Representation of Information Technology and Innovation in Digital Media in Russia: a Variety of Forms and Methods

The process of popularization of technology and innovations in media was actively taking place in the Soviet period and determined by the governmental policy. Nowadays online media about IT and innovations became more complicated after the changes in the political structure and processes of media convergence that created new forms and methods to represent knowledge on available technologies. Media about IT and innovations are a connection between science and society, playing an important role in their interaction. This paper attempts to describe the current forms and methods of representing information on science, technologies and innovations in online media that affect the world’s perception and public awareness of key events in this field. The content analysis of the structure and functions of 86 publications on technologies and innovations in three media ("Rusbase", "Hi-Tech@Mail.Ru", "Hitech") was chosen as the key research method. The results of the present study are showed a widely of use of multimedia capacities in popular science media, as well as interaction between media offices and scientific institutions. It suggests that the market of scientific communications in the media sphere in Russia is developing. The development of multimedia formats in scientific journalism will help to involve more people into the topic of science and technology in the future.