Digital community as a success factor of the media project

Abstract

The article discusses the practice of creating a digital community by independent media projects, the importance of which has grown during the pandemic due to the transformational processes of the “media-audience” relationship. Thus, the pandemic, which has accelerated the transition of all media market actors to digital communication, has reduced the importance of territorial binding of the media editorial office to its audience. At the same time, the role of solidarity of the audience with journalists online has increased. The research task of the article is to identify factors and describe the most successful communicative practices in the Russian media space, conducted through digital platforms for creating a community. The author points to the development of the practice of financial and content participation of the audience with the help of digital platforms and highlights the factors for the creation of such a community by editorial offices. Summarizing the analysis of online media practices during the pandemic and expert interviews with journalists, the author of the article emphasizes that the virtual community today is not only desirable, but also the only feasible way for the development and survival of professional journalistic projects.