Media meme and its role in the formation of a multi-ethnic society

The article considers the topical phenomenon of the media meme and its functioning in modern society. The author gives a more complete description of the stages of the life of the meme, which changed during the period of universal informatization. The meme life consists of its emergence, development, assimilation, preservation, expression, expansion, extinction and rebirth. The individual, group and global stages of meme introduction into the social environment are considered. The study gives the author's typology of media memes with examples. The concept "nomadic meme," which is the totality of all or most types of memes, is first introduced into scientific use. The author analyzes the features of vocabulary and design of modern media memes, deduces the formula for their viability in the media space (attracting the attention of the audience, ability to evoke strong emotions, conciseness, reliance on memes already fixed in the minds of the audience). Citing examples of positive and negative, strong and weak memes distributed by politicians, the media, the Internet community, the author concludes that it is important to create strong meme complexes for a stable functioning of a multi-ethnic society. In the article, a study is conducted on the distribution of memes in the media that unite and dissociate a multi-ethnic society. It is already possible to talk about the topicaltiy of journalistic work on the creation and implementation of positive memes that cause the mental state of ethnic unity. The negative meme "person of a Caucasian nationality" almost disappeared in the media, which speaks about the greater caution of media workers and the control over this topic at the legislative level. However, the meme "Caucasian as a violator of the law" is still often found in the media. Media memes about the ethnic groups of Tatars, Chukchi, Jews are also considered. Currently, the media is dominated by negative memes, dissociating ethnic groups in Russia. They are based primarily on stereotypes, and then broadcast and developed by the media. Positive memes on the national theme are less fertile so far, they do not go beyond the group stage, and do not meet the conditions of the viability of the media meme. In this connection, the meme is rapidly fading away, it is poorly fixed in the consciousness of society. However, over the past 10 years, the changes that have taken place in society and journalism have led to conscious attempts to produce high-quality media products, to the development of certain skills of journalists who specifically create and launch media memes that can compete with the already widespread ideas and can consolidate a multi-ethnic community. Therefore, the functioning of the media meme can be viewed from a positive point of view. And the work on creating a single multi-ethnic society will continue, including at the level of the work of journalists.

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