JOURNALISM: OPPORTUNITIES OF NEW COLLECTIVISM

The article substantiates the regularity of moving away from traditional notions of collectivism inherent in the Russian people, which are based on the institution of the peasant commune. The author refers to this type of collectivism as managed collectivism and illustrates its inefficiency with examples from the past of our country. In contrast, a more viable form of voluntary collectivism is presented, particularly characteristic of China. Defining it as new collectivism, the author notes that its habitat is the internet and social networks. Here, various new collectives are formed that correspond to the characteristics of traditional collectives – they unite for common activities based on shared interests. These associations may not be very durable and do not generate reliable social ties, especially virtual communities formed during discussions of topical publications in the media, internet, and social networks. Nevertheless, in the author’s opinion, they convincingly confirm their right to be called new collectives. They open up new opportunities for journalists to work more effectively. By highlighting some of these opportunities, the article formulates the conditions for their realization.