The FINANCIAL — One of the most important components of media research is a comparative media analysis of persons or structures by their object-subject activity. The article in the last issue of “The FINANCIAL” covered the activity of individual ministers and ministries in the media. The following article is centred on the deepest analysis of the theme mentioned above and focuses on the specific media means employed by the activity of state persons in the media.
Terra Media’s software allows us to find out and release the quantity of mentions as either object or subject from the total amount of mentions in the media. The mention of a person or institution as an ‘object’ indicates its mentions in TV reports or publications, and fixation as a ‘subject’ – indicates immediate activity.
It is important to see how active a person is and how the person responds to opinions expressed about them, how they respond to government policy and how they conduct the appropriate measures in terms of the specific issues.
The analysis shows that the ministers are very active and in most cases appear as the main subject in the media.
In terms of the ratio of subject/object mentions it is clear that the ministers with the most well-balanced activity are: the Minister of Healthcare, Alexander Urushadze (subject – 92 / object – 117); Minister of Agriculture, Bakur Kvezereli (78/90); and Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance, Khatuna Kalmakhelidze (52/47).
It is important to note that the newly appointed Healthcare Minister, Sandro Urushadze’s activity is as balanced as it was in the first month. From this it can be said that he is trying to revise the information spread about him in the media and negate the effects of previous negative reports.
As a result of the analysis, it was also shown that various active ministers have a subject/object imbalance in the media, but this balance is tilting towards subject, which indicates that the main messages transmitting are in the fact the person. A clear example of this is the Minister of Education, Dimitri Shashkin. The ratio of his mentions is 219/145 (subject/object).
It is the opposite situation with the Minister of Economy, Vera Kobalia’s case. The media was expressing interest in her from the date of her appointment. Most recently the individual was marked by their activity in the media, but in September she was an object 218 times, and only 61 times a subject.
Distinguished by their media activity mainly as a subject, were: Koba Subeliani (103/66); Goga Khachidze (67/33); Ramaz Nikoleishvili (60/33); and Lado Vardzelashvili (58/18).
The media analysis revealed that the activities of ministers in the media are more or less balanced. However, it is important to see if this ratio is equal for all media outlets.
By this type of analysis we can see that the greatest attention from state officials is paid to TV coverage. In this media field only, ministers were mentioned 969 times as subject, while as an object, they were mentioned only 292 times.
The press, radio and internet situations are completely reversed. In September of this year, the activity for these media means was as follows: press – 44/373; radio – 19/413; and internet – 62/157.
What is evident from the above chart, is that it is possible to tell that state structures and their heads choose television space as a priority, which can’t be justified. Today all media spheres and especially internet space are very important. The fast-growing number of internet users, most of them from different agencies, forums or through social networks familiarize themselves with innovations, which of course affect public consciousness.
It should be noted that TV today is the biggest mass media outlet, but no less important should be considered the activity of other media outlets in regards to state structures, as well as any business sector. I think it is necessary that more attention be given to the press, radio and the internet to increase the activity of individuals in these spheres, which would result in better and more thorough delivery of the right public information about the activity of persons and institutions, and therefore higher public awareness of relevant news.
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