Public relations activities in the fight against corruption. Generalization of experience and dissemination of best practices in media coverage of anti-corruption activities of federal executive authorities and executive bodies

Introduction
Of course, any questions related to the topic of corruption will be relevant, because today almost every event of a national or international nature is determined by corrupt actions or attempts to prevent them. The relevance is also determined by the fact that it is necessary to comprehend the role and functions of the media in combating corruption and ensuring stable and democratic socio-economic development of the state.
A feature of corruption is its widespread nature: if corrupt acts occur in one area, they will certainly begin in others, thereby affecting all areas of public life.
Given the existing levels of corruption, illegal redistribution, theft of funds allocated by the state for social needs, development and modernization of the country's infrastructure cause stagnation in economic development. Corruption activities violate the principles of competition, distort incentives to create better and cheaper goods and services, and become a more profitable tool for enrichment compared to honest entrepreneurship.
Since corruption is characterized by systemic nature, therefore, anti-corruption policy should be systemic in nature. In addition to the main components of anti-corruption policy (political, administrative, criminal measures), there are other ways to combat corruption through the media. Here the question arises: is the influence of the media and communications great, and what is their role in the fight against corruption? In this work we will try to answer the question posed and provide a complete and comprehensive argument.
The resources that the media has give it the right to act as an instrument of civil control with various ideas of social justice and a negative attitude towards antisocial events. This control is expressed in the possibility of actively influencing the public opinion of citizens and their behavior.
The main purpose of the media is to provide citizens with the necessary information that reveals some details or even exposes someone, in order to achieve social justice. Thus, the media reveals to society the hidden mechanisms of corruption, which impedes its formation, development and spread. What is important here is the quality of journalistic investigations aimed at exposing facts of corruption, as well as their subsequent publicity, which in turn should prove to the whole society the inevitability of punishment for antisocial actions.
However, the Russian media do not have sufficient information and legal status to play the role of an influential civil control body and subject of anti-corruption measures. Representatives of media interests do not have enough power and do not guarantee the objectivity of the data received, as well as impartial judicial practice on anti-corruption issues.
The media can act as a separate independent social institution that combats corruption in modern society. In this regard, the media will take certain actions to improve the implementation of anti-corruption policies, which include:
in conducting and assisting in the search and formation of ways of existence and functioning of public life without corruption
in improving and increasing the degree of openness and transparency of government authorities for the public sector
in promoting past positive experiences of anti-corruption policy and international anti-corruption practices
in participating in various ways in conducting research, in the formation of anti-corruption measures
in highlighting the positive results of the research
The resource and material base of the media is based on the possibility of actively influencing the public consciousness of citizens and their behavior, which determines the influence of the “fourth estate” on modern society.
The media, through technical and ideological tools, develops a sense of social justice and hostility towards antisocial acts, and also forms a unified information space.
The undoubted advantage of the media is their impartiality and non-attachment to current events, which determines their objective and accurate assessment, thanks to which citizens are able to formulate constructive and objective conclusions. Another advantage is their independence, which is determined by their communication, which allows them to carry out a number of measures that ensure the interaction of all elements of the political system. Thanks to the information function, citizens form a general picture of events in political life. In this regard, citizens’ access to an information base revealing the actions of political bodies is considered as one of the indicators of a democratic political system.
Media measures that shape the anti-corruption worldview and popularize anti-corruption measures are:
expanding media access to information of public interest
ensuring prompt response of relevant authorities to media reports about corruption activities
disciplinary and criminal liability of officials who speak out against media representatives disseminating collected information about facts of corruption
ensuring the confidentiality of media sources and involving them in the formation of an anti-corruption worldview and the popularization of counteraction to corruption
dissemination of information to the media about corruption indices, which make it possible to compare regions, industries, state-owned enterprises, etc.
implementation of certain standards and rules for media investigations, as well as ensuring their implementation
using the Internet to disseminate information about the activities of government bodies, creating projects on anti-corruption measures and involving citizens in the process of discussing them
Currently, in the Russian Federation, the media often become instruments of political confrontations, which causes corruption in them. The effectiveness of the media lies in free and independent functioning; without this, the media simply will not be able to become an equal subject of anti-corruption measures, but will only be a passive mechanism of influence in the hands of those interested in this.
The independence and transparency of the media make it possible to act outside the influence of corrupt authorities, thereby forming an unbiased public opinion. However, there are some processes that threaten the independence of the media at the present stage of social development:
monopolization and concentration
the overwhelming majority of the media belong to the corrupt elites of society, who use the results of anti-corruption actions for their personal interests in hiding most facts of corruption, in weakening the degree of openness and transparency of public life)
Of course, corruption can also exist in the media themselves, then the situation takes on a completely different look. The implementation of “custom” activities by journalists shapes the public opinion necessary for the customer. Very often, corruption in the media is caused by journalists’ dependence on jobs, fear of losing their jobs, and low income. However, this can be avoided if information is published on the expenses and income of media workers and how they receive them.
Conclusion
Thus, it cannot be said that the role of the media in combating corruption is not significant. On the contrary, the media is one of the main institutions in the fight against corrupt authorities, enterprises and officials.
By providing the media with proper independence and freedom, it is possible to increase the level of efficiency of the actions and investigations of journalists, thereby increasing the percentage of cases of corruption detected in modern society.
However, there are other methods for increasing the efficiency of the media. To do this you need:
ensure information transparency of the functioning of state authorities and open access to them for persons exercising public control
increase the role of public councils and take into account amendments and recommendations when making government decisions
ensure a high degree of awareness of citizens about anti-corruption actions and their results
expand the range of media actions aimed against corruption
strengthen the role of the media during public control carried out by civil society over the reliability of the information received, published in the reports of government bodies spending the country's budget funds
systematically conducting journalistic investigations with the subsequent prosecution of persons accused of corruption, embezzlement of budget funds, with mandatory publication of the results of anti-corruption measures
List of used literature
Nenashev M.F. Illusions of freedom. Russian media in an era of change (1985 - 2009). - M.: Logos, 2010.
Nazarov B.N. Mass communication and society. M.: AvantiPlus, 2004.
Kardapolova T.F., Rudenkin V.N. Political science. Training and metodology complex. Ekaterinburg UIUEIP, 2006
Zamyatina T. Russia and corruption: who wins? Echo of the Planet, 2002
http://com-cor.ru/ - Interregional public organization "Committee to Combat Corruption"
http://pasmi.ru/ - The first anti-corruption media

Main theses of the report on the topic: “The role of the media in the fight against corruption”

The relevance of the topic is due to the need to understand the role and functions of the media in overcoming corruption, ensuring sustainable and democratic development of modern society and the state.

Corruption, permeating all spheres of public life, has entered the system of values, deforms moral norms, undermines the foundations of freedom and democracy, and citizens’ trust in government power and governance. Corruption is a brake on economic development.

Given the current scale of corruption, innovative development of the economy is hampered due to the illegal redistribution and embezzlement of funds allocated by the state for social programs, infrastructure development, and modernization. As a result of corruption, the principles of fair competition are violated, which is replaced by competition for the use of administrative resources. There is a distortion of incentives, corruption becomes a more profitable and risk-free way of enrichment compared to conscientious entrepreneurship.

The problem of corruption is systemic in nature, therefore, it can be assumed that anti-corruption policy should also be systemic in nature. The most important component of anti-corruption policy is political, since the focus and effectiveness of the entire set of anti-corruption measures depends on it.

An important place in the anti-corruption policy system is occupied by the media and communications.

The resource potential of the media as an element of civil control is associated with the diverse possibilities of forming the idea of ​​social justice, hostility to antisocial phenomena and norms, general civic identity and lies in the possibility of active influence of the media on public opinion and behavior of citizens.

The main goal of the media is the ability to reveal to society the hidden mechanisms of corruption, depriving it of favorable soil for development and spread. An important role is played by conducting journalistic investigations into facts of corruption and making them public, which should prove to society and corrupt officials the inevitability of punishment for antisocial acts.

The inconsistency of the functions of the Russian media in the system of forming the principles and culture of anti-corruption policy is manifested in the fact that this civil society institution does not have a sufficient resource base and legal status to fulfill the roles of an influential subject of anti-corruption policy. Representation of media interests in advisory institutions under executive authorities is not enough and does not guarantee the receipt of complete and objective information, impartial judicial practice on anti-corruption investigations of the media.

The media can act as the main institution organizing the fight against corruption in modern Russian society.

The main functions of combating media corruption:

Conducting and facilitating the organization of public discussions on pressing issues of reality and promoting the search for ways to live without corruption;

Promoting improvement and increase in the level of openness of government bodies and business for public control;

Coverage of effective experience in the fight against corruption and international anti-corruption practices;

Information and organizational participation in conducting anti-corruption research and developing anti-corruption strategies;

Ordering, conducting and reporting on objective corruption research.

The resource potential of the media as an element of civil society lies in the possibility of active influence of the media on the political consciousness and behavior of citizens, which indicates the most important role of the “fourth estate” in modern society.

The media, having technical and ideological capabilities, are able to form:

Ideas of social justice, developing a stable hostility to antisocial phenomena and moral norms;

A single information space, consolidating society, forming a national idea.

The resource potential of the media should be considered as an autonomous socio-political institution, a structural component of the political system. The autonomy of the media is determined by their communication system, which allows them to perform a number of functions that ensure continuous communication between all parts of the political system. In the process of implementing the information function, an event picture of political life is formed. During the period of transformation of the transit state of society, reforms and crises, the media, working closely with the structures of civil control, performs an information-enlightened function. Citizens' access to information revealing the actions of the authorities and passing through media channels is considered as one of the main indicators of the democracy of the political system.

Involving the media in the formation of an anti-corruption worldview and the popularization of anti-corruption activities is associated with:

Expanding media access to information affecting public interest;

Ensuring mandatory and prompt response of relevant authorities and officials to media reports about facts of corruption;

Bringing disciplinary and criminal liability to officials who prevent media representatives from collecting and disseminating information about corruption;

Strengthening the institution of protecting the confidentiality of journalistic sources of information; involving the media in the formation of an anti-corruption worldview and the popularization of anti-corruption activities;

Distinguishing between state and non-state media by introducing a ban on the participation of non-state structures in the authorized capital of state media and state structures in the authorized capital of non-state media;

Changing the methods of managing state audiovisual media in the direction of ensuring their professional independence and taking into account public opinion;

Development and publication in the media of indices of the level of corruption, allowing comparison of regions, industries, large enterprises, and decisions of government bodies;

Providing support to the efforts of the journalistic community to develop and ensure compliance with the rules of professional ethics, the introduction of standards for investigative journalism;

Widespread use of the Internet to inform the public about the activities of state authorities and local self-government, provide access to socially significant information, involve citizens in the process of discussing projects, decisions to monitor their implementation.

The inconsistency of the functions of the Russian media in the system of forming the principles and culture of anti-corruption policy is manifested in the fact that this civil society institution does not have a sufficient resource base and legal status to fulfill the roles of an influential subject of anti-corruption policy. Meanwhile, the mentioned function is declared by media leaders, which shapes public opinion. Representation of media interests in advisory institutions under executive authorities is not enough and does not guarantee the receipt of complete and objective information, impartial judicial practice on anti-corruption investigations of the media.

In the Russian Federation, the media are often an instrument of political struggle, which gives rise to corruption within them. The effectiveness of the media determines the need to become free and economically independent; without this, the media will not be able to be the subject of anti-corruption policy, but will only be an object (passive instrument) in the interests of others. Professionally independent and economically transparent media will allow them to become truly an instrument of society in the fight against corruption, wresting the media from the influence of corrupt officials and government authorities.

We can highlight the threats that hinder the independence of the media at the present stage of social development:

The main threat to media freedom is the threat of monopolization and concentration;

An important obstacle to media freedom was that most of the media were owned by oligarchic business elites who used the fight against corruption for their own selfish political or financial purposes, rather than to increase the level of openness and transparency in modern Russian society

Corruption in the media poses a huge public danger, because by receiving money to carry out “custom-made articles, programs and actions,” a journalist deforms public consciousness in the desired direction for the customer, often denigrating an innocent person. Often, the reasons for corruption in the media are the dependence of journalists on their jobs, fear of losing their jobs, and low income, especially at the regional and local level.

An important step towards overcoming corruption in the media itself would be the publication of their income and expenses, and the ways in which they receive them.

To increase the effectiveness of anti-corruption policy in the media, it is necessary:

Constantly ensuring information transparency of the activities of public authorities and free access to them for citizens and institutions of public control;

Giving a real role, and not a nominal character, to public councils under government bodies through their complete independence from them and mandatory consideration of their amendments and recommendations in the activities and adoption of government decisions;

Increasing the level of awareness of society and citizens about ongoing anti-corruption activities;

Increasing the role and participation of the media in anti-corruption activities;

Increasing the role of the media in the exercise of public control by civil society over the reliability of information indicated in public reporting by government bodies that directly spend budget funds;

Conducting systematic investigations to punish those responsible for corruption and theft of budget funds, with mandatory publication of the results of these investigations in the media.

In our country, the importance of the media in shaping public opinion about criminal law policy and crime problems is recognized by many lawyers, social scientists and practitioners. This also applies to obtaining media information about corruption.

What can journalists do to prevent corruption from becoming a destructive obstacle to Russia's economic, social and political development?

1. First of all, highlight this problem. But cover based on certain principles of professional journalism

Russian media have changed significantly during the reform period. From a completely controlled ideological mouthpiece of a totalitarian state, mass media has evolved into a new state. Today, on the one hand, they are under the noticeable patronage of the executive branch and influential financial groups, and on the other, they are increasing the scope of freedom of speech and “journalistic diversity.” In addition, the media have differentiated and become a subject and at the same time an object of market relations. The process of their commercialization is actively underway, and the influence of state media is increasingly weakening. In the information market, the publisher and broadcaster have become much more dependent on demand and competition.

Currently, the media, among other things, are developing a mythological consciousness (of universal corruption, universal fear, hopelessness, political apathy, lack of development goals, failure of all reforms, etc.). However, the task of the media is the formation of rational consciousness: bringing reliable information to the viewer, listener, and reader.

Competition and the pursuit of sensation have led to the fact that Russian journalism has lost such traditions. Their place was taken by notes containing outright rudeness, insults, even the use of “profanity.” Deep and often dangerous investigative journalism captures the attention of readers and viewers. But alongside this, surrogates of journalism, dubious versions, irresponsible forecasts, made-up ratings, numerous lists of the “richest” and “most influential” are increasingly appearing. Quite often such publications are not based on serious sociological research; they aim to create inflated authorities or discredit political rivals. Such publications do not always contradict the law, but they grossly violate journalistic ethics and discredit the media in the eyes of the population. Some publications, abusing freedom of information, descend to the point of real persecution of prominent politicians and officials, without caring about the reliability of the facts.

Broadcasts and publications report various “revelatory” materials about certain politicians, public figures, and businessmen, usually based on unverified data, also obtained illegally. Law enforcement agencies do not react in any way to these “devastating” materials. And for a long time the “heroes” of the revealing materials remain “under suspicion.” The reader, the viewer does not know what to think about these revelations.

The current situation dictates not only the need for systematic media research, but also urgent practical actions by subjects of both social and criminal policy in the sphere of forming public opinion in the media.

A noticeable step on this path could be an open professional discussion in the media at the federal and regional level of measures to resolve social and criminal problems, initiated, for example, by law enforcement agencies, regular informing of the population by internal affairs agencies about the spread, danger and victimological aspects of corruption. More departmental materials should be prepared for the press and television. State media at the federal and regional levels require regular information and analytical articles or programs devoted to the problems of combating corruption. In this case, the population would have the opportunity to receive first-hand more complete and objective information about the state of crime, where, along with discussions, reports and speeches by heads of law enforcement agencies, independent expert assessments of representatives of the public, specialists and researchers of the problem of corruption would also be presented.

These measures would contribute to the development of analytical, open, thematic and evaluative diversity of the media. In this regard, one cannot but agree with Louise Shelley that the entire Russian society needs greater transparency in order to reduce the level of corruption. Steps in this direction should include support for media that can freely investigate corruption; greater openness in the administration of justice and legal decisions; introduction of a more extensive register of state property and registration of transfers of state property to individuals.

In recent years, the national media have been concentrated in the hands of an oligarchic minority. Revelations of corruption are often used in power struggles rather than to achieve greater transparency in society.

2. The role of the “Internet” several years ago was known only to a narrow circle of computer network specialists, but today it does not leave the pages of computer newspapers and magazines, is often found in non-specialized publications and is heard in television and radio programs. What is it that attracts such close attention to this global network, the development of which is associated with a new stage in the information revolution of the late twentieth century? First of all, there are practically unlimited possibilities for the dissemination of information, access to accumulated information resources and communication between users of computer networks in different countries of the world. It is thanks to these features that the Internet must be considered as one of the most important components of the media with all its inherent qualities (which were listed above). It is in this regard that employees of the Primorsky Territory prosecutor's office created the website http://www.law.vl.ru, which contains materials related to the problem of combating corruption in Russian society, the United States and a number of Western European countries. The socio-economic nature of corruption is revealed, legal measures to counter this negative phenomenon in Russian society and in economically developed foreign countries are summarized.

During 2008, the Vladivostok Center for the Study of Organized Crime is also working to replenish its page http://www.crime.newmail.ru with materials related to this topic.

Corruption, like rust, corrodes and poisons our lives: the economy, the army, education, healthcare, and people’s everyday existence. To effectively combat this evil, control by civil society is necessary, and the media is such an effective element of control. A journalist who undertakes to write about crime and corruption must “measure seven times” and only then “cut off”. And the point is not so much that readers will stop believing him. The very public mechanism for fighting corruption is being discredited. The journalistic community especially needs to be principled in evaluating the authors of “custom” publications, “telekillers” and professional whistleblowers when it comes to the fight against such phenomena as crime, terrorism, and corruption. In this regard, competitions among journalists and media are of great importance, since they help raise the level of requirements for the quality of journalistic materials.

ESSENCE OF THE PROJECT

• - The emergence of the project is caused by the high level of corruption in Russia, in reducing which all healthy forces of society are interested.
• - The core of the project is a specialized agency that has information channels for direct and feedback communication with society.
• - The main of these channels will be the specialized information and analytical portal “Against Corruption”
• - For the project to be effective, it will be necessary to consolidate the efforts of all interested structures and jointly develop working methods and technologies.

OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT

The initiators of the project are confident that the creation of the ramified communication system they conceived and the development of dialogue forms of interaction with project participants and target audiences will:

• - consistently narrow the field of possibilities for corruption;
• - influence public consciousness in the spirit of intolerance towards corruption;
• - introduce the idea of ​​the need for public control over the activities of government bodies;
• - introduce the idea of ​​the need for the institution of “parliamentary investigation” as an integral part of civil society;
• - to promote the creation of socio-political structures that unite their members on the basis of devotion to their country, the spirit of civic responsibility, and an interested attitude towards everything that happens in the country.

PROJECT MISSION

• - Influence public consciousness, instilling respect for the law in all sectors of society.
• - Summarize initiatives to improve legislation.
• - Become a bridge to a future healthy society.
• - Together with the active forces of society, look for ways to improve the country.
• - Together with supporters, cut down the roots of corruption.

PROETKA TASKS

Ideological support

• - Contribute to the development of techniques and methods for public assessment of the activities of government agencies in the fight against corruption.
• - Participate in the development of effective forms of independent public control over the activities of law enforcement agencies and promote their development.
• - Develop algorithms of behavior in a corrupt environment, using Russian foreign and historical experience.

Communication direction

• - Promote the development of multilateral information exchange in society on issues of combating corruption.
• - To promote the establishment of information exchange between individuals and organizations involved in the anti-corruption fight, to help improve the efficiency of their interaction.
• - Identify areas of conflict of interest, areas of shortage of law enforcement services.
• - Contribute to the development of methods for assessing the corruption component of various spheres of human life and activity.
• - Participate in research into the non-observable (shadow) economy.
• - Participate in the formation of a discussion environment.
• - Inform the public about anti-corruption actions taken by the state, about revealed facts of corruption and measures taken.

Motivation of society

Promoting the formation of civil society institutions in Russia.

• - Promoting the formation in society of a negative attitude towards any manifestations of corruption, promoting the idea of ​​boycotting shadow methods of payment for services.
• - Formation of civic activity in society, intransigence towards everything that interferes with life.
• - Involving people's initiative in monitoring the implementation and compliance with laws.
• - The fight against corruption as part of the new image of Russia
• - Identification of biased information flows aimed at discrediting Russia.
• - Formation of a response information flow.
• - Identification of possible information threats and forecasting of customized information materials on topics related to corruption.
• - Formation of a circle of specialists in identifying custom publications.

Project priorities: Human rights, Legality, Governmental approach, Objectivity, Respect for property and employers, Openness, Feedback, Targeting.

Target audiences: The public, the expert community, the journalistic community, public organizations, the business community, government bodies.

Communication channels: Specialized information and analytical portal “Against Corruption”, Journalists writing on the topic of fighting corruption), Information and analytical bulletins, reviews, thematic mailings, Daily review of Moscow and regional media (for everyone), Press conferences, Round tables , conferences, seminars, Educational programs, Competitions (media materials, cartoons, photos, etc.), Surveys, Publishing activities.

Forms of work with audiences: Internet broadcasting through a specialized agency website, interactive forms of interaction with the audience, information exchange with analytical and sociological centers. Distribution of analytical materials among participants of target audiences, Mass and expert surveys, interviews, Publications in the media, joint projects, the initiative to create a “Public Movement against Corruption”, Bulletins, mailings on paper and electronic media, Press conferences on the problems of combating corruption. Speeches at round tables, conferences, seminars. Preparation of special materials for these events. Publication of reports on these events, Publishing activities. Production and distribution of brochures, books, posters, propaganda and educational materials, Banner advertising, participation in banner exchange networks, contextual advertising and other forms of notification and advertising on the Internet, Specialized propaganda campaigns. Competitions among journalists, students, representatives of a wide audience, Participation in educational programs, giving lectures, Accumulation of agency materials in electronic public libraries (Public.ru, Integrum), which will ensure their secondary distribution through monitoring services.

SCHEME OF INTERACTION WITH TARGET AUDIENCES DURING A PUBLIC EVENT

Forms and methods of project implementation. To implement the project, a specialized information and communication agency is being created, which will assume the following functions:

• - Working with federal and regional legislative authorities to organize public examination of anti-corruption laws at the stage of their development, as well as to ensure maximum effect from the adoption of these laws.
• - Involvement of government officials, public organizations, business structures, lawyers, sociologists, economists, political scientists, university teachers and students, and active citizens as active users and participants in the project.
• - Information and propaganda support for national and regional initiatives to combat corruption. Conducting our own targeted propaganda campaigns in close cooperation with the media and civil society structures. Coordination of the activities of regional media participating in propaganda campaigns.
• - Ensuring information exchange between the center and regions, between various branches and authorities, between public organizations and individuals.
• - Targeted work with the media and the journalistic community in order to repeatedly enhance the effectiveness of the project.
• - Organization and holding of competitions “Journalists against corruption” among regional journalists.
• - Educational and educational activities. Release of educational and methodological materials, participation in specialized training seminars, support of existing training modules on the prevention of corruption in Russian universities and other educational centers.

Analytical support

• - Development of indicators characterizing the current level of corruption in various areas, participation in the development of assessment methodology.
• - Collection, structuring and dissemination of information - both through internal and external channels.
• - Monitoring on the basis of central and regional media of joint projects and information products on corruption issues (including specialized issues on Internet sites, radio broadcasts, columns in the press, etc.).
• - Dissemination (publication, distribution, retransmission) of the results of regularly conducted studies on various aspects of corruption.
• - Conducting sociological surveys and disseminating their results.
• - Compilation and publication of ratings related to corruption.
• - Publication of official reports and detailed expert opinions on the state of corruption in Russia and abroad.
• - Creation of discussion platforms on corruption issues in the form of round tables, conferences, initiation and (if necessary) moderation of discussions on current issues.

Basic principle of interaction with the media

• - To intensify public counteraction to manifestations of corruption, it is necessary to strengthen the function of the media as an instrument of feedback between government and society, as an effective mechanism of civil control over the activities of government bodies at all levels, business structures, political and public organizations.
• - The bias of individual media outlets and journalists distorts the information picture and leads to the formation of negative public opinion. The creation of a new circle of journalists will help ensure objective coverage of the process of fighting corruption in the state.
• - In addition, it is necessary to form a special opinion among journalists themselves regarding corruption, for an adequate and objective reflection in the media of the fight against this phenomenon.

Working with journalists and media

• - Monitoring the information field and identifying journalists writing on anti-corruption topics.
• - Creation of a database of media and journalists;
• - Conducting individual work with journalists, inviting them to the presentation of the Project, establishing partnerships (including including journalists in the respondent network to conduct surveys on the problems of bribery and corruption, a mailing list for thematic digests).
• - Providing consulting, legal, and other support in cases of conflict situations when working on the subject of the project.
• - Conducting a competition for journalists on the topic of the project.

One of the main tasks that society faces in the fight against corruption is the availability and openness of information. It is wide publicity that prevents the creation of an enabling environment for corruption to flourish. The media can make corruption committed public.

In order for the media to be able to cover all events reliably and as honestly as possible, they must be independent of government agencies and government officials. The media must be an independent unit in order to be able to fight corruption.

The main task of media workers is to represent the interests of the public, protect the rights of citizens in the sphere of obtaining reliable information, and refrain from covering a one-sided point of view. The work of a journalist is his special duty, which he can perform only if the legislative framework and regulatory authorities allow him to do so. In addition, there is such a thing as journalistic ethics - a special set of rules and restrictions that establish the limits of what is permitted when distributing and covering any information.

The tasks of the media in the anti-corruption fight are:

- notifying citizens about the existing responsibility for committing corrupt acts. In fact, many citizens do not want to know or listen to what giving or receiving a bribe may entail. Corruption is a criminal act and the punishment applies to all participants in this act. - creation of socio-moral norms and principles regarding corruption, agitation of society to condemn corruption. Many people perceive a bribe not as something bad, but as a self-evident phenomenon that does not need to be fought. Society must understand that a corrupt official is a negative image, which, no matter what, becomes an integral part of society, and the role of the media is to convey this to the public.

- publicity of all cases of corruption without exception. Despite the fact that bribes can be either very large or small, all cases of corruption must be reported by the media immediately. But it is not enough to simply report the fact; it is necessary to highlight the results and penalties for the crime committed.

- support for the state fight against corruption. Despite the fact that absolutely all economic systems of the world are characterized by a certain degree of corruption, corruption allows you to achieve your interests in different ways. No state, even the most economically developed, will be able to successfully fight corruption if it does not have support in society. Corruption has a negative impact on the social and economic development of the country, but in addition, it affects national sovereignty and infringes on the interests of ordinary citizens. Therefore, the role of the media is to report information in accordance with the anti-corruption measures taken by the state.

The interaction of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the media in combating corruption became topic No. 1 at a round table held yesterday at the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the topic “The role and place of the media in combating corruption and protecting the interests of Russian business.” Opening the meeting, the Vice President of the Chamber Vladimir Strashko reported that the President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sergey Katyrin attaches paramount importance to anti-corruption issues and supports the idea of ​​​​transferring the discussion on this topic to a wider audience.

The Vice President noted that interaction is necessary in order to illuminate and place the right accents that would give maximum results. He also expressed confidence that our state’s policy in this area will be consistent, since without resolving key issues related to corruption and administrative barriers, it will not be possible to create a civilized business and it will be impossible to advance in economic development.

Vladimir Strashko recalled that the Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a signatory of the Anti-Corruption Charter, and now essentially work is underway through the chambers with most regions on the voluntary accession of enterprises and organizations to the charter.

The most complete information about these enterprises and about the work of the Chamber in this direction can be obtained from sources closest to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation. Sergei Nebrenchin, General Director of CCI-Inform LLC, made a report on the topic “On the role of information resources of the RF CCI system in promoting the Anti-Corruption Charter.”

On the eve of the Chinese New Year, the General Director of TPP-Inform congratulated those gathered on this promising event for active people and reminded them of the experience of our neighbors. “The volume of the shadow market in China is $5 trillion,” said Sergei Nebrenchin. “And it is no coincidence that on the eve of this new year they began reforms based on the fight against corruption. The very first thing is the fight against corruption in the highest echelons of power. After all, the higher the corruption, the stronger the state’s dependence on other countries. Russia has had very strong external influence since the nineties. And only with the return of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin the situation began to change. And the second thing in Chinese reform is the media.” Sergei Nebrenchin complained: “And our leading channels regularly talk about this, but there is no targeted, mass and coordinated work in place and time, goals and objectives, forms and methods. Only 3-5% of registered media in Russia are under state control.

But the corruption scourge must be fought, and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry joined this initiative, mobilizing its, albeit small, resources.” The Chamber of Commerce and Industry publishes 60 journals. They vary in frequency and focus. CCI-Inform has its own news agency, which operates in Russian and English; it publishes the online publication “Trade and Industrial Vedomosti”, the monthly magazine “Guide to Russian Business”, the magazines “Partner” and RussianBusinessGUIDE.

When asked how the chamber system can help small businesses, Sergei Nebrenchin answers from a professional position - “to create an information umbrella over it so that they will go to the Chamber, including for information support.” The General Director of TPP-Inform is convinced that the information field needs to be developed, “perhaps creating a media holding on the basis of TPP-Inform, consolidating and combining the resources of the TPP system, so that all our small streams can flow into one river.” The speaker recalled that at the Business Media Forum held annually by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the topic of creating a league of business media develops year after year. This, according to Sergei Nebrenchin, could, among other things, intensify the work, systematize this process, make it consistent and specific.” Then the results will be different, he noted.

Speaking with a report on the topic “Participation of the media in combating corruption,” the editor-in-chief and general director of the newspaper “Tribuna” Nikolai Vasiliev focused on the fact that “corruption is not only a matter of relationships between citizens and the state, but also a question of relationships between individuals and companies and even states. Corruption is not only a socio-economic phenomenon, it is in many cases a socio-cultural, historically justified action. Therefore, corruption in one form or another has been an integral part of the life of human society throughout human history. The conclusion that can be drawn based on known historical data is that the types of corruption, the degree of involvement of citizens in corruption schemes, the level of corruption in the state apparatus changed, but corruption remained and adapted to new forms of existence.”

Nikolai Vasiliev recalled that “since ancient times, there have been two most effective ways to fight corruption. The first method is totally repressive. The harshest punishments were introduced for certain types of corruption: bribe-takers and extortionists were hanged and shot, often publicly, as a warning to everyone else. The second effective way is the use of basic corruption schemes in the official government mechanism, legitimizing bribes with duties, taxes and other fees. The effectiveness of both the first and second methods of combating corruption presupposes powerful socio-moral support, transforming corruption into a phenomenon condemned by the majority of citizens. Both the first and second options for fighting corruption imply not only a high level of material incentives for government officials, but also a stable social package, which implies that the official has all the things necessary for life: a comfortable old age, his own housing, medical care and cheap vacations. No other ways to fight corruption have been invented.”

Currently, we see the same methods of fighting corruption. On the one hand, there is China, Hong Kong, Singapore, where corruption is declared a mortal evil in the truest sense of the word. In Hong Kong and Singapore, corrupt officials were quickly hanged; in vast China they continue to be hanged, which effectively affects the development of the economy and serves as an excellent social regulator. On the other hand, in the countries of Western Europe, the USA, Canada, and Australia, the relatively low level of corruption is dictated precisely by the legalization of many corruption schemes, the liberalization of economic and social processes, and free competition. However, we should not forget that all countries with a low level of corruption, as mentioned above, are united by social rejection and condemnation of corruption, and a high level of material incentives for civil servants.

Based on the above, the editor-in-chief and general director of the Tribuna newspaper concluded that the role of the media in the fight against corruption is one of the most important. In his opinion, the following tasks fall on the shoulders of the media.

Firstly, informing citizens about responsibility. As paradoxical as it sounds, most citizens do not want to know anything about the sanctions that the state uses; the majority do not even think about the fact that giving a bribe, for example, to the same traffic police officer is a criminal offense that can put a person behind bars. Punishment applies, as you know, to all participants in the corruption process. Information must be of a long-term national nature.

Secondly, creation of social and moral norms in society, completely condemning corruption. Until the majority of citizens perceive a bribe as an undoubted evil, corruption will not be defeated. The media must create a negative image of a corrupt official, a negative image of a bribe-taker. These socially instilled norms gradually become part of the ordinary life of society. There are plenty of good examples from the USA to Sweden, which took approximately 40 years to change social consciousness.

Third, constantly identifying and publicizing all cases of corruption. Absolutely everyone – both big and small. Lists of identified corruption cases should be freely available. This task is partially solved by the media, but work on this item can only be effective if there is a result. If a case of corruption is identified, the result is indicated, for example, what punishment the corrupt official suffered. Based on the experience of Western Europe and the United States, open lists of corruption cases have a great educational impact on young civil servants.

Fourthly, open support for business in the fight against corruption. Any entrepreneur should use the media to solve problems caused by corruption. At the same time, it is imperative to use the media at all stages of the fight against a specific corrupt official or group of corrupt officials. There is no need to wait for the case to come to court or out-of-court decisions. This problem is also partially solved, which has repeatedly helped the business.

Fifthly, open support for government decisions to combat corruption. Because it is no secret that corruption has always been an element of the influence of some states on others; often the deliberate corruption of officials occurred for the purpose of further recruitment and work for the interests of other states and foreign companies. Accordingly, state corruption not only undermines the social and economic foundations of the state, but also affects issues of national sovereignty. The state, of course, should be directly involved in solving these problems.