1st Edition

News Media and Power in Russia

By Olessia Koltsova Copyright 2006
    288 Pages
    by Routledge

    288 Pages
    by Routledge

    The end of communist rule in the Soviet Union brought with it a brave new world of media and commerce. Formerly state-owned enterprises were transformed, often through private ownership, and new corporations sprung up overnight to take advantage of the new atmosphere of freedom.

    Until now, most research on media and news production in Russia has focused on the scope of government control and comparisons with the communist era. However, extra-governmental controls and the challenges of operating in a newly capitalist environment have been just as important – if not more so – in the formation of the new media climate. Filling the gap in the literature, this book examines the various agents who ‘make’ the news, and discusses the fierce struggle among the various agents of power involved. Drawing on existing theories and scholarship, the book provides a wealth of detail on the actual daily practices of news production in Russia. Original research is combined with compelling first-hand accounts of news production and dissemination to provide an incisive look at the issues and power structures Russian journalists face on a daily basis.

    ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

    INTRODUCTION

     

    PART I. THEORIES, METHODS, AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT

    CHAPTER 1. CATCHING THE WIND: THEORETICAL APPROACH TO THE STUDY

     

    CHAPTER 2. RUSSIAN MEDIA SYSTEM: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

    PART II. AGENTS OF POWER

    CHAPTER 3. STATE AGENTS

    CHAPTER 4. STATE AND NON-STATE AGENTS OF VIOLENCE

    CHAPTER 5. OWNERS

    CHAPTER 6. ADVERTISERS

    CHAPTER 7. SOURCES OF INFORMATION

    CHAPTER 8. RANK-AND-FILE JOURNALISTS

    CHAPTER 9. CENTER AND PERIPHERY OF POWER: FROM MEDIA EXECUTIVES TO AUDIENCES

     

    PART III. SPECIAL STUDIES

    CHAPTER 10. REGIONAL MEDIA LANDSCAPES: DIVERSITY OF POWER CONFIGURATIONS

    CHAPTER 11. THE STORY OF Peterburg - 5 Kanal

    CHAPTER 12. THE STORY OF NTV

    CHAPTER 13. CHANGE IN THE COVERAGE OF THE CHECHEN WARS

    CONCLUSION

    APPENDIX

    CHRONOLOGY

    LIST OF INTERVIEWS

    GLOSSARY

    BIBLIOGRAPHY

    Biography

    Olessia Koltsova

    'The book is very well written, easy to read, and provides and excellent introduction to the topic. One must admire the thoroughness, and, indeed, also the courage, with which the author has pursued her research. The book is a worthy addition to any important series.' - Polar Record, Vol. 43, 2007