Influential Women of St. Petersburg in Business Journalism: Media Portrait and Professional Status

The object of the study is the media image of a successful woman in business journalism. The subject of the research is the professional status in the media portrait of an influential woman from Saint Petersburg according to the newspaper "Delovoy Peterburg." The author examines aspects of the topic such as the visuality of journalistic material in a business publication, the alignment of the media image of women with national security interests, and the impact of the media portrait on public perception of female role models. Special attention is given to understanding women's roles within the family, which are particularly significant for women's successful self-realization in society. The method or methodology of the research: using the method of content analysis on the materials of a special issue of the leading business newspaper in the Northwestern region, "Delovoy Peterburg" No. 25 (6081) dated March 7, 2025, the media image of a contemporary influential woman from Saint Petersburg was identified in terms of media portrait and professional status. The empirical basis of the research consisted of 100 photos and texts. The novelty of the research lies in identifying the relevant media image of an influential woman from Saint Petersburg based on primary data derived from the materials of the leading business publication in the Northwestern region; a scientific definition of the concept “media portrait” is proposed. The main findings of the study include assumptions about the portrait of a businesswoman: a blonde with straight loose hair and Slavic appearance, around 50 years old. The most likely name is Elena. Possession of higher education, possibly a doctoral degree, is mandatory. The professional status may be designated as director, owner, or manager; the field of activity includes power, culture, or education. The media image of an influential woman should be conveyed not only through image and text but also contain information about professional status and family situation. A particular contribution of the author to the study of the topic is the identification of the compatibility of family and career within the female role model, as well as noting the insufficiency of this data in the media image of an influential woman from Saint Petersburg.