Experts in Media: From Technology to Ecology

Abstract

This article highlights the possibilities of transition in the mutual relations between journalists, experts, and the audience from a technological approach to an ecological one. The article notes that, despite the fact that an interest in the issue of expertise in media exists in the professional community, as evidenced by discussions on this topic at various journalistic events (media forums, seminars, webinars, schools), there is almost no coverage on it in domestic scientific publications. Further, the article examines the factors of the increasing role of expertise in media. An analysis of the modern media environment in Ukraine shows that the involvement of expert commentary in preparation of various journalistic materials is of a purely technological nature. The consequences of this are a number of issues in the cooperation between journalists and experts, as well as in the audience perception of media products containing expert commentary. The article argues that a solution to this problem lies in a transition of the relationship between journalists and experts from a technological approach to an ecological one. Currently, a new interdisciplinary area of expertise, known as media ecology, is being formed. It sees its main task in the study of mechanisms of interaction between a person and the information environment, finding the most optimal models that allow effective use of media technologies, while avoiding their negative impact on both the individual and society. The article proposes a number of recommendations that will help build relationships between journalists, experts, and the audience based on a media-ecological approach. The prerequisites that facilitate the implementation of these recommendations are considered. Namely, they are the promotion of online platform services that ensure collaboration between journalists and experts; further development in the introduction of media literacy; active use of fact-checking resources; further professional self-regulation. Online platforms, which provide the opportunity for cooperation between journalists and experts, are examined and analyzed in detail. The article concludes that the prospects for further research on this topic may be the definition of criteria of expertise.