Communication tasks of higher education institutions in the transformation of the modern media field

The article deals with the emergence of new technologies for managing the reputation of the university in the digital information environment due to the transformation of the modern media space and the changing functions of the media. In modern conditions the universities are in a difficult situation: on the one hand, the competition and desire to attract applicants force them to intensify marketing efforts, confirming the positioning of higher education as a service, a special kind of service. On the other hand, such positioning weakens the role of higher education institution in the development of human capital and deprives it of its special intellectual mission. The integral profile of the university in the media environment and, first of all, in its digital segment, is formed through a set of different channels, through which the meanings and key attitudes about the character of the organization are transmitted. The peculiarity of the university’s communication activities lies in the hyper-fragmentation of its channels. Additional risks require controlling the media field and allocating highly professional human and financial resources, as well as increasing the competence of specialists in their own structures that influence the formation of the information environment of the university.