Russia and USSR: Putin our differences aside
The topic of two media - Soviet and Russian - is very interesting and relevant not just at this time, but right now, today. The Soviet media system sharply highlights its authoritarianism, censorship, and focus on the propaganda of the ruling party, which we even study as such. In this post, I will try to compare these two time periods, using the model of Hallin and Mancini, according to its four fundamental factors.
The structure of the media market
Newspapers and radio were the main directions of media in the USSR. There were many of them, almost every region supported its own party, spread messages through articles glorifying communism and the great ideas of Stalin, perestroika, and a brighter future. In principle, nothing has changed in Russia, except that newspapers have been replaced by television. The fee for it is minimal, the content can be easily distributed, the coverage of advertising, due to constant broadcasting, becomes colossal.
Political parallelism
Everything is very easy here. The main focus of the Soviet and Russian media was and is, respectfully, always propaganda. If in random commercial media, there are provincial editors who try to smooth it out and so that it is not very noticeable, then in the state Russian media it is visible from afar - the idealization of Putin, his actions, and the actions of his associates, coverage of the West as the main enemy for the simple Russian citizens, the promotion of import substitution and other important factors influencing this issue. If in the USSR they were looking for how to glorify communism in simple news, now they are looking for how to glorify Putin.
Professionalism
The rules of professional ethics were signed in 1991 - before that, journalists in the USSR had to write either as the party intended or from the heart. Unlike the USSR, in Russia, there are much more journalists who honor freedom of speech - but because of the policy of the state, they are many times they are prosecuted and shamed because of this. Most of the money revolves around propaganda - attempts to get funding from outside risk ending in failure for the modern Russian journalist. I remember the words of my teacher when I entered the journalism course - in Russia you either get money or write the truth. Sadly, that's how we live.
Government role
The role of the government in the USSR's media is absolutely clear. The hand was always in every corner - otherwise, you would be persecuted. In fact, nothing has changed. All major media holdings have independent releases, and independent commercial media outlets risk being labeled a "foreign agent" if they report something that is not available to the government. Moreover, censorship in the short term is even used to prohibit the word "war" in describing the current situation, which is not the way this incident is announced by the government - Russia uses the methods of the USSR in the age of the Internet when everything can be checked by several clicks.
Summing up, I regret to admit that both periods of media in my country belong to a polarized pluralistic model. As a future journalist, I hope that I will work in a country where I will not be imprisoned for the truth, and my article will not be distorted so that the information serves anything but my audience.
Love the pun in your headline and reading your point of view on journalism in Russia. I think it is easier to recognize when the media of some countries are suppressed by their governments; however, other countries also receive pressure from corporations, elite groups or even religious authorities, so it is noteworthy that you seek to be a journalist who shares the truth and checks your facts.
ReplyDeleteAmong other things, I wonder... whenever I read about the politics or media of Russia, they are usually focused on Putin and his way of thinking and governing, and not on the country as a whole. Therefore, my questions are: will his ideology continue or die after his term ends? Can the world discover the identity of Russia beyond Putin? (Bernarda Vasquez)
I think this is a very professional article. Although truth has no nationality. But journalists have a nationality. It is a great thing to be able to work hard to report the truth.
ReplyDelete——Zheng HaoYuan (John)
Through the analysis of the author, i can feel that the Russian media is political. To some extent, it is dominated by the government. The Chinese media also have a political position. I am very grateful to Daniel for giving me a micro understanding of the two models.
ReplyDeleteThrough the analysis of the author, i can feel that the Russian media is political. To some extent, it is dominated by the government. The Chinese media also have a political position. I am very grateful to Daniel for giving me a micro understanding of the two models.--------Zhang Jiahui(Lucas)
ReplyDeleteRussia is a friendly country of China, but I don't know much about Russian media. Thank you for your article, which makes me understand that Russian media are similar to Chinese media to some extent. I also hope our reports can serve the facts.——He YiPeng（Bruce）
ReplyDelete