MEDIA AND CULTURAL HERITAGE IN THE PROCESS OF IDENTITY REASSEMBLY: THE CASE OF ALEXANDROVSK, PERM KRAI

Abstract

Relevance of the study is determined by the search for effective media strategies for the preservation of cultural heritage and the formation of local identity in small towns of Russia. The aim of the article is to identify and analyze new approaches to the presentation of local history information that contribute to the "reassembly" of identity. The methodological framework comprises the concepts of constructing cultural memory in the media (K. Lang, G. Lang) and the principles of "new local studies" (focus on the individual, local identity, and the experience economy). The material for the study includes the media of Alexandrovsk – one of the typical Ural single-industry towns experiencing an identity crisis. These include the regional newspaper "Boevoy Put", the portal VAlekse, their social media pages, as well as local media projects. Conclusions: the most productive tools are personalization, reducing the distance between the author and the reader, interactivity, and shifting the communicative focus from broadcasting to reflection and collective action. In addition, a systematic content strategy based on an in-depth study of historical and cultural heritage and its interpretation according to the principles of modern geo-branding is required.