Journalism Process in Modern Russia: to the problem of

study and realization

Dmitry Strovsky,Faculty of Journalism

Ural Federal University (Ekaterinburg)

Moscow Readings-2012

To what extent journalism can be maintained in contemporary Russia

Formation of the unique information environment

• Perception of the new self-identification which is not constrained by acceptable restrictions.

• The world in mass consciousness: «global information village».

Marshal McLuhan1911-1979

How to identify journalism as one of priority types of mass communications

Journalism and PR within mass information activities

Journalism:

all-round knowledge of life

Attention is centered around

social environment

in all variety of

its problems and

contradictions.

Journalism:

Attention of the audience towards public but not corporate interests.

Fulfillment of this task:

through discussions being promoted by editorial staff but supported by the audience.

The criteria defining quality of journalistic information:

• Fixation of socially significant facts;• Accuracy in using facts;;• Reliability of sources being used;• Existence of different views and thereby

shaping of a discursive process.

(McQuail D. (1994) Mass Communication and Public Interest: Towards Social Theory for Media Structure and Perfomance, pp 249-250 (in) D. Crowley and D. Mitchell (eds.) Communication Theory Today. London).

Public relations:

• shaping of certain political, economic and other trends which favor actors initiating information.

• creation of positive, long-term links of between PR-actors and the audience.

Journalism: development

of civil interests when all subjects have equal access to discussion of questions.

Public Relations:corporate interests.

Journalism: difficulties of existence in any society

• National specifics of development of social and political life;

• Traditions of media culture;

• Priorities of state politics

in the field of mass media. What opportunities

of functioning

journalism in Russia

?

Media evolution as a reflection of the Russian political tradition

• Media dependence on the authorities;

• Absence of the private press during a long period of Russian history;

• Numerous censorship decrees;

• Absence of media law

Media subordination to the Russian powers: management function favoring the powers

Substitution of journalism by propaganda and PR initiated by bodies of the powers,.

Political environment journalism was hardly

productive Weakness of a civic

society; Absence of dialogue

culture in Russian societyNon-respectability to

discussion as a main form of clearing truth.

REASONS

Content tendencies of Russian media as antipodes of journalistic realization

What is

today?

Power, society and media: evolution of the authoritarian relations

Despite general transformation

of the previous political system

and a withdrawal from the

former ideology, well familiar

analogs of political life appeared

steady.

1. System of state control (formation of the administration vertical);

2. Aspiration

to power

centralization;

3. Restriction of political

activity of population.

• Dispersal of protest marches, organized by Moscow opposition.

• Federal laws of the Russian Federation:

«On modification of the Code of the Russian Federation about administrative offenses»;

«On meetings, demonstrations, processions and picketing»

Continuity of a problem conditions for journalism in Russia.

Media tendencies:

1. Concentration of the media capital

to please to interests of the ruling power.

3. Change of quality of information:

image and PR technologies emasculate the creative content of

Russian media.

2. Political partisanship of mass information

• death of the atomic submarine "Kursk" and river motor ship “Bulgaria” (2000 and 2011); • capture of hostages at the Moscow theater on Dubrovka and at school in Beslan (2002 and 2004);

• flooding of the town of Krymsk in Krasnodar Krai (2012).

Manipulation influence from state structures interested in

achievement of narrow goals.

Impossibility of formation of a civic position of mass media.

Infringement of a journalistic profession in comparison with other types of

mass communication.

RESULTS

Difficulties of development of journalism in today's Russia• historically based tradition of media

“statehood”;

• pluralism restrictions in the media sphere developed by the contemporary Russian powers;

• dominance of state interests in the media;

• lack of guarantees for journalists to have an access to information.

Journalism responsibility before society looks rhetorical;

Inability of the Russian mass media to stimulate civic relations in society.

Change of situation

• State Information politics;

• Fulfillment of the existing media law;

• Formation of the journalistic standards concerning essence of socially significant information (Union of Journalists of Russia);

Unless it

does not come up in practice

journalism won’t become a highly respected profession in Russia

Thanks for your attention

Dmitry L. Strovsky,Journalism Faculty, Ural Federal University (Ekaterinburg, Russia),strovsky@mail.ru