Modern Management of Media Environment: Negative Effects for the Society of Today

Journal of Environmental Treatment Techniques

2019, Volume 7, Issue 4, Pages: 836-840

J. Environ. Treat. Tech.

ISSN: 2309-1185

Journal weblink: http://www.jett.dormaj.com

Modern Management of Media Environment:

Negative Effects for the Society of Today

2,3

Gennadi B. Pronchev , Nadezhda G. Proncheva , Inna V. Goncharova

Department of Sociological Research Methodology, Faculty of Sociology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

Department of Mathematical Modeling and Applied Mathematics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow, Russia

Department of Sociological Research Methodology, Faculty of Sociology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

Received: 19/06/2019

Accepted: 02/10/2019

Published: 30/02/2020

Abstract

The objective of this paper is analyzing information threats arising for the contemporary society during media globalization.

Currently, the most important driver for media environment management is globalization processes. Methodological basis of the

research is formed by the comparative law, systemic and structural, logical and semantic analysis. As the empirical basis of the

research, secondary data of Russian and foreign researchers, statistical data of the state agencies were used. In the work, a number of

methodological aspects of studying the media environment have been analyzed. Classification is given of information threats

emerging in the media environment. The state management of the Russian Federation aimed at neutralizing any arising information

threats is discussed. As the most important measure for countering the information threats, the authors suggest improving the level of

education of media environment users both in the sphere of natural sciences and humanities. The results of the research are of interest

for specialists dealing with problems of media environment management and globalization.

Keywords: Media Environment Management, Globalization, Media Threats, Fake News, Information Confrontation

lead to the change of social reality and transformation of

interaction models in it" (5).

Media globalization has both positive and negative

effects.

Introduction

In the latest decades, the world globalization processes

have produced the decisive impact on evolution of the media

environment. M.A. Eliseeva (2019) notes: "The

contemporary social processes conditioned by globalization

increasingly include each individual subject and various

social groups into the single world network of social

ideologemes, meanings and cultural codes formed and

broadcast … by means of the media environment. In the daily

life reality of a contemporary person, the media environment

plays the leading part, not only immediately "here and now"

registering the social given but also encoding it through the

people's consciousness, to a certain extent getting the best of

the objective world. The entire number of phenomena

announced by the media are perceived by people as a real

given, as something "actually happening". Thus, involvement

of subjects into the media environment becomes not less

important that the association with their own cultural

traditions. The processes occurring in the media environment

To the positive consequences, one can refer the fact that

globalization processes promote faster implementation of

technological innovations into the global media environment,

they open up boundaries for the fast exchange of large data

arrays between countries. Social and cultural exchange is

boosted, mutual trust is build up, and the united public

opinion is formed. Ultimately, this leads to normalization of

international relations between countries. The negative

consequences include the fact that globalization processes

contribute to the sprawl of data array, which hinders

searching for the relevant information. The stream of false

information is increased, and the opportunities for

manipulating users of the information expand. M. McLuhan

(

1994) emphasizes that "the media initially aspired to gain

power over the human consciousness by means of illusory

constructs. On the one hand, man enjoys the broad

opportunities of "digital technologies" but on the other hand

he becomes weak, controllable and depending" (14).

Manipulation can lead to media addiction and deviant

behavior. A user can fall a victim to cyber crime etc.

Corresponding author: Gennadi B. Pronchev, Department

of Sociological Research Methodology, Faculty of Sociology,

Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia. E-

mail: pronchev@rambler.ru.

836

Journal of Environmental Treatment Techniques

2019, Volume 7, Issue 4, Pages: 836-840

This paper is going to consider information threats arising

in the media environment globalization process and to

analyze the state management of the Russian Federation

aimed at neutralizing the information threats emerging in the

media environment.

development of technologies, change can be seen in the

conventional mass media, such as radio, television and

printed press. The way information is presented and its

content have been changed. This is particularly strongly

sensed in the worldwide web. Website-based radio stations

can be listened to in any point of the world. This information

can be accessible in the printed version, too, which allows

finding one's bearings quickly in the information broadcast

by radio stations" (12).

Literature Review

J.M. Dzyaloshinskiy (2001) notes that the "information

environment" can be viewed from three various standpoints:

the geopolitical, the information and noospheric, and the

social one.

The "media environment" is a part of the "information

environment", so the same approaches are applicable to it.

With the geopolitical approach, the media environment is

viewed as a "virtual territory" including various media- and

human resources belonging to a particular state. In this case,

the media environment "has two main attributes: being a

container of something and having boundaries"

Meanwhile, the media environment subject to

globalization is itself a tool of globalization. V.V. Fokina

(

2013) states that "the contemporary mass media are not

limited by the local or national spaces and audiences when

functioning as actors of the present-day world. CNN, BBC,

Al-Jazeera, Russia Today, and Euronews are not only the

leading countries of the world's tools of influence but also

produce quite an impact on the world public opinion, national

politics and world politics" (6).

Thus, media globalization, regardless of its advantages

and disadvantages, is the main trend in the contemporary

media environment. In order to gain more dividends and

mitigate the negative effects of media globalization, special

actions have to be undertaken by the state.

At present, two approaches to responding to globalization

of the media environment have been formed in Russia (3).

The supporters of the first approach suggest that

technological basis has to be developed to a greater extent,

and the required information and communication

infrastructure has to be created. According to them, for this,

the following steps have to be taken (3):

(

Dzialoshinskiy, 2001), and the procedure of interaction of

information and communication technologies, information

processes and users is determined by this state's law. The

geopolitical approach allows analyzing various political

processes taking place in the media environment. These are,

for example, political campaigns, information confrontation

(

15, 16), information wars (10) etc.

With the information and noospheric approach, the media

environment is considered as a space incorporating "token

information units: knowledge, convictions, beliefs, value-

related ideas" (18). This approach is also called the

culturological one. Within it, styles, genres and

representation forms can be analyzed.

With the sociological approach, the media environment is

analyzed from the point of view of relationships between

users and social groups in the process of obtaining,

processing, storing, distributing and consuming the

information. Within sociology of culture, mass

communication sociology etc., various social aspects of the

media environment can be studied: social structure and

stratification of users (22, 23), mechanisms of the media

environment influence on socialization of the young people



reorganizing the system of communication

enterprises and ensuring the even development of areas;



developing the competition;

creating the efficient legislative and regulatory

framework for implementing the generally accepted in the

world market operators' interaction principles in Russia;



forming the efficient industry sales markets;

developing the efficient tariff regulation methods for

the communication services;



developing the mechanisms of supporting the national

output in the field of infra-communications;

(

19) etc.

According to a number of researchers, in conditions of



ensuring the state support of propagating the Internet

globalization, when the boundary of the "territory" or "virtual

territory" is difficult to identify, the "geopolitical approach"

to analyzing the "media environment" turns out to be little

efficient and little promising (2, 18).

infrastructure for schools, higher education institutions,

libraries, and social infrastructure objects;



ensuring the state support of programs of

implementing the Internet services into all spheres of life of

the Russians.

However, in the authors' opinion, the events of the recent

years are indicative of the opposite. Commencing from V.V.

Putin's Munich speech of 2007 (24), continuous aggression

has been pursued in the global media environment toward

Russia on the part of the "West". Its objective is the change

of political power in Russia (10). The situation was especially

aggravated after the Crimea events of 2014 (25). The authors

believe the processes currently occurring in the global media

environment cannot be studied without taking geopolitics into

account.

It is globalization processes that are the main "manager"

of the contemporary media environment determining its

structure, content and development. Yu.V. Markina (2016)

points out that "under the rapid globalization and

The supporters of the second approach suggest that the

state has to enhance the role of Russia in the global

information environment as a priority concern and to guard

against excessive expansion of other states. Technological

framework has to be developed based on the Russian

components in order to reduce the dependence on the West in

these aspects. The presence of the Russian mass media in the

other countries' markets has to be increased. First of all, this

has to be done in the CIS markets within the orbit of Russia's

vital interests. Russia can control not only the Russian-

language but also non-Russian-language mass media of these

countries. Promising markets of business and politics based

Journal of Environmental Treatment Techniques

2019, Volume 7, Issue 4, Pages: 836-840

on the international standards that are clear to foreign users

have to be tapped (3).

volume is observed. According to the data of a study

conducted by IDC, the volume of the total world's data will

have grown up to 175 zettabyte by 2025 from the 33

zettabyte of 2018. Almost 30% of these data will have to be

processed in the real-time mode (26).

The information stream becomes a factor jeopardizing the

development of personality. This is especially dangerous for

children and the young people who due to their age do not

have sufficient life experience yet (19).

As it has been noted above, globalization of the media

environment entails an entire range of information threats

both for individuals and for the whole social groups, which

allows speaking about the necessity to ensure security in this

sphere. Malicious activity within the media environment can

change behavioral and mental condition of people, violate

their rights for the freedom of choice etc.

In the Doctrine of information security of the Russian

Federation approved by Decree of the President of the

Russian Federation No. 646 dated December 5, 2016,

information security of the Russian Federation is determined

as the "condition of protection of individuals, society and the

state against the internal and external information threats,

under which fulfillment of constitutional rights and liberties

of people and citizens, decent quality and level of life of the

citizens, sovereignty, territorial integrity and sustainable

social and economic development of the Russian Federation,

defense and security of the state are ensured" (1).

According to the survey conducted by the All-Russian

Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) among the

Russians aged 18 to 24, the Internet global network is used

by 97% (30). Virtual social environments of the Internet are

for them the main source of the latest news about the events

in the country and in the world. It should be noted that in the

recent years researchers have registered a reduction in

consumption of printed news media and an increase in the

popularity of their Internet versions. In particular, according

to the data of VCIOM, in 2014, the Internet sources were

used by 54% of the Russians, while it was already so many as

58% in 2017. The percentage of young people aged 18 to 24

actively using the online mass media amounts to 80% (29).

In the case of over-saturation with information, increase

of the volume of digital data, there arise considerable

difficulties in managing the information (search, obtaining,

storage, processing, transfer of the information). Meanwhile,

financial expenses for the information system grow

significantly, with their efficiency decreasing, the most

frequently. So, the problem of unwanted "information

garbage" comes up that has severe negative consequences:

Methodological Framework

The objective of this research is the analysis of

information threats arising in the process of media

globalization.

The main tasks of the research are:

Analyzing the methodological approaches to

studying the media environment;

Analyzing the information threats arising in the

process of media globalization;

Analyzing the Russian state

management aimed at neutralizing any information threats

arising in the media environment.

In order to complete tasks associated with analyzing the

information threats arising in the process of media

globalization, the following research methods were used: the

comparative law one, the systemic and structural one, and the

logical and semantic analysis.

The comparative law method was used for identifying the

common and the different between the authorities of law

within the legal system of the RF and the system of

international law according to the elements of media threats.

The use of systemic and structural method allowed

finding out the influence of global processes on the media

environment and analyzing them in more detail.

The logical and semantic analysis was used for finding

the correct definitions.

In the work, results and secondary data of the Russian

and foreign researchers, official statistics data of Russia's

state authorities and the international organizations are used.



the analysis of a large volume of information is

Federation

very time-consuming;



the very analysis requires a high qualification of

users for them to separate the necessary information from the

useless one;



the bogus information can be "legalized" in case

the user lacks skills.

With regard to this, one cannot but mention the so-called

"fake information" or "fake news" that is popular in the

contemporary media environment. There can be various

reasons behind generating such news: sensationalism,

creation of newsworthy events for the mass media, the

contemporary web-based press lacking time for verifying

content, as well as the deliberate creation and reproduction of

knowingly false news, with various goals pursued

subsequently (27).

As an example of "fake news", one can cite the planted

into the media environment myth about Russia's alleged

interference with the 2016 presidential election campaign in

the USA and criminal conspiracy with D. Trump. Even after

the official inquiry led by the special counsel Robert S.

Mueller III has found no conspiracy with Russia of either

Donald Trump or his election campaign team at all, a part of

the American mass media keeps stirring this topic up (13).

Or else, the test tube allegedly containing mass

destruction weapon that was shown by Colin Powell (2003),

the former Secretary of State of the USA, during his speech

at the session of the UN Security Council on February 5,

Results and Discussion

The creation of the new Doctrine of information security

(

1) indicates that the problem of information security of the

country in general and of individuals in particular has not

only remained on schedule but also aggravated even more

due to new information threats having emerged.

One of such threats is the deluge of information, or, as it

is also called, the "information flooding", as a result of which

an almost uncontrollable surge of incoming information

2003, alone says a lot (21). Essentially, this test tube became

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2019, Volume 7, Issue 4, Pages: 836-840

the "proof" of guilt of the leaders of Iraq and the reason for

military intervention into the country.

violent nature; extremist information, including that of the

terrorist, religious or nationalist tenor (28).

The far-fetched "Case of the Skripals' poisoning" in Great

Britain is from the same range: the guilt of their poisoning is

ascribed to the Russian security services without evidence"

Deviant behavior in the media environment can lead

users to cyber crime. In the recent years, regrettably, the

quantity of cyber crimes has been increasing, with the harm

thereof looming. So, for example, on June 27, 2017, dozens

of companies in Russia and the Ukraine suffered the attack of

the Petya computer virus. In Russia, computer servers of

Rosneft, Bashneft, Evraz companies, Russian branches of

Mars, Mondeles and Nivea companies were attacked. In the

Ukraine, these were computers of Kievenergo and Ukrenergo

companies, Oschadbank and Antonov concern. Due to the

virus, automatic monitoring of industrial platform in

Chernobyl nuclear power plant was also switched off

temporarily. The Petya virus was spread through links in e-

mail messages and locked the user's access to the computer

hard disk drive, demanding a Bitcoin ransom (20).

(

11). So, sanctions were introduced against Russia.

In order to make it seem plausible, authors of the fake

news frequently use parenthetical words or word

combinations such as "obviously…", "highly likely", "a well-

known expert/official said…", "according to credible

sources…". This simple trick can mislead inexperienced

users of information, for example, the young people.

The foreign anti-Russian fake news is very frequently

used in the information warfare against Russia (11). They

have quite clear tasks: discrediting the image of Russia,

Russian organizations or Russian citizens in the eyes of the

world public. Based on its own fake news, the "West" makes

managerial decisions at the top level. For example, there are

contrived pretexts for introducing various anti-Russian

sanctions which ultimately harm not only Russia but also the

very countries having introduced them.

Technologies of malware spreading evolve quickly. The

transition from sending malware via e-mail to online attacks

via malicious web applications and social networks is in

progress.

As A. Dughin (2003) notes, "in the majority of the

modern societies, functions of the mass media are quite

comparable with the power of some authorities and they

exceed the latter in some aspects. While some time ago the

mass media were considered as a tool of independent public

control over the activity of the authorities, currently they …

are the obtrusive planting of certain preset clichés – imagery,

psychological, fragmented and conceptual ones. The mass

media actually influence the society, shape its priorities,

tastes, and to an immense extent predetermine its demand –

the economic, esthetic and political one. The mass media

seek the complete independence in order to render their

power, the might of their influence autonomous. All other

branches of power – the legislative, the executive and the

judicial ones – restrict each other" (4).

Currently, a serious problem in the media environment is

media addiction that consists in the situation when "the more

one depends on one's needs being satisfied as a result of using

the mass media, the more significant their role in one's life is,

therefore, the more sought after these mass media are" (9). In

a particular situation, the media-addicted users can face the

need to choose a valid information source between the

authorities and the mass media, if the standpoints thereof are

not the same. Evidently, it is the mass media that have an

opportunity to respond to recent developments more readily

than the authorities. The mass media sense the users' moods

and feelings more keenly, too.

The consequences of media addiction are the user's

absorbing social values and norms propagated in the media

environment. However, these values are not always up to the

moral and legal standards adopted in the "real" society where

the user lives. In the media environment, network

communities have become widespread that host materials of

slanderous, false or hostile nature toward individuals or social

groups. It is very frequently the case that in these

communities’ deviant behavior of users is observed, as well

as manifestations of violence and aggression in various

forms: digital verbal aggression toward other users or groups

of users in the Internet; online gaming of aggressive and

When the "Direct line with Vladimir Putin" was

broadcast on June 20, 2019, the call-center of the program

was DDoS attacked. Due to this, there were malfunctions

during some calls of the Russians. The attack led from abroad

was fenced off successfully (7).

Conclusion and Recommendations

Currently, the most important driver of media

environment management is globalization processes. These

processes have both positive and negative effects.

Globalization processes promote the implementation of

technological innovations into the media environment, they

open up boundaries for the fast media content exchange

between countries. Social and cultural exchange takes place,

as a result of which mutual trust is build up among nations,

and the united public opinion is formed. All this leads to

release of tension in the international relations.

On the other hand, globalization processes contribute to a

disastrous surge of the information stream. In this stream,

finding the necessary information is becoming difficult for

users. They frequently face false information which can be

targeted at them deliberately by some ill-wishers. As a result,

there can be situations of manipulating the people, with the

manipulation being able to lead to media addiction and

deviant behavior. A user can fall a victim to cyber crime. All

these are negative effects of media globalization.

Every state is trying to guard its citizens against the

information threats arising. As it has been noted above, the

recently adopted Doctrine of information security of the

Russian Federation (1) provides for an entire range of special

managerial measures in various areas for countering the

information threats arising in the media environment.

In the authors' view, alongside with technical an

d administrative measures being taken, it is improvement of

the media environment users' education level that has to be

the paramount task of the state. In particular, this is true not

only from the standpoint of mastering the state-of-the-art

information and communication technologies which was

repeatedly addressed by the authors in their previous works

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2019, Volume 7, Issue 4, Pages: 836-840

(

8, 17), but also from the standpoint of education in the

humanities.

The users of the contemporary media environment have

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