Эпистемолого-методологический подход к исследованию медиасферы вооруженных конфликтов

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Introduction

In the introduction to this complex topic, first the terms research and scientific research of the media sphere in armed conflicts should be necessarily defined. Research is a categorical term in science that is defined in everyday language and in the sources of numerous scientific fields. For the purposes of the subject of this paper, the theoretical and methodological definitions of research into the media sphere of armed conflicts are particularly significant, that is, a significant contribution to general and specific methodologies in all fields and areas of science is offered in them. Researching the media sphere in armed conflicts is a complex process in which new gnoseological and epistemological knowledge is necessarily gained from the analyses of written and electronic media regarding the armed conflict between social groups, ethnic communities, peoples, states and military-political alliances and blocs [1, p. 12]. This kind of research is not just the realization of facts belonging to objective reality, but systematic new knowledge, which is collected, arranged and systematized with the help of scientifically verified methods, and which resulted from writings in the written media and statements in the electronic media, which reflect the attitudes and beliefs of the public about a specific armed conflict [2, p. 9]. Although every mental process is a component of scientific knowledge, not every opinion expressed in the media about an armed conflict is research-oriented and objective, just as every research of statements in the written media and attitudes in the electronic media about an armed conflict is not scientific. This has been confirmed by all the armed conflicts led so far, while  the most exact proof of this axiomatic attitude is found in the armed conflicts fought at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century. In order for one or more opinions expressed in the media to be objective and scientific, as a component of scientific research, it must have the properties of objectivity, scientific soundness, logic, gradualness, consistency and coherence, realism, complexity and systematicity, and only as such, in synergy with a whole range of intellectual, manual and combined, creative, routine and technical research procedures and activities of analysts – researchers, it can produce new scientific knowledge. It is evident from the previous premise that scientific research of the media sphere in armed conflicts is not just a collection of facts from articles in the written media and statements in the electronic media and judgment about them, but an organized, systematic and complex process of acquiring scientific knowledge, i.e. a new level of scientific knowledge, which is structured within itself from harmonized systems of existing scientific and other experiential knowledge, mental processes, technical and routine research activities and procedures that are connected into one logical and coherent meaningful whole, oriented towards the main goal – the acquisition of new scientific knowledge [2, p. 9]. Therefore, it may be said that the scientific research of the media sphere in an armed conflict is a systematic, planned and objective research of writings in written media and statements, attitudes and beliefs expressed in electronic media, according to specific methodological rules, whose purpose is to provide a reliable, precise and objective response to the main  issues of causes, essence and consequences of the armed conflict [3; 4]. The research of the media sphere in the armed conflict is a creative, systematic activity of objective journalists-analysts and scientific researchers undertaken with verified scientific methods aimed at increasing the existing fund of scientific knowledge and the realization of new knowledge about causes, essence and consequences of the armed conflict [6]. The scientific research on the media sphere of armed conflicts is a gradual and studious investigation or examination, that is, a specific research conducted with the help of verified research procedures and scientific methods aimed at discovering and interpreting new facts, revising the accepted attitudes or positions in the light of new facts and implementing in practice these new or revised knowledge in order to stop the armed conflict and solve the problems between ethnic groups, peoples, states and military-political alliances and blocs in a peaceful way [5]. In the continuation of the paper, we offer the scientific and professional public a possible subject of basic and applied research in armed conflicts, with the emphasis placed on the epistemological-methodological approach to the research of the information and propaganda sphere in modern armed conflicts.

1. The subject of basic and applied research in armed conflicts

In the current state of international relations, it is of great importance that scientific, especially basic and applied research is focused on the research of armed conflicts. Basic and applied research of armed conflicts has the role of fundamental contributions to the development of scientific knowledge that modern civilization is looking for. Such research resolves basic questions of social and scientific laws and legality in this specific and complex sphere of social life. The subjects of basic and applied research of armed conflicts have a general character, while the results of this research have a strategic scientific importance for the development of global and regional community and for the prosperity of modern states. Basic and applied research of armed conflicts is one of the most important challenges of the 21st century. It is about extremely complex scientific research that implies a high degree of familiarity with different kinds of scientific knowledge. The complexity of this research has contributed to the fact that a relatively small number of researchers deal with the research of armed conflicts, especially conceptual-methodological issues of designing this research and the implementation of basic and special scientific methods in such research. From the history of development of human society comes the realization that the world has not learned yet to overcome political, economic, military and other conflicts and wars of extermination by finding efficient and adequate ways and methods for eliminating and mitigating contradictions between people, different social groups, ethnic and religious communities,  peoples, economic and military-political alliances [6]. This realization is best confirmed by the inappropriate and biased sanctions against Russia that were imposed by the so-called “collective West”, which shows that there was no basic and applied scientific research on the Ukrainian-Russian relations, or that the results of this research were unscientific and biased, in accordance with the interests of the “collective West” towards this Eurasian region and its natural and other resources. The basic social role of scientific research of armed conflicts is the acquisition of new knowledge, and if it is possible, in real time, in real conditions of their occurrence and about real participants and their real and hidden goals, purposes and motives of actions, methods and activities of public and secret actions and consequences caused by these actions of participants of armed conflicts at the global, regional and national levels. The scientific research is an objective form of systematic understanding of armed conflicts and other types of conflicts, which is based on the consistent application of scientific methods, techniques, instruments and procedures used for collecting, describing, explaining, proving and refuting collected facts aimed at stopping the armed conflicts and finding ways of sustainable peace. The research of contemporary armed conflicts is complex and difficult because it is conducted in complex conditions, while their thematization implies high awareness of special and specific information, which is analyzed by a small number of researchers, as well as a very developed research methodology, that is, a special methodology of polemology as a cognitive-theoretical scientific discipline which studies armed conflicts and their categories, axioms, principles, laws and theories. The previous methodological experience in the research of various structural factors of armed conflict has been very scarce. It has not been synthesized, collected, described and theoretically formed and as such it does not provide sufficient insight into the achieved level of methodological development of polemology and other scientific fields that are legitimately intertwined in the armed conflict. There have been partial attempts to research this experience, but not fundamental epistemological knowledge. Starting from the very complex current situation in international relations, there is a strong theoretical and empirical need for basic and applied diagnostic, comparative, prognostic and futurological research of armed conflicts as complex social phenomena in general and of each concrete structural factor of armed conflict, in particular. Such research is rare and methodologically complex for the conceptualization and practical realization. The complexity of research comes from the character, goals and characteristics of modern forms of armed conflicts, which condition the possibilities, limits and methods of research, as well as the possibility of applying adequate methods, techniques, instruments and procedures in that research. Considering the  influence of the character, goals and characteristics of modern armed conflicts on the development of methodology and methods that are applied in the research of this social phenomenon, which is an important epistemological issue, we have tried in this paper to present the specifics of the research of media sphere in armed conflicts, in relation to the following: 1) Possibilities of conceptualization and reconceptualization of projects for the research of articles in written media and statements in electronic media about armed conflicts in general and certain modern forms of armed conflicts in particular; 2) Possibilities and ways of re-evaluating the primary information and data from reports in written media and statements in electronic media about the armed conflict; 3) Specifics of the verification procedure in the research of articles in written media and statements about the armed conflict in electronic media; 4) Degree of accuracy of obtained research results from articles in the written media and statements about the armed conflict in the electronic media; 5) Different levels of research within the same research procedure; 6) Different types of research (fundamental, applied, action; diagnostic, prognostic; futurological, exploratory; verification, heuristic, etc.) and the needs of methodological delineation that can provide quick and reliable results in the analysis of writings in written media and statements and attitudes in electronic media on the armed conflict, necessary for the quick decisions that the state has to make on the continuation or termination of that armed conflict. Several decades of author’s experience in the research of armed conflicts indicates that in the near and far future it will be necessary to conduct a lot more basic and applied research into the media sphere in contemporary armed conflicts, whose final result could lead to new knowledge, axioms, postulates, principles, laws and theories that would argumentatively prove the pointlessness of armed conflicts and recognize the need to find the lasting and sustainable compromising peace between the parties participating in the conflict. The confirmation for this attitude is found in the realization that modern developed societies have come into possession of sophisticated weapons with nuclear potentials that threaten the mutual destruction of civilization. This realization confirms the previous premise about the meaninglessness of any war and the need for permanent basic and applied research into the causes that drive people, social groups, peoples, states, military-political alliances and blocs into conflicts and wars, which stop their further overall development and progress, not only for several decades, but for a whole century. According to the existing constellation of international relations, which is very complex, it will be necessary that the subjects of basic and applied research in the future include a diverse range of structural factors of armed conflicts and research questions ranging from the research of internal and international relations, in which there came to the conflict and wars between ethnic and religious communities, sovereign states and military alliances and blocs, through the research of causes, goals, courses and consequences of armed conflicts, to the research of various political, economic, social, moral, social-psychological, ecological, information-propaganda and other structural factors of these conflicts. In the continuation of this paper, the focus of research will be narrowed only to the epistemological-methodological approach to the research of the information-propaganda sphere of armed conflicts, which decisively affects the character of the conflict itself between the parties participating in the armed conflict.

2. Epistemological-methodological approach to the researchof information-propaganda  factors of armed conflicts

The term epistemological-methodological approach to the research of information-propaganda factors of armed conflicts in this paper means the approach to the conceptualization of research projects, with an emphasis placed on formulating the problem and defining the subject of research, establishing the scientific and social aims of the research, establishing the system of hypotheses on which the research is based, selecting and using the scientific methods, techniques and instruments in the research and evaluation of scientific and social justification of research of articles in written media and statements about armed conflicts in electronic media. The theoretical-empirical views expressed in this paper were confirmed in the comprehensive fundamental research that the author of the paper carried out with a group of social science methodologists and eminent media experts on the topic: Newspapers about NATO’s aggression against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The research was carried out in the period from March 1999 to July, 2002. The research of statements in written media and attitudes in electronic media about armed conflicts is a rare subject of scientific research. As a rule, it is undertaken as a separate macro project or sub-project within a wider macro project of research of armed conflicts. The informative-propaganda aspect is the most dominant factor in an armed conflict in which public opinion is one of important factors related to the capability of parties to the conflict. Public opinion is formed under the decisive influence of media, with written and electronic media playing the most significant role. This has been confirmed by all the armed conflicts that have been conducted since the Second World War, especially the armed conflicts in Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbia, Libya, Syria and the most recent armed conflict in Ukraine. The media systems of the participants in the armed conflict are objectively in an unfavorable position and they are forced to solve simultaneously two major problems: 

a) To ensure the sufficient exposure of public to appropriate information, messages and values important to the parties in conflict;

b) To oppose the dysfunctional information, messages and values of the opposite side, that is, in favor of their own side in the armed conflict.

In basic and applied research on armed conflicts, it is epistemologically important to objectively, truthfully and timely realize the relationship between written and electronic media towards the parties participating in the conflict and perceive the real role of written and electronic media in the armed conflict. Epistemological reasons impose the need for the objective analysis of the content of written and electronic media of the parties to the conflict aimed at realizing certain tendencies, discovering trends, drawing experience in their reporting and taking measures of competent state authorities and international organizations in regulating the place and role of media and their fairer and more objective work in the period before, during and after the end of the armed conflict. Therefore, for science and scientific research, it is important to find, with the help of appropriate scientific methods, how and to what extent media in warring parties act objectively, truthfully, preventively, timely, subsequently, prognostically and diagnostically, and how and to what extent they participate in compensating for the numerical and technological superiority of the media of the opposing side in the war. The experience of the author of this paper indicates that the epistemological-methodological approach in the projects of basic and applied research of written articles and statements in electronic media about the armed conflict should be based on the following axioms:

1) In all types and forms of armed conflicts, public opinion, the system of values and citizens’ morals are an important factor influencing the will to participate in an armed conflict. Every armed conflict is preceded by the efforts of one side to make it impossible for the other side to constitute the will to participate in the armed conflict with various forms of satanization, misinformation, threats of impending harm, discouragement, and intimidation. During an armed conflict, the campaign is intensified connected with the concrete forms of devastation and destruction. An integral part of such a campaign includes efforts to prevent informing, media and other ways of communicating with public opinion and within it;

2) Written and electronic media are a powerful and influential means of successful behavior of parties to the armed conflict, especially in terms of its devastating effect on the will and morale of the participants in the armed conflict. The very daily occurrence of written and electronic media in the usual circulation, listenership and viewership represents a strong barrier to the achievement of goals of the parties to the conflict. If the writings in written media and statements in electronic media are essentially in agreement and if the same or approximately the same agreement is achieved with the broadcast messages of  other domestic or neutral media, then the possibility of complicating, mitigating and even thwarting the opponent’s information-propaganda campaign is largely built [7, p. 2–3];

3) The presented premises contained in the aforementioned axiom determine the basic content of the subject of basic and applied research of written and electronic media in armed conflicts. These are, first of all: 1) regularity of publication and announcing of written and electronic media; 2) circulation and volume of publishing or announcing; 3) thematic-subject provisions and the number of articles and announcements about the armed conflict; 4) the way of presenting articles in written media and statements in electronic media about the armed conflict [7, p. 3].

Methodological-methodical reasons require that the thematic-subject provisions in projects of basic and applied research of articles in written media and statements in electronic media in the armed conflict are classified through fundamental contents about the following [Danilović, 2015, p. 31, 94]:

I. Causes, conditions and reasons for the outbreak of the armed conflict;
II. Participants – subjects in the armed conflict;
III. Motives, interests, goals and orientation values of the participants in the armed conflict;
IV. Activities, actions, functions and procedures by content and form of participants in armed conflicts;
V. Consequences and results of the activities of participants in the armed conflicts.
In the projects of basic and applied research of articles in written media and statements in electronic media during the armed conflict, it is necessary to discover not only the number and location of articles on the listed thematic contents (territorially, and  by media), but also how the thematic content in the  written and electronic media was edited and analyzed,  which implies the realization of the following [3,  p. 31]:
a) orientation of media content;
b) emphasis of topics in the media content;
c) sections in which media content was published;
d) the genres used;
e) argumentation of media content;
f) intensity of media content engagement;
g) readability of articles in written media and clarity of statements in electronic media, and
h) impression of the credibility of writings in written media and statements in electronic media.

The acquired knowledge about such a subject of research enables a relatively complete knowledge of how the written and electronic media actually behaved during the armed conflict, and also enables a relatively reliable conclusion about the possible influence of the written and electronic media on further activities of the parties to the armed conflict. Such a subject of research, which is determined in terms of content, space and time, imposes the establishment of real and achievable scientific and social research aims. The scientific aims of research in such projects can be formulated as a scientific discovery of the content and form of written articles  and statements in electronic media about the armed conflict, as well as their dimensioning, that is, determination. The social aim of research in such research projects relates to enabling the elaboration of the obtained scientific knowledge for the formulation of media public policy and for the further improvement of the theory of communication and public relations, as well as for undertaking practical measures in the function of finding possibilities for the continuation or termination of the armed conflict. Given that it is a mass social phenomenon, basic and applied research of written articles in written media and statements in electronic media about the armed conflict requires the application of almost all basic analytical and synthetic methods of knowledge, as well as the application of the general scientific statistical method, which is a factual and important factor of unifying the macro research project into a single unit. In addition to the general scientific statistical method, the characteristics of the research subject of articles in written media and statements in electronic media, as well as the diagnostic-prognostic orientation of the research itself require the application of hypothetical-deductive methods, both in the process of research design and in the preparation of research reports. This satisfies the requirements for establishing the necessary level of structural-functional connections and relationships in the logical-content and methodical-instrumental sense between all parts of the research project and the report on the research results [7, p. 4]. In addition to the general scientific, hypothetical-deductive and statistical method, in such projects of basic and applied research of articles in written media and statements in electronic media about the armed conflict, it is necessary to use the modeling method in two directions. The first direction requires the use of established and long-term practiced models of rubrics, genres, etc., within the framework of which it is necessary to introduce the provisions of articles and statements in written and electronic media, that is, to use them as classification criteria or the basis for the development of individual scales. Another direction of using the modeling method includes its rules for forming typical, essential models, on the basis of which modal determinations of meaning can be formed in writings of written media and statements in electronic media. Such projects of basic and applied research into the media sphere in armed conflicts require a more massive application of the Research method with its two techniques – questionnaire and interview. The characteristics of the research of articles published in written media and statements communicated in electronic media, as mass phenomena, and their manifestations determine the choice of data sources and methods used for the collection of data. The multitude of newspapers, articles, electronic media and statements communicated in them points to the use of certain written and electronic media that will represent three important provisions of the phenomenon in the territory affected by the armed conflict [7, p. 5]. 

1) Territorial determination, which leads researchers to choose written and electronic media that publish or cover the territory of the whole country. Also, it is taken into account that the residents of the country in which the armed conflict takes place do not read only written media and do not listen only to electronic media published in the territory of the country, where they live, but also media from neighboring countries, and wider – regional and global written and electronic media;

2) The thematic-content specificity of written and electronic media and writings and statements in them, as well as their distribution among readers, listeners, and viewers, territorial coverage and share of contents and forms of articles and statements, and thereby their informative activity;

3) Their general orientation and orientation related to the values in the period of immediate outbreak of armed conflict.

According to the above mentioned criteria, one may possibly select a sample from daily and periodical newspapers or from electronic media, while respecting the following three criteria:

1) dynamics of publication and the territory of distribution;

2) Variety of number, content, form and orientation of writings and statements;

3) Share of the active readership (over 80% of the total number of readers of written media and over 80% of the total number of listeners and viewers of electronic media), and thus the criterion of probable influence is satisfied.

The above mentioned sample of written and electronic media enables researchers-analysts to make adequate predictions and reliable conclusions about the relationship of the most influential part of written and electronic media towards the armed conflict. The subject and aims of the basic and applied research of the media sphere in the armed conflict, as well as the defined sources of data condition the implementation of the basic method used for the collection of data – The method of analysis of  documents’ content with the help of two techniques, quantitative and qualitative analysis of the content of contributions published in written and electronic media. The application of the quantitative technique of analysis of contributions in written and electronic media requires the creation of a separate stationary instrument for data collection – A Codex of terms and  codes and an additional instrument – A Record form  for entering individual contributions [3, p. 73, 95]. In such projects, written and electronic media are defined as public written documents [7, p. 5]. In the research of the relationship between the written and electronic media and the armed conflict, the quantitative analysis should necessarily be applied, while the factual analysis process should take place in two stages. First, it is necessary to identify the content and form of articles in written media and statements in electronic media about the armed conflict with the help of techniques and procedures of qualitative content analysis, in order to conduct the classification  (more precisely, the classification according to the appropriate features and defined “crucial properties”), and only then the quantification and statistical analysis. However, even in the course of the qualitative analysis of the included units, the quantification is also carried out in order to determine the dimension of these units, because when one determines the genre, the dimensions of the units of analysis play a significant role along with other provisions [3, p. 73, 95]. The quantitative analysis of the content of contributions in written media and statements in electronic media directly relies on qualitative analysis, as well as on strict definition of units of analysis and valid classification [3, p. 39]. The nature of the units of analysis, such as newspaper articles in written media and statements in electronic media, means a complex quantitative-qualitative research procedure, which is difficult for the analysis, due to its multidimensionality, multiplicity, possible meaning in the text and context, the number and variety of the contents of contributions (statements) and mutual boundaries which are not sufficiently firmly defined. The analysis of the simplest unit of analysis – news about an event in an armed conflict fully confirms this finding [7, p. 6]. When presenting the content of research results in projects, it is possible to use a modified linear principle of descending type, which is regulated by the Plan of data analysis. Accordingly, the presentation of the results can be started immediately after, by communicating the global results of written and electronic media that are published in the territory affected by the armed conflict. The order of countries and regions affected by armed conflicts can be determined by the place of the initial letter of the alphabet, depending on the alphabet that is used. In presenting the results by region, the aim is to show important differences, while what is common is understood based on the already announced results for the country as a whole. The stated principle of presenting the results is acceptable for two important reasons: first, an armed conflict takes place as the relationship between two opposing parties, while the effects of their conflict affect the country involved in the conflict as a whole in the long term, and only in its framework and parts that make it up; secondly, the scientific knowledge is general and tends to include and express the properties, regularities and laws of the entire phenomenon, and not only its constituent parts. The experience of the author of this paper has confirmed that the most productive order of presentation of results of the analysis of contributions in written media and statements in electronic media, within the specified framework, is related to the following units of content [7, p. 12–15]:

1) Thematic determination of articles and statements in written and electronic media, within which the review of topics (contents) is presented, that is, the review of topics to which the papers and articles, or statements in electronic media were devoted. The review of topics and subtopics, their mutual qualitative and quantitative relationship and the frequency of certain topics represent the basic description of the attitude of the written and electronic media towards the armed conflict;

2) The orientation of articles expresses the orientation of values and basic attitude of thematically determined article or statement towards the parties participating in the armed conflict, as well as the basis of messages sent to the population of the country affected by the armed conflict and to the international community – international organizations and foreign subjects;

3) Emphasis of topics in written and electronic media shows what content these media “placed emphasis” on in various journalistic ways. It is understandable that the same importance and meaning were not given to all topics throughout the armed conflict even in the same newspapers, let alone in different written and electronic media;

4) Arrangement according to rubrics, in which the article or statement was published, essentially represents elaboration, concretization and argumentation for the previous part of the presentation. In written and electronic media, the following columns are common: politics, foreign affairs and internal affairs, economy, culture, sports, advertisements, etc. However, there is no special “war column”, which according to the previous experience of the author of this article should be introduced in all media. What is more, the armed struggle is a phenomenon with the widest spectrum of effects on the totality of people’s lives. Therefore, the formation of a special war column in written and electronic media is necessary and justified immediately at the beginning of the armed conflict;

5) Genre determination is an additional elaboration of the previous two parts of the text of this paper. The analysis of genre affiliation of writings on certain topics not only informs about the importance and meaning, but also about the independence of the written and electronic media regarding the choice of topics and positions on the armed conflict, as well as about the general attitude towards the needs of adequate information of citizens belonging to all sides in the armed conflict, and the international public, as well. Various forms of official announcements of competent authorities published in written and electronic media in their original form have a different role and importance than “reports from the scene”, comments, news or transmission of broadcasts of other media;

6) Argumentativeness of writings is an important factor of realizing their role and function and one of the bases of credibility and acceptability of contributions in written media and statements in electronic media. It is connected with the characteristics of written and electronic media, rubrics and genre. The characteristics and amount of important arguments are determined by the genre (the news can only be a notification about a fact – event, and therefore, an argument in itself), rubrics, properties and orientation of that newspaper. Arguments are at the same time the basis of direction and their explanation, as well as the basis of a certain  degree of involvement of written and electronic media in the armed conflict;

7) Engagement and the intensity of engagement in written and electronic media, writings and statements in them is understood as the broadcasting of a certain message that affirms or discredits an attitude or act, attributes positive or negative values to an event, intention, subject, state, etc., presenting certain arguments for or against, using certain words, tone, stylistic figures, etc. Engagement can be of different degrees and must be understood as a synthesis of synchronized, consistent value-oriented manifestations. The articles published in written media and statements announced in electronic media of the parties to the armed conflict can hardly be disengaged – even when they publish death certificates – simply because they are addressed to the public. In the report on the results of written and electronic media coverage of armed conflicts, it is necessary to announce the objective results of the analysis of the engagement of the written and electronic media of the parties to the armed conflict;

8) Language and style are an essential condition for establishing the relationship between real events and writings and statements in written and electronic media about those events, and therefore, they are an essential basis for establishing and maintaining the relationship between readers – public and written and electronic media. Language and style in written and electronic media cannot simply be identified with the language and style of writings and statements, because they are derived as a complex resultant of the whole. General common provisions about comprehensibility, clarity, precision and other requirements for language cannot be denied, but the fact cannot be ignored that even in an armed conflict it is necessary to respect the standards of journalistic functional language, the language related to the topic, situation, orientation and engagement. The laws of instrumentality in language communicability cannot and should not be avoided when reporting on armed conflicts, especially not in reports on the results of basic and applied research on the reporting of written and electronic media in the armed conflict. The main task of this part of the report on the results of basic and applied research is to show the results of the research on the style and language of articles in written media and statements in electronic media, emphasizing that the analysts and researchers who perform the analysis also have the role of evaluators based on the formed scale and the instructions that are made for the realization of basic and applied research;

9) The readability of writings is an important factor of language and style in written media and comprehensibility of statements in electronic media. The readability of writings (and through them of written media) and comprehensibility of statements in electronic media is a significant subject of the Report on the results of the research on written and electronic media in the armed conflict, whose task is to show  whether there were language difficulties and obstacles, that is, incentives and attractions for the readers of written media and viewers and listeners of electronic media. This is an important moment in the armed conflict because of the time dimension, diversity of characteristics of possible readers, listeners and viewers and various conditions of using written and electronic media;

10) The admissibility of writings and statements  should express the evaluation of the communicability of written and electronic media and writings and statements in them. It depends on the content, orientation, engagement and argumentativeness, language and style. In this part of the report on the results of the research, it is necessary to communicate in an objective way the estimated acceptance of the writings and statements as a whole by readers, viewers and listeners;

11) The impression of the credibility of writings and statements (and thereby the credibility of written and electronic media) is the goal of every written and electronic media and writings and statements in them. The trust of readers, listeners and viewers and the truthfulness of articles and statements is the basis for accepting newspaper articles and statements in electronic media as one of the guidelines, and therefore, it is an integral part of the acceptability of writings in written media and statements in electronic media.

Conclusion

The described epistemological-methodological systematization of research into the media sphere in armed conflicts is in accordance with the principle of gradualness and movement of knowledge from basic to more complex. Therefore, in our study, we started by presenting what and where the armed conflict was written and spoken about in a certain time and space, in order to continue with the presentation of how the armed conflict was described in written and electronic media, and based on that we assessed what influence it could have on readers, listeners and viewers in countries participating in the armed conflict, as well as on the wider population at the regional and global level [7, p. 15]. The proven methodological theoretical framework for researching articles in written media and statements in electronic media was offered in the paper, due to the fact that it represents a significant structural factor in every armed conflict. The research effort has focused on the conceptualization of basic and applied research projects in the information propaganda sphere in armed conflicts, with an emphasis placed on the formulation of the problem and determination of the research subject, indicating possible scientific and social goals, hypotheses, methods, techniques and instruments of research, as well as scientific and social justifications for the research of this important structural factor in every current and future global, regional and local armed conflict. 

About the authors

Н. Данилович

Author for correspondence.
Email: danilovic.nedjo@gmail.com
Serbia

References

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