National-Cultural Determination of the Journalism Studies Evolution

The authors aim to trace how the evolution of the journalism studies took place under the impact of social and cultural factors. The article examines the processes of institutionalization of this field of knowledge in the world, in particular in Germany and the USA. The research community from Russia takes an active part in international academic cooperation, but its experience is characterized by a clear national and cultural identity. To reveal this specificity, the authors focus on the oldest Russian school of journalism that has developed at St. Petersburg University. Since its foundation, it has gravitated towards the classical university model typical of Russian higher education, which nevertheless organically combines with applied training.In this respect, the Petersburg school differs from a number of precedents in other countries, where pragmatic education is cultivated on the basis of communication methodology in science.The article presents the stages of formation and the current state of the school, shows the determining influence on it of national traditions in science and the dynamic social environment, describes the effective practice of project organization of research work.The results of projects are embodied in the ongoing series of monographs "Petersburg School of Journalism and Mass Communications".