THE ROLE OF PROJECT ACTIVITY IN FORMING IDEASABOUT THE FUTURE PROFESSION OF STUDENTS OF JOURNALISM(ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE SPECIAL PROJECT OF KEMSU“DIRECT LINE WITH THE RECTOR”)
Introduction. The article is devoted to the issues of actualization of the role of practice-oriented activity in the formation of ideas about the future profession of students of journalism departments. It is proved that the experience of student participation in project activities, in particular, entering as a participant in the implementation of the special project of Kemerovo State University “Direct line with the rector” contributes to the formation of the future journalist’s primary ideas about the profession. It is revealed that the process of forming ideas about the future profession has an age-psychological conditionality and is determined by a system of external conditions that ensure positive changes in the studied indicators. The article describes the issues of organizing the process of forming adequate ideas about the profession of a future journalist, shows the limitations in the framework of functioning in the context of a coronavirus pandemic, and suggests ways to optimize this process in the context of the university’s media center. Methodology. Data collection was carried out by means of a questionnaire. The subjects were students of the journalism departments of Kemerovo State University (Kemerovo), the Russian State University for the Humanities (Moscow) and the I. Kant Baltic Federal University (Kaliningrad). The study involved 82 students. The age of the subjects for the study period was 17-18 years. The data obtained were interpreted and subjected to statistical analysis using percentage analysis. Results. Based on the data obtained during the survey, we came to the conclusion that it does not matter where the university is located geographically, because first-year students of Kaliningrad, Moscow and Kemerovo face similar problems: the lack of primary knowledge and skills in the chosen field, the problem of finding oneself, a chaotic idea of the future profession, the need to adapt to new living and learning conditions. One of the tools that can be used to make university socialization more effective by combining professional and student subcultures, and in practice introduce future journalists to the profession, is practice-oriented activities organized on the site of the university’s media center. Conclusion. It is concluded that the first-year students of the universities of Kaliningrad, Kemerovo and Moscow, studying at the departments of journalism, have a chaotic idea of the upcoming profession, there is a need for socialization. It is proved that the experience of Kemerovo State University in the implementation of the project “Direct line with the rector” can be used by colleagues from other universities in Russia: it allows not only to introduce students to the future profession, but also contributes to the effective socialization of first-year students.