Mass Media Contribution to Forming Positive Attitudes towards Human Rights

Abstract

Introduction. In today’s information society, mass media and new media are becoming not simply broadcasters of news but also powerful tools that form public opinions, value reference points, and legal culture in the citizens. In the era of globalization and digitalization, when the information flows are getting increasingly intense and disinformation and polarization of opinions turn to be the commonplace phenomena, understanding the mechanisms of mass media influence on the attitudes towards human rights is particularly important. The present research aims to investigate the contribution of mass media to the formation of the positive attitudes towards human rights and to identify the factors fostering the efficiency of their influence on legal awareness of the audience. Materials and Methods. The classical and contemporary studies in the field of mass communication and in mechanisms of mass media influence on the audience formed the theoretical basis of the research. The methodological framework included the combination of the dialectical method, systemic-structural and historical approaches. In addition, literary analysis, comparative analysis of the media-society interaction models, and empirical analysis of mass media publications regarding human rights were conducted in the frame of the research. Results. The dual nature of mass media influence on the development of legal culture in young people has been established: along with having an educational impact, mass media often transmit destructive behavior patterns that provoke antisocial phenomena. The need for comprehensive preventive policy has been substantiated, i.e.: development of media literacy, restriction of harmful content, and joining the efforts of mass media, educational institutions, and law enforcement authorities to form the digital legal culture in younger generation. Discussion and Conclusion. Based on the results of the study, recommendations for the ethical media coverage of the human rights issues were formulated, and the most efficient media content formats fostering the development of social empathy and acceptance of human rights values by young audiences were determined.