The Usage of Instagram Social Network in the Work of Journalist

Contact with the audience is an integral part in the work of journalist and an indispensable tool for the sustainable functioning of the mass media. Recently, the mass media develops communication with the audience through the social networks, including the Instagram social network. However, there are other ways of using this network in the work of a journalist and editorial staff. Within the framework of this research, a hypothesis was put forward and proved that the Instagram social network is a multifunctional tool in the work of a journalist and editorial staff. To prove the hypothesis and implement the tasks set in this study, several interviews were conducted with experts who works with Instagram accounts in various media spheres, such as Marina Pyrkova, Senior Editor of Internet Broadcast and Public Relations Directorate of the Pervyj Kanal, and Head of New Media at Moskva 24 Vladimir Stepanchchenko, editor-copywriter for Web projects of the Promotion and Design Department of the 2x2 TV channel Anna Ustyuzhaninova, the intern of the Novaya Gazeta Media Department Nadezhda Mironenko, and others. There was an analysis based on the interviews, which helped to achieve the main goal of the study, namely, to identify methods of using the Instagram social network in the work of a journalist and editorial staff. Key words: Instagram, social network, mass media, journalist, internet, media