissar”. Not only the character is important, but also the process of renaming itself. Le Bon spoke about the need for this action: “When, after various political upheavals and changes in religious beliefs, a deep antipathy to the images evoked by certain words arises in the crowd, then the first duty of a real statesman should be to change the words.” G. Le Bon considered the main duty of statesmen to be “renaming and naming with popular or neutral names those things that the crowd can no longer bear under the same names.” M.K. Mamardashvili believed that Newspeak returns consciousness to the primitive state of perception of words. “This is a completely primitive, pre-Christian state of some kind of magical thinking, where words are supposedly reality. So the point is not a censorship ban on words, but the fact that there is some kind of internal taboo, a magical taboo on words. After all, in magic they are identified with things. This machine was created by several decades of destruction of the language and the emergence of Soviet modern speech in its place, and the trouble is that for people who find themselves face to face with reality, this causes numbness of feelings and perceptions.” S.G. KaraMurza writes that in order to strengthen the “power of words” in modern Ukraine, people are being taught Newspeak. In the process of the “Orange Revolution,” the introduction of stable, emotionally charged, stereotypical phrases “pro-government candidate Yanukovych” and “people’s candidate Yushchenko” took place. Of course, all newly formed words cannot be reduced to Kassirer’s technique of changing the functions of language. But, on the other hand, modern political processes make it possible to add to the technique described by Cassirer new techniques of playing with words, characteristic of the language of the media, scientific and fiction literature, political journalism. In his classification, E. Cassirer put in second place the construction of a political ritual that forces it participants lose their sense of individuality and enter a state of ecstatic merging with the collective. In archaic societies, mythology and ritual formed an indispensable and rational part of everyday life. How does this manifest itself in political practice? This question sparked a debate in the 20-40s of the twentieth century, which gave rise to different opinions about the role of ritual and its relationship with mythology. M. Eliade asserted the priority of ritual over myth, considering myth as an element of ritual. K. LeviStrauss, on the contrary, insisted on the secondary nature of ritual, as if imitating mythical events and providing a reminder of them in Everyday life . The unity of myth and ritual was defended by B. Malinovsky. Myth and image, in his opinion, constitute two sides of primitive culture - verbal and effective. The result of the study of the mythology and rituals of the Papuans was Malinovsky’s book “Myth in Primitive Psychology,” which demonstrates the intellectual role of myth (codification of thought) and the role of ritual in consolidating morality and rationalizing social attitudes. Currently, most cultural scientists and historians consider ritual to be primary in relation to myth. But specialists who study modern mythology, on the contrary, often view myth as an idea that requires the introduction of new rituals. In our study, what is more important is that myth and ritual, as two forms of political communication, are interconnected; one without the other may lose meaning. Myth is realized through ritual, ritual is ensured by myth. Ritual acts as a means of programming behavior, a kind of formula that records the experience of the original heroic act, which requires regular repetition. V.N. Toporov sees its main function in the restoration of the Cosmos from Chaos, that is, in the implementation of a new creation of existence to replace the worn-out old one. M. Eliade interprets the meaning of ritual action as a cyclical reproduction of the past in the present, as a symbolic return to the era of “real people” (ancestor heroes) and “real events,” that is, to the heroic era when the foundations of the life structure of a given social community were laid. E. Cassirer notes: when a person enters the sphere of politics, which differs from the “worldly” in more complex rituals, his ordinary consciousness is not able to help him orient himself in the surrounding space, which forces him to resort to the help of political mythology, which is able to explain to him the meaning of political action as a certain rite. Thus, the main function of political ritual is to renew the idealized social order and to consolidate the ongoing changes in political life. At the same time, ritual also acts as a mechanism for the mythologization of public self-consciousness. A ritual is a certain set of actions. The difference from the usual process of life is that in the ritual the random is removed: this is a rigid canon. But ritual is not a simple repetition of certain actions (harvest, birth, etc.). Each action, each stage is accompanied by additional, meaningful actions. The action has its own meaning, the meaning of which is given by the ritual. It is in ritual that the individual experiences social existence. It is in ritual, as a system of collective actions, that a system of relations between people is formed, based on symbols and generating them. Ritual is simultaneously a means of describing the presented situation and, on the other hand, a means of relations with other spiritual entities, for example, gods and heroes. Repeated repetition of ritual actions can lead to a decrease in the ability to think critically, which leads to the possibility of manipulation of mass consciousness. In the dialectics of this issue, the aspect of the relationship between ritual and mythology seems interesting and least studied. What role do mythologems play in ritual? The answer to this question can be given based on the following definition of ritual: “Ritual is the public reproduction in symbolic actions of an allegorically expressed collective experience with the aim of bringing the participants of the ritual into conformity with it. personal experience and social relationships, as well as public recognition of one’s social status and the corresponding public image (mythical image) as the authorized custodian of part of the collective experience.” The mythologeme is what is being claimed mythical image . In essence, the mythologem is the mask that a politician puts on before entering the political arena. A mythologeme can also become a mini-plot for a ritual, the basis of which is an archaic mythological plot, or old pagan rituals. A striking example is the ritual of presidential inauguration, which exists in various countries: inauguration is a phenomenon of a traditional society, originally based on a mythological tradition.V. Polosin examines political and state rituals that are performed with the aim of strengthening the unity of nations and self-organization of society. He distinguishes three types of state ritual: national-political (city days, establishment of “boards of honor”, ​​elections to local authorities), religious-political (the appearance of political figures in the temple on religious holidays), imperial (inauguration ceremony). In all these rituals, there is a moral identification of the ritual participants with the prototypical heroes of the past, present or future. The mythologem in the ritual is assigned the function of arousing a sense of the greatness of one’s own nation (or social group) and its superiority over others. One of the ways to achieve this is also to develop an image of an enemy - real or conditional, earthly or otherworldly. The ritual often involves a symbolic victory over an enemy in some form. In peaceful and everyday life, a peculiar modification of the ritual method of wrestling is present in sports, which can be considered as a prerequisite for the politicization of its results (“the success of athletes in the international arena is the prestige of the state”). N.I. Shestov believes that “...modern political ritual automatically copies foreign models or national archaism.” For example, Soviet rituals for joining the Komsomol or initiation into pioneers closely resemble archaic baptismal rites in Christianity, and Red Square in Moscow is an ideal place for the symbolic performances that are necessary to maintain the political myth. The description of Red Square given by S. Moscovici is similar to the description of a sacred place for “meetings” with gods in ancient civilizations or sacrifices. “Located in the city center, it is bordered on one side by the Kremlin; This former religious center, where kings used to be crowned, became the administrative center of Soviet power, symbolized by the red star. Lenin, in his marble mausoleum, guarded by soldiers, gives it the solemn character of the presence of the immortalized Revolution. In the niches of the wall lie deceased celebrities who protect the square; a human chain is built towards them, uniting the masses outside with highest hierarchy , enclosed inside. In this space, in miniature, the whole history reveals itself, and with it the whole concept of unifying the people.” It should be noted that modified mythologemes are not always successfully correlated with selected rituals, and it is not always possible to provide a new ritual with a successfully selected mythological component. Another technique discussed by Cassirer is prophecy. “The politicians of our time,” writes Cassirer, “have well learned that large masses of people are more easily moved by the power of imagination than by simple coercion... Prophecy has become an essential element of the new political technology,” which can be found at any stage of the political process in any society. “Prophecy,” says N.I. Shestov, warns the masses and political institutions against something and indicates a significant goal, which confirms the right of organized force to exist and even coerce the unorganized masses. Political prophecy, in addition, prevents the possibility of a gap between an organized political force (party, movement) and unorganized citizens attracted to political creativity.” As a rule, in politics, prophecies are based on forecasting, which is carried out by scientists. Politicians convey these prophecies to the population in the most imaginative form possible. Turning into a prophecy, the forecast is simplified, “flattened”, its individual aspects are hypertrophied, attitudes and assessments are polarized - all these are changes characteristic of mythological thinking. For example, modern analysts predict the irreversibility of democratic changes in Russia - politicians prophesy about the coming social ideal (or eschatological catastrophe). Prophecy can be considered as a universal tool for managing the political process and legitimizing the activity of its participants. The universal basis for prophecy is the mythology of the Golden Age. The Golden Age is discovered in the distant past as an ideal that can be achieved in a new round of historical progress. Increased attention to this mythology is typical for nationalist, totalitarian ideologies of the first half of the twentieth century, as well as for the programs of parties coming to power, or, conversely, those who have lost power and are striving for it again. In the latter case, appealing to this mythologeme is simply necessary: ​​following the recognition of the fact of the inevitable growth of the crisis situation and the proposal of new radical measures to correct it, the image of a bright past or future should appear. It should be noted that modern politicians know very well that large masses of people are much easier to control by the power of imagination than by brute physical force. And they masterfully use this knowledge. The politician becomes something of a public predictor of the future. The most incredible and unrealistic promises are made. Prophecy became an integral element in the new technique of social management. The Golden Age is predicted again and again. It was named when describing prophecy, but the popularization of scientific information can also be highlighted as an independent technique. This refers to the adaptation of this information to the needs of mass consciousness created by the circumstances of the political process. A typical example of this option may be party programmatic myth-making. Each party strives to convince society that only its program is scientifically substantiated and objectively has a chance of success. In addition, this technique is used in political journalism and scientific literature, which we consider as channels for the introduction of political mythologies. For example, the well-known historiographical mythologem “Moscow – the Third Rome” arose as a magical formula, a journalistic image without any preliminary logical justification and according to a different scheme than stated by E. Cassirer. N.I. Shestov, in his monograph, examines this technique in great detail using the example of Soviet-era mythologies. He gives an example of the mythologies of “Soviet totalitarianism” and “party leadership”, which were born in scientific texts of political philosophy, and subsequently in political journalism. “...The denial of the principle of organized political leadership was initially based not on reasonable practical arguments, but on an appeal to super-rational values, that is, the “magic word.” Further, the mythologeme “party leadership” was consolidated in the mass consciousness through memoirs, for example, N.N. Sukhanov and A.F. Kerensky. This is how N.I. Shestov describes the technique of introducing the mythology of “party leadership” in scientific literature. “To reproduce the mythology of the “party leadership”, simple agitation appealing to the feelings of the Soviet people was no longer enough... It became necessary to promote the principle of party leadership, its logical justification with examples of the historical past... Hundreds of scientific and journalistic works were written, in which a comprehensive (and magical, both emotional and purely scientific) justification for the decisive role of party leadership in various spheres of public life... Thanks to such comprehensive support, the principle of party leadership was steadily revived in the minds of each new generation of Soviet people.” In other words, science in this way ensured the stability of Soviet socio-political mythology and supported its influence on the political process. In political journalism, not only new mythologems are constructed, but also mythological images of politicians, heroes of the time and their enemies are created. For example, “the image of Yu. Andropov was created by the writer Yulian Semenov, the historian Nikolai Yakovlev and his “own” organization - the KGB. Semyonov’s works “Seventeen Moments of Spring” and “TASS is Authorized to Declare” created a popular and noble image of the security agencies, reflections of which also fell on the figures of their leader. N. Yakovlev wrote the book “CIA against the USSR”, which went through three editions, showed the scale of the Cold War and the significance of the enormous work of the security service. The KGB orientated the Western public to the fact that the head of the Soviet security service is a democrat by nature, speaks English, smokes Kent, is fond of Fleming, and expelled Solzhenitsyn from the country in order to preserve him as an artist of words.” Tsuladze takes away main role in the construction of political myths for writers. Stalin also called writers “engineers of human souls.” Soviet writers constructed heroic images commissioned by the leader, which then captured the imagination of millions of Soviet people. During “perestroika”, it was writers who destroyed Soviet mythology, creating works such as “Children of the Arbat”, “The Scaffold”, “The Golden Cloud Spent the Night”, etc. Dissident literature played a special role in the destruction of Soviet myths, especially the novels of Solzhenitsyn and Pasternak. In the mid-1990s Yuliy Dubov wrote the novel “The Big Ration”, forming not only the image of the main character of Lungin’s film “Oligarch” - Platon Makovsky, but also the literary image of the main anti-hero of Russia - Boris Berezovsky. Dubov created the image of a hero of the 90s - a kind of Robin Hood who steals money from under the noses of the party KGB nomenklatura. Thus, according to N.I. Shestov, political journalism popularizes scientific ideas and plays the role of a mediator in the information exchange between society and government. Mythologems included in the fabric of journalistic reasoning have the most effective impact in political communication. The study of literary myth-making allows us to more accurately understand the relationship between political myth and public sentiment. Symbolization of facts and hyperbolization of phenomena of reality is another technique for constructing political mythologies. Analyzing modern visual means of propaganda, R. Barth showed how the fabrication of illusions of the mass consumer of magazine products occurs. He cites the example of PariMatch magazine from 1956, whose cover “depicts a young African in a French military uniform; taking his visor, he looks up at the waving French flag.” Analyzing this image, R. Barthes shows, first of all, its meaning. It lies in the fact that France is a great empire, and all its sons, regardless of skin color, serve under its banner. In this sense, the message is also addressed to all those who criticize the colonial system. Look, this young African is serving his so-called oppressors with zeal. The image on the cover of the magazine (an African soldier saluting under the French flag) is what Barthes calls the “primary semiological system.” The “secondary semiological system” here will be that message, the meaning that represents the ideas of belonging to the French nation and military duty (both of these ideas, according to Barthes, are mixed here). The mythological system consists of the two named semiological systems. Of these, the first acts as the “language of the object”, and the second as the “metalanguage”, or myth as such.R. Barthes calls myth a “stolen language.” According to the scientist, myth transforms meaning into form, and a system of facts into a semiological system. Myth is practically omnivorous, since it is capable of using any material - a word, an image, anything, except, perhaps, poetic language, which, according to Barthes, offers it the greatest resistance. “If we perceive the signifier of myth as an inextricable unity of meaning and form, then the meaning becomes dual for us; in this case we experience the mechanics of the myth, its own dynamics, and become its readers: the image of the African soldier... is a direct representation of the French empire... If we focus on the bare signifier, the concept will unambiguously fill the form of the myth. In this case we have a simple system in which the meaning becomes literal again: the African soldier saluting is an example of the French empire, its symbol. This type of perception is characteristic of myth-makers, for example, of a magazine editor, who takes a concept and finds a form for it. R. Barthes shows that there is not only a number of ways to perceive myth as a message, but there is also freedom of choice in perception. You can take the position of a naive consumer, or you can take the place of a myth creator. You can even find yourself in the role of a mythologist, a specialist in the criticism of myths. This, in essence, does not change anything. Myths are produced and consumed. For the mass consciousness, myth plays the role of an intrusive companion that does not stop speaking even when we have already lost faith in the veracity of its words. For the development of the state and nation, the significance of the symbols and images of the country is very great. “Any community unites around certain symbols, be it a tribal totem pole, religious rituals, ancient Mayan pyramids, banknotes and ideals of “freedom,” street names or sculptures, in general, as in a fable, under certain conditions, even a “wooden block” in a frog’s shape kingdom is not the worst reason for admiration and unification. In a special row - people are symbols, as a rule, fictional and real heroes, from Ilya Muromets to Uncle Sam, Mao, Lincoln or Buddha." Political reality can be transformed into myth through imagery. In France, one of the symbols of the state is Marianne. Every year, one of the country's famous women takes on this image, becoming for a time a symbol of France. In this case, the process is two-way: not only, for example, a famous actress visualizes a symbolic image, but this image is additionally emotionally enriched due to the attitude of the mass consciousness towards the actress herself. In Russia, the image of the country is symbolized by “Motherland”. The mythologeme of the Motherland is not just a fact of consciousness, it is something more, being the center of gravity and the dominant social behavior of people, uniting a disparate multitude into a single society with certain traditions, a way of thinking and perceiving the world. The image of the Motherland is “the main guarantor of preventing the replacement of the image of the nation with any philosophical or religious ideal, which will immediately divide relatives into “us” and “strangers” on ideological grounds.” It is complemented by images of a “small homeland” - a necessary condition for love for the great Motherland. Small Motherland“begins,” as we know, with microhistory—with family, relatives, “with that song that our mother sang to us,” “with father’s old Budenovka, which we found somewhere in a closet,” and microspace—home, “old and faithful comrades living in the neighboring yard.” “Microhistory and microspace, embedded in a bright child’s perception, are poeticized, become sublime and spiritualized, standard for all subsequent life.” According to V. Polosin, the process of identifying “small homelands” with one great Motherland within any specific spatial boundaries is the most complex historical task, and it is the unresolvedness of this issue that is fundamental reason chaos and confusion. “This identification is possible only if a complete picture of existence is formed in the public consciousness, i.e. the mythology of society, both general cultural, religious, and political, will be national at the same time.” As for such a technique as exaggeration of facts of reality, it is characteristic of almost every political myth. According to E. Cassirer, in myth “there are no specific differences between different areas life, nor certain permanent, stable forms exist. Sudden metamorphosis can transform every thing into any other." There are no frozen forms in myth; reality is dynamic and euphoric. The ordinary and the supernatural do not come into any contradiction. This flexibility and plasticity of the political myth gives the politician enormous opportunities. Any object in reality can be endowed with supernatural properties. Windmills become “giants,” and heads of state “fathers of nations.” Myth is generally characterized by hyperbole—exaggeration becomes the main formative element. Only in myth is hyperbole a means of typification, an indispensable way of creating that very great ideal reality. To sum up all of the above, we can say that a historical comparative analysis of events from different times shows: they have common elements - certain mythologems that form the core of various ideological movements . Mythologems constructed five thousand years ago and in the last decades of the 20th century practically do not differ from each other in internal logic. New content is put into mythologems, and with this new content they freely enter the mass political consciousness of people through media channels, journalism, scientific and memoir literature. Mythologems, used with knowledge of their functionality and specific features, can have a serious impact on the implementation of a certain plan in relation to political reality; in the words of R. Barth, “the political insignificance of a myth depends only on the external situation. As we know, myth has value; by changing its environment, the general (and transient) system in which it is placed, its effect can be precisely regulated.”

Links to sources 1. Kassirer E. Technique of modern political myths // Bulletin of Moscow State University. –Sir. 7. Philosophy. –1990. –No. 2. –P.160–166.2.Barth R. Mythologies. –M.: Sabashnikov Publishing House, 1996. –320 p. 3. Bart R. Decree. Op. 4.Bart R. Myth today // Bart R. Selected works: Semiotics. Poetics. -M.: Progress; Universe, 1994. pp. 72–130.5. Lebon G. Psychology of masses. –Minsk, M., 2000. –320 pp. 6. Gadzhiev K. Political philosophy. – M.: Economics, 1999. –606 p. 7. Bart R. Myth today. Decree. Op.8. Polosin V.S. Myth. Religion. State. –M.: Ladomir, 1999. –440 p.9. Shestov N.I. Political myth now and before / Ed. prof. A.I. Demidova. –M.: OLMAPRESS, 2005. –414 p. 10. Shestov N.I. Decree. Op. 11.Cassirer E. Decree. op. 12. Shestov N.I. Op. op. 13. Belkin A. Leaders or ghosts. –M.: Olympus, 2001. –287 p. 14. Shestov N.I. Decree. op. 15. Sukhanov N.N. Notes on the revolution. In 3v. –M., 1991.–1030 pp.; 16. Shestov N.I. Decree. op. 17. Ibid. 18. Tsuladze A. Political mythology. –M.: Eksmo, 2003. –384 p. 19. Shestov N.I. Decree. op.20.Barth R. Myth today.Decree. op.21.Barth R. Mythologies. Decree. op.22.Bart R. Myth today. Decree. Op.23. Misyurov D. Modeling sociopolitical interaction based on the formation of state symbols in Russian Federation: state and prospects. –M.: MAKS Press, 2004. –112 p. 24. Polosin V.S. Decree. Op. 25. Ibid. 26. Ibid. 27.CassirerE. Experienced man. –M.: Gardarika, 1998.–784 p.

28.BartR. Mythologies. Decree. Op.

Shulga Nadezhda,Ph.D. in philosophy, associate Professor of the Department “Public relations, service and tourism”, Omsk State Transport University, [email protected] mythmaking in the mediaAbstract. The article considers the system of functioning of the myths in the mass political consciousness. Identified methods of influence of mass media by means of mythological elements in the mass consciousness. The main emphasis is on the methods of implementation of political myths in the media.Keywords:myth, mythology, mass communications, mass media, political mythology.

Gorev P. M., candidate of pedagogical sciences, editor-in-chief of the magazine “Concept”