Gravity as a multi-criteria indicator of the properties of a media text

The object of the study is the digital media text in the modern media system. The subject of the study is the parameters of the gravity of the media text, understood as an integral property characterizing the stability, systemic impact, and inclusion of the media text in the network of textual and social practices. Gravity is an integral indicator composed of four criteria: visibility (V) – the presence of the media text in the information space: audience reach, number of citations and mentions, presence in bibliometric databases; influence time (L) – the period during which the media text retains relevance and impact potential; systemic impact (S) – the degree of connection of the media text with other texts and discursive practices; and integration density (I) – the degree of inclusion of the media text in social and institutional practices: legal acts, educational programs, professional standards, social movements. This allows for a comprehensive analysis of the media text as a tool for influencing the audience. The methodological framework includes provisions from media text theory, media planning, systemic media analysis, and discourse analysis. Methods of typological analysis and conceptual synthesis are employed. A four-dimensional model for assessing the gravity of the media text (visibility, influence time, systemic impact, integration density) is proposed along with an expert scale and an analytical matrix. Each criterion is operationalized through indicators and data sources. The main result of the study is a theoretical and methodological model of the gravity of the media text, operationalizing the intuitive category of "weight" of the content. The category of gravity of the media text is defined and delineated from related concepts (visibility, popularity, complexity, citation). Four criteria of gravity (V, L, S, I) are distinguished, each operationalized through indicators and data sources. An expert scale for evaluating the criteria (0–3) and an analytical matrix for the gravity of the media text are proposed. Demonstrational application of the model on typological cases is shown. Edge cases (literary canon, folklore, legal and religious texts) are considered. The novelty of the research lies in demonstrating the varying degrees of influence of the media text, reflected in different studies as a metaphor of the "weight" of content, widely used in media discourse, and asserting the fact that popularity and reach do not determine the systemic function of the text. A gravity matrix is proposed, and the characteristics of the distribution of various content types are shown, confirming the research hypothesis that visibility (reach) of content and its gravity (influence) are not directly correlated.