The factors of terminology modernizing in journalism theory

Abstract

The article deals with the forming and modernizing the journalism theory terminological apparatus in the changing socio-cultural environment and technical and technological support of its functioning. Some scholars insist on the need for a radical revision of the theoretical concepts in journalism, which would greatly affect the lexical representation of scientific knowledge. The author considers the experience of compiling terminological dictionaries of journalism in Russia and abroad and notes the high activity in this area, mainly at the applied level. However, the task to publish the fundamental encyclopedic dictionary is still to be completed. It will only be possible if there is an adequate theoretical concept of modern journalism to rely on. The study analyzes recent publications, which assess the impact on the journalism theory and its terminology of two main factors, namely the trends in world science and the digital explosion in the media industry. Supporters of radical changes insist that due to these factors the theory of journalism should give way to the theory of media. Accordingly, the media would become an essential element in the terminology system. At the same time, authoritative foreign scientists write that the imaginary crisis of journalism is typical of some Western countries and that the idea to revise the theory is promoted by representatives of the Anglo-American school of communication studies. In other regions of the world, on the one hand, journalism is successfully developing, although changing in forms of functioning, on the other hand, the lexical diversity brought by different national cultures, enriches science more than terminological unification. The author also sees no reason to kill journalism theory with its stable terminology, which reflects the existing institutional and professional reality.