Producer, screenwriter, author of numerous programmes and feature films Ashot Jazoyan and famous Russian writer, publicist, editor-in-chief of Literaturnaya Gazeta weekly Yuri
Polyakov held a master class for the students of the Department of Television and Radio Journalism.
The leading specialists of the sphere dwelt on the new trends of journalism, revealing the secrets of real journalism for their young partners.
Ashot Jazoyan believes that the format of the information field has changed greatly in recent years. People are switching from traditional to alternative media, specifically the Internet, which is shaping public opinion today.
“With its arrival, the Internet has also influenced our profession: media holdings came to replace former publishing houses,” Mr Jazoyan added.
While criticizing the fervor to follow the rating of television, Ashot Jazoyan noted, “Television does not interest and attract the generation of the 21st century: you can no longer see ordinary people there: you will see mostly officials, police officers, businessmen, but not common people. Innovative technologies are ‘getting younger,’ while people are growing older. This is our reality that cannot be corrected.”
The producer confesses that he has ‘walked away from’ television many times, but had to return every time. “There is no cure for this disease,” he said.
The author of new films, which are shot in a new format, is convinced that one needs to use the right ‘language’ of journalism to achieve success in the field.
Editor-in-chief of Literaturnaya Gazeta weekly Yuri Polyakov holds a different opinion: he says the only tangible change in the mediasphere is the arrival of new technologies and the access to information.
The editor of the Russian famous weekly says while the Internet facilitates our work, it does not offer anything new. “Not until we witness changes in the civilization can we expect
changes in the sphere. Blogs are simply letters written in the 19th century, Wikipedia is a modern-day encyclopedia which has many mistakes and frequently provides inaccurate information and Internet portals as the same journals.”
Polyakov notes that the Internet has brought with it a new danger: young journalists are infected with ‘blog haste’ and carelessness.
“If you take journalism seriously you will see that it is a highly responsible and laborious profession that demands high level of preparedness. I think that many journalists today simply fix whatever they hear and only few virtuoso journalists present the information meaningfully,” Polyakov said adding that frequently anchorpeople and journalists are less educated than the people for whom they are presenting news.
During the meeting, the students also had an opportunity to watch Ashot Jazoyan’s short films portraying the Spanish life.
