БЛОГИ ПОЛІТИЧНОГО КОМЕНТАТОРА ТА ОГЛЯДАЧА ВІТАЛІЯ ПОРТНІКОВА: ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ФУНКЦІОНУВАННЯ

The purpose of the article is to identify the features of the blog as a means of professional activity of journalist, political commentator and columnist Vitaliy Portnikov.Research methodology. The main methods used in the study are descriptive and comparative, the method of scientific observation, theoretical analysis and synthesis, the method of generalization (study of scientific literature on the issue of blogging), systematic (study of the object in connection with the identification of the features of blogging), a functional (disclosure of the essence of the blog as a means of professional activity of a journalist).Results. The blog is a powerful tool of communication in the professional activity of the famous Ukrainian journalist Vitaliy Portnikov. It is only important to use all the opportunities that the blogosphere offers to journalists. In fact, the analysis of Vitaliy Portnikov’s blog activity on social media has shown that the ability to work in this environment on different platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, YouTube, Instagram) requires a lot of effort and resources, but it allows him to make his journalistic work better known among readers and be recognized as an expert media personality. It is important that the journalist goes beyond the social media environment and has a successful blog in online publications. The analysis of these particular blog posts not only reveals certain features of the blogs and strategies of communication with the audience, but also allows us to identify their structure, topics and conceptual component.Novelty. The scientific novelty of the study is an attempt to investigate the features of blogs (creation and distribution of content, communication with the audience, structural, thematic and conceptual components) as a form of professional communication of political commentator and columnist Vitaliy Portnikov.Practical significance. The practical significance of the results is due to the growing role of Internet media and social networks in society as a means of communication, and in the journalistic environment as a tool for professional skills and image growth, which makes it possible to use the research materials in the process of analyzing specific aspects of journalistic skills in order to identify new aspects of the creative personality of a political commentator and columnist.Key words: blog, commentator, columnist, online media, social networks, audience, content.