Sociocodes ofjournalistic ideology: dilemma of theory and axiom of practice

This paper deals with the analysis of viewpoints of professional journalists on the essence of professional ideology. Practitioners think that profession has no ideology and should not have. The close relation of journalism with official propaganda confirms the absence of initial professional ideology. However, there are different opinions about this in the academic community. The main objective of the analysis is theoretical concepts adjustment on the manifestation of professional ideology peculiar features in modern journalism practice. The author's concept is based on ideology definitions given by journalism theoreticians I.M. Dzyaloshinsky, S.G. Korkonosenko, Yu.M. Ershov. They claim that ideology manifests in the ideological design of main journalism activity models: journalism of influence, cognitive journalism and compliance journalism. Cognitive journalism and compliance journalism are far from ideology and do not pursue propagandists aims. The author takes a stand on the belief of ideological concept being present in all kinds of journalism activity. A journalist chooses his/her individual form of ideology of professional activity (in the form of ideopractice) during the time of official ideology breakdown. The basis for ideopractice of journalists is the common social and moral context of interaction between peoples. The sociocode becomes the significant reality of culture. According to M.K. Petrov, "primarily, the sociocode is related to the language, to the symbolic and semiotic areas of reality". In journalism, sociocodes of activity are expressed in peculiarities of figurative language and reality reflection symbols. The sociocode is the significant reality of culture and the symbolic unit of communication. American anthropologist Clifford Geertz says that ideology is expressed in culture codes. Ideology is the "culture metaphor". In this paper, the concept of the "culture metaphor" is developed with regard to ideology expression in the ideopractice of journalists of the digital era. It turns out that impartiality of journalists is possible only with a conscientious adherence to principles of professional activity. These principles become the basis for the professional ideology, and they are expressed in the sociocodes: public benefit, civic consciousness and diversity of opinions. The author thinks that following the professional activity principles is the ideopractice axiom of a modern journalist. This ideology, like the "culture metaphor", is set in sociocodes of professional duty and civic consciousness principles.

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