Media panic in the digital media space: conceptualization and an algorithm for overcoming it
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17721/2522-1272.2026.89.3Keywords:
media panic, media panic narrative, digital media space, information threats, strategic communications, Telegram, media literacyAbstract
This study addresses the growing role of digital platforms in amplifying media panic narratives, which, in the context of a full-scale war, function as instruments of information and psychological influence that undermine the psychological resilience of society. The subject of this study is media panic as a phenomenon of the digital communication environment. The aim of the study was to conceptualize media panic as a distinct socio-communicative phenomenon, develop a set of criteria for identifying media panic narratives, and propose a conceptual model for countering their spread. The study employs an integrative methodological framework combining conceptual and comparative analysis with the monitoring and comparative examination of media panic narratives selected according to the criteria of public reach, thematic criticality, and institutional response. The study identifies the structural and functional components of media panic that explain the mechanisms underlying its emergence and reproduction in the digital environment and proposes a model for countering media panic that shifts the focus from the reactive debunking of disinformation to the proactive management of the information environment through timely communication, trusted communication networks, and the systematic development of media literacy across society.
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All data used in the study were obtained from open sources, and are listed and cited in the text of the article and in the reference list. No additional datasets were created.
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