Features of Media Consumption of the Regional Media Audience in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The article presents the results of a study related to the research of the peculiarities of the perception of epidemiological threat in the media (on the example of the pandemic of coronavirus infection (COVID-19)). The urgency of the study is determined by the need to reflect scientifically the experience of media effect on the media audience in the context of a pandemic, which is an event of a catastrophic nature and routine-violating the course of daily life. The empirical base was a series of in-depth interviews conducted in late May — June 2020. Among the factors affecting the choice of information sources about the pandemic, the habit, convenience of using certain media resources, the variety of information about the pandemic, the ability to independently select information, as well as trust in the news source are highlighted. Polarization of the motives for choosing the source of news information about coronavirus infection has been revealed: the same characteristics of television and Internet resources, including social networks, receive opposite characteristics in respondents of various age groups. It was revealed that respondents view pandemic media content from the perspective of instrumental support, that is, in terms of of its ability to provide specific, effective assistance (avoiding panic, informing the population about danger). The danger encourages to look for ways to overcome it, which is a factor of transformation of media consumption in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the level of specific channels (television, Internet sites, social networks), media products, personalities, audience agency is increasing, aimed at finding information that can satisfy the need for security, and at the level of media types, “media dependence” remains: for young people — it is new media (Internet, social networks and messengers), for the older generation — traditional media (mainly television).