Fundraising Reports in Russian Television News Programs: Specifics of the Genre

Abstract

The article analyzes the genre features and specific means of expressiveness of television fundraising reporting on Russian television. While classic television reports and their characteristics have been described in detail by both practicing journalists and academic researchers in the works of G. V. Kuznetsov, V. L. Tsvik, A. Ya. Yurovsky, there is a lack of scientific literature on the unique features of modern Russian TV fundraising reports. Meanwhile, they have unique characteristic and features that distinguish such television reports into a special subgenre. These include structural, visual and linguistic elements that work together to create an image that evokes emotions of sympathy in the viewer. The video contains an abundance of close-ups and details, and the interview features a clearly defined circle of heroes: the child’s parents and an expert, a doctor. Fundraising reports necessarily use infographics, captions and QR codes with details for making a donation, but such an important structural element of a television report as stand-up is usually absent. The voice-over text of such reports employs artistic means inherent in the journalistic style – metaphors, epithets, hyperboles, personifications, personifications, and so on. Based on the study of 60 fundraising reports published at different times on three Russian federal and regional television channels, the author examines the history, the current state, and the immediate prospects of television fundraising in Russia.