Adaptation of TV News Packages in Social Media: Expressive Means and Topics

Presents the results of the analysis of adapted news packages of 24-hour news channels on the VK platform. By the adapted news packages, we mean fonted news stories without voiceover. They use video footage as the main element and satisfy the audience demand to watch the news with sound off. The sample is compiled from the VK accounts of three Russian 24-hour news channels: Rossiya 24 , 360° and Moskva 24 covering two typical news weeks in April and September 2024. Quantitative content analysis was used as the main research method. The screen language of the adapted news packages has not been analyzed before. We are taking a detailed look at it through the four groups of the expressive means: dramaturgy, plastic means, audial means and edit. We are also finding common themes for the federal, regional and local broadcast levels (which is healthcare), as well as different thematic preferences and diversity for each channel. The package length and the set of visual and audial elements used by the producers have also been explored. One of the main conclusions of the study is the fact that fonts are being used as one of the main dramaturgy means. We are also seeing prominent transformation of audial means in order to adapt to the digital platforms. Only 40 % of stories use the emotional component in the opening video or final episode. Finally, we are setting direction for the future research.