Approaches to representing the theme of science in the media agenda of the Republic of Tatarstan

INTRODUCTION. The research was conducted in order to understand how the topic of science is integrated into the current media agenda of the Republic of Tatarstan. The dissemination of new knowledge and scientific achievements in society and their popularization is a social process, as it helps individuals gain a deeper understanding of the modern world and the processes occurring within it, thus contributing to the further socialization of the individual. The aim of the study is to confirm or refute the hypothesis that regional media correspondents regularly write about the activities of local scientists, their scientific achievements, and the problems and difficulties typical of the regional scientific community, as well as to identify and study the methods of representing the topic of science in Russian-language socio-political and business publications of the Republic of Tatarstan. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The authors analyzed 666 media texts from seven of the most highly-rated and cited Russian-language publications of a socio-political and business nature of various forms of ownership for the period from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2024. The selection of publications was carried out via continuous monitoring of the “Science” and “Science and Education” media texts headings. Content analysis methods (eight parameters) and comparative analysis of sources were used. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. It was found that, firstly, the scientific achievements of local scientists were reported in the media sporadically and only for informational reasons. A significant part of the publications were devoted to nearscientific topics and problems, within the context of which it was possible to read report-like information on scientific indicators. Authors of such publications usually focused on the activities of the authorities, who are also concerned about the state of science in the region. Secondly, science was reported mainly in informational genres. Thirdly, the publications contained a lot of rephrased information from federal media, and the authors of the publications rarely consulted local experts. CONCLUSION. It is established that highlighting achievements and problems in the field of science is one way to form a positive media image of government representatives, and only then – a means of popularizing education and science among the population of the region. This may lead to a decrease in the audience’s interest in science, the formation of a distorted view of its role in the development of the region and the country, as well as the outflow of scientific personnel from the lack of opportunities for realizing their potential in the region. The authors propose options for rectifying the situation.