Penza, 24 April 2017. PenzaNews. The Penza region gained 16 positions – it moved up from the 59th to 43rd position – in the communication rating of Russian regions in the leading English language media, compiled by analytical agency “Smyslographia” and the company Dow Jones as of the end of 2016.

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At the same time, the result is worse than the one demonstrated in 2014 when the Penza region shared the 33rd-35th position with the Chelyabinsk region and the Komi republic.

According to the explanatory note, rating compilation methodology includes both quantitative and qualitative processing references of the regions analyzed with the use of materials of the information-analytical service Factiva.com in the top 100 of the leading English language media including The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones Newswire, The Economist, The Guardian, Washington Post and others.

Total score assigned to each region includes an assessment of the region both in the number of references, and the share of favorable publications.

Yet Moscow was excluded from the overall rating since its comparison with other constituent entities was considered methodologically incorrect due to the related federal and international agenda.

In terms of mentioning of Russian regions in the leading English language media, the results of 2016 brought some important changes. For the first time in six years, the top-10 includes the Orenburg and Moscow regions while the Sakhalin region remained out of it.

At the same time, the analysts note that the regions of the Russian Federation are mostly mentioned in foreign mass media in relation to sport, fuel and energy complex, as well as update of long-term credit ratings of the regions.

The latter was relevant for the Penza region.

"Penza was mentioned in credit ratings as well as in connection with Anna Kuznetsova's appointment to the position of the Ombudsman for Children's Rights," the assistant project manager of the analytical agency "Smyslographia" Anastasia Kuznetsova told PenzaNews.

The leader of the communication rating of Russian regions in the leading English language media as of the end of 2016 became Tatarstan. The second and third places were shared by Bashkotorstan and the Orenburg region.

In addition, the top-10 includes the Tomsk region, the Krasnoyarsk and Perm Krais, the Samara, Moscow, and Chelyabinsk regions as well as the Krasnodar Krai.