Features of implementation of gamification in the media

Abstract

The research is dedicated to the investigation of the specific features of implementation of gamification (the phenomenon of the usage of game practices in non-game contexts) in the Internet media. The author highlighted and comprehensively examined the features, caused by the functional aspect of journalism, which distinguish gamification in the media from the other branches of its implementation. Following features have been analyzed: particular journalistic goals of the usage of gamification (explanation of the hard topics in the playful and understandable way, drawing the attention of the mass audience to unpopular socially important issues, etc.), dependence on time constraints (due to short-term relevance of the news), focusing on the norms of professional journalistic ethics (the author defends the idea that since gamified content in media is a result of journalistic activity, it must follow the standards of the professional journalism ethics), vulnerability to manipulation of public opinion and specificity of monetization of the gamified product (due to disregard by the Internet media of traditional ways of monetization of gamified content in other branches of its implementation, the author describes current methods of monetization of gamified content in the Internet media).