"Professionalism is love for the Motherland": Alexei Chesnakov showed young journalists how to write about politics without being boring

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Why politics does not work without journalists, how to tell a calling from simply "an interesting job", and why a young reporter needs to read literature constantly were discussed by participants in the Young Journalists School at a Master-meeting at the National Centre RUSSIA. The event was led by Alexei Chesnakov, Head of the Scientific Council of the Centre for Political Current Affairs, PhD in Political Science and Professor at the Higher School of Economics.

"A journalist is the most important mediator between citizens and the authorities. Politicians may have command of rhetoric, social media and access to audiences, but without people who translate political language into human language, they are unable to truly explain to citizens what is happening and why. In this structure, the journalist becomes the person who helps people understand the essence of decisions, conflicts of interest and the real consequences of laws. Democracy does not work without journalists," the expert noted.

The meeting was devoted to the specific features of political journalism. The speaker compared a political reporter to a football commentator: while he is explaining what is happening, everything seems obvious, but as soon as the sound is turned off, the viewer immediately loses the thread of events. According to the expert, this analogy clearly shows how important it is for a journalist to be able to analyse what is happening independently and formulate their thoughts clearly.

The expert then invited the participants to think about why they should enter the profession at all. First, he spoke about Max Weber’s book "Politics as a Vocation and Profession", and then explained the difference between "an interesting job" and a true mission: "Sit down and honestly write out what you really want to do in life, what you want to change in the world. This is not homework, but a life hack: if you do not understand what you are working for, you very easily start simply wasting time."

At the same time, Alexei Chesnakov reassured the audience that a calling is not fixed once and for all. People grow and change, and it is normal for their goals to change with them. The main thing is that the desire to be useful should not disappear, rather than only to earn money and have fun.

The conversation then shifted to craft and style. Alexei Chesnakov recalled a story from his youth in political technology about how an innocent phrase on the road turned into a reporter’s story. He explained why a journalist almost always has to "creatively rework" factual material. The audience, he reminded them, wants not only to learn the news, but also to experience emotions.

"If we simply analyse things in a boring way, most people will just stop reading after a couple of paragraphs. Even in political analysis, people want not only to learn something, but also to be entertained a little. That is why today there is no way forward without a sense of humour," the expert emphasised.

This is also the basis of his requirement for young authors: deep competence, accuracy in facts and, at the same time, the ability to see people in politics, not only positions and quotes from press releases. According to Alexei Chesnakov, reading books helps develop the necessary skills above all, and the range should be broad: from professional literature and classics to contemporary "light" bestsellers. It is no less important, however, to reread books and sometimes to put them aside without finishing them.

"Great books are interlocutors to whom it is normal to return with age: 'Crime and Punishment' at 16 is one book, and at 40 it is quite another. It is impossible to read everything, so choose what helps you move forward in life and in the profession, and do not be afraid to close a boring book if you can honestly explain to yourself why you do not need it right now," Alexei Chesnakov shared.

The expert also gave several practical pieces of advice. For example, when reading books, always make notes in notebooks or gadgets, and mark pages with stickers of different colours so that it is easier to return to an important point. In addition, Alexei Chesnakov suggested that the participants keep a "personal vocabulary" and add three or four words to it every day, checking their meanings in several sources at once. The expert recalled the famous phrase that the limits of language are the limits of the world, and explained that a journalist must treat words as rigorously as a philologist or linguist: familiar expressions change their meaning over time, and working with text on autopilot is unacceptable in this profession. Knowledge of foreign languages and cultures also gives a journalist a huge advantage.

At the end of the meeting, the young journalists were able to ask the speaker their questions. The participants asked how to develop a taste for complex literature, whether it is possible to harmoniously combine different areas of experience and use them in journalism, and what one should do to one day get into a history textbook. Answering a question from Maria Kopylova on how to channel the energy of talented young people for the benefit of the country, Alexei Chesnakov recalled the words of the first President of Russia that the country needs patriotic professionals, not professional patriots.

"Love for the Motherland is not slogans, but high professionalism. Strive to be the best in what you do. Write in such a way that the country can be proud of you. Your small victory: a successful article, an honest investigation, a precise word, may one day turn into a great victory for Russia," the expert concluded.

The Young Journalists School is a multi-format project of the National Centre RUSSIA. It helps teenagers acquire basic professional skills, get to know leading Russian media and practising journalists, learn to work with information and take their first steps in their future profession. The project is implemented by the National Centre RUSSIA jointly with the Movement of the First, with the support of the Ministry of Education of Russia.