The Influence of Sociometric Status of Young Specialists at the Beginning on Their Preferences

The work studies the influence of the sociometric status of young specialists on their media preferences. The results of the research can be used by the directorates of TV channels, radio stations, editorial offices of newspapers, magazines, Internet portals. The paper briefly describes the theoretical foundations of sociometry: origins, tools, basic principles. Also, the concepts of "media preferences" are analyzed, factors that influence the choice of the media (both classical and Internet publications and portals) are revealed. The paper presents the results of a sociometric study among young specialists of two differently specialized companies: all participants was divided into three groups: popular, neutral group members and unpopular, and their media preferences was studied. As a result of the correlation analysis it was revealed that there is a correlation between the sociometric status and the type of media the respondent prefers, and also it influences the choice of subjects, genres and specific programs. For example, popular people often prefer printed press, and daily hours of watching television are typical for outsiders. Leaders most often pointed to social, economic, political, scientific and historical topics, while unpopular often preferred entertaining, love and criminal materials.