Media positioning of political elites in modern political process

Abstract

The growth of the role and infl uence of political elites on the course of political processes is analyzed. Dependence on electronic media leads to large-scale consequences for the characteristics, organization, and goals of political processes, institutions, and political elites. The power of mass media networks, which act both asa means and as a result of globalization, enables them to overcome any boundaries and obstacles. Therefore, it is important to study the peculiarities of mass media positioning of political elites. It is shown how political globalization promotes the strengthening of interaction between elites, the emergence of a new quality of inter-elite contacts. The specificity of the mass media positioning of political elites in the present political process is manifested in the desire to strengthen the dominant position in society with the help of traditional and virtual mass media, in the transition to a new format of political and technological leadership using the possibilities of fast and high-quality feedback. It is shown that three types of elites are involved in the processes of political transformation: elites of transit, elites of transformation, and elites of consolidation. Inthe modern political space, a new, unique and still understudied phenomenon has appeared – informational network-cratic elites, which are able not only to control the activities of political elites, but also to infl uence intra-elite political rotations, createnew ideological images and guidelines. The importance of information and communication technologies as tools of influence of political elites on the formation of public consciousness and manipulation of public opinion is revealed. Key words: political elites, political process, media, transformation, globalization,information systems, communication.