| Abstract [eng] |
The topic is relevant in the context of contemporary cultural policy directions. The European Union's Work Plan for Culture (2023–2026) emphasises the importance of cultural accessibility and inclusion, stating they are closely linked to community engagement. At the same time, cultural periodicals continue to play a significant role in Europe's cultural sector: around 4,000 cultural publications were recorded in 2018, and in 2022 publishing activities generated nearly one sixth of the sector's economic value in the EU. These figures indicate that cultural communication practices remain a significant component of societal cultural processes. The novelty of the study lies in approaching cultural press as a medium that reflects the local urban context while combining content, discourse, and multimodal analysis. The research problem is formulated through the following question: how does cultural press construct cultural meanings in an urban context? The object of the study is cultural press content. The aim of the study is to analyse how cultural meanings are created and how the city is represented in cultural press content. The objectives are: 1) to analyse theoretical approaches to interpretative practices, audience formation, and multimodality in cultural press in order to provide a foundation for the empirical analysis; 2) to examine the content structure and communication strategies of a cultural press publication, and to explore their function in constructing cultural meanings; 3) to identify the main multimodal functions of the publication, and their role in the formation of cultural narratives. The study analyses the cultural press publication Kaunas Pilnas Kultūros. The research is based on qualitative content analysis, discourse analysis, and multimodal analysis. These methods were applied to a sample of 96 texts published over a one-year period. The data were coded using MAXQDA software and organised into five code groups related to urban representation, cultural narratives, communication strategies, content structures, and representations of community. The main findings indicate that the analysed cultural press publication functions as a multimodal communication system in which cultural meanings are constructed through discourse, communication strategies, and visual design. Within the structure of the publication, reflexive cultural narratives are combined with practical modes of engagement, such as the event calendar, encouraging both interpretation and participation. Different sections of the publication create distinct reading regimes, including scanning, slow/interpretative, and experiential regimes. Culture in the publication is framed as a socially constructed and value-driven practice, while the editorial voice helps build a close relationship with the reader. The publication also encourages participation in cultural life through narratives, interviews, and representations of events. Multimodal design choices perform aesthetic, structural, and ideological functions: they regulate reading pace, direct reader's attention, and contribute to the expression of the publication's values. Visual elements, including illustrations and covers, function as tools of cultural engagement, shaping the reader's emotional and interpretative relationship with the content. The findings may be applied in editorial practice within cultural press and other media as a framework for understanding how discourse, communication strategies, and multimodality shape reading experiences. They may also be useful for cultural journalists and cultural communication professionals seeking to encourage audience participation in cultural life. The thesis consists of an introduction, a theoretical analysis chapter, an empirical analysis chapter, conclusions, a list of references, and appendices. . |
