CONSTRUCTION OF THE MEDIA IMAGE OF THE BULGARIAN COMMUNITY OF UKRAINE IN THE CONDITIONS OF WAR (BASED ON THE MATERIALS OF «BESSARABIAN FRONT»)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is a comprehensive analysis of the construction of the media image of the Bulgarian community of Ukraine in the conditions of a full-scale war based on the material of the Bulgarian-language online resource «Besserabian Front», in particular, the identification of key narratives, thematic dominants and strategies of representation, as well as the clarification of their role in the formation of the collective identity and public perception of the Bulgarian minority in the modern media space.

Metodology. The methodological basis of the study is an interdisciplinary approach that combines the methods of media studies, sociolinguistics and cultural anthropology. The work uses the method of content analysis to identify the main thematic blocks and narratives in the publications of the Bessarabian Front, as well as discourse analysis to interpret the ways of representing the Bulgarian community. The comparative method is used to compare different types of materials (informational, analytical, journalistic). Elements of narrative analysis made it possible to explore personalized stories as a tool for forming collective identity. In addition, the descriptive-analytical method was used to generalize the results obtained and formulate conclusions.

The scientific novelty of the study lies in the comprehensive analysis of the media image of the Bulgarian community of Ukraine in conditions of full-scale war on the material of the Bulgarian-language regional publication Bessarabian Front, which is considered for the first time as an integral object of media and ethnocultural research. The work first identifies and systematizes the main narratives and strategies of representation of the Bulgarian minority during the war, in particular integration, solidarity, ethnocultural self-representation.

Conclusions. The media image of the Bulgarian community of Ukraine, formed in the publication «Bessarabian Front», has an integration character and represents Bulgarians as an integral part of Ukrainian society, actively participating in the resistance to Russian aggression and sharing common values and war experience. It has been established that the key role in constructing this image is played by thematic narratives of participation in the war, volunteering, mutual assistance and everyday life, which contribute to the formation of the idea of the community as socially active, united and patriotic. It has been proven that the media representation of the Bulgarian minority combines an integration discourse with an emphasis on preserving ethno-cultural identity. The main strategies for constructing a media image are identified – integration, solidarity, ethno-cultural self-representation. It was found that the regional media «Bessarabian Front» acts as an important tool not only for informing, but also for forming a collective identity, performing the function of a symbolic space for self-identification of the community in wartime. Thus, the media play a decisive role in the processes of constructing the image of national minorities during the war period, influencing both the external perception of these communities and their internal self-identification, which opens up prospects for further research in the direction of comparative analysis of media discourses of different ethnic groups in Ukraine.