This chapter examines the evolution of the authoritarian political tradition in Russia from its inception to the present, and its influence on the development of Russian mass media. The authoritarian tradition became most pivotal for daily life in Russia, as it ensured that the media fully ascribed to specific political agendas. The cohesion has consistently affected Russian media coverage and continues to shape it today. The authors investigate how precisely this occurs, focusing on several political events, specifically the current situation in Ukraine. Through studying certain empirical materials concerning the political evolution in Russia, the authors answer the question of whether in the future Russian media will be likely to continue serving as an instrument of political propaganda rather than as a source of non-biased information.

This discussion article envisages five different contemporary challenges and pays special attention to the arguments as to why contemporary journalism losses its professional priorities and gets mixed in with other types of mass communication, particularly with public relations (PR) and propaganda. This clarification is of great importance not only for purely professional purposes, but also for broad social priorities. Arguments concerning the role and mission of journalism place it anywhere between watchdog and lapdog which makes the process of studying journalism uncertain and even contradictory as it is caught between the binds of historical values and the traps of contemporary practice.

This article examines how the modern Russian press covers the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, both historically and currently. Since print media are some of the most popular sources of information in Russia, such analysis helps us understand the media's priorities in presenting the conflict to Russian society. The article focuses on the inherently manipulative, albeit hidden, essence and layout of this material, which increases the likelihood of information bias. While the quality of the reporting on this conflict demonstrates the proximity of contemporary Russian media to the interests of the country's ruling powers, it also provides opportunities for the government to influence its audience's comprehension of Middle East politics.

The terms perestroika (literally, "transformation") and glasnost (literally, "transparency ") refer to the social change that took place in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s. Then USSR leader, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Mikhail Gorbachev, introduced perestroika as a necessary action to improve the nation’s economy and its international relations. Glasnost was meant to promote effective discussions regarding the country’s existing problems and shortcomings. However, only a few years following their instatement, both processes did not improve the sociopolitical situation. On the contrary, they led to the country’s collapse. This article seeks to answer why gracious intentions, meant to actualize the hopes and dreams of the Soviet people, eventually resulted in tremendously difficult times. Special attention is paid to the role of the Soviet media, which became a catalyst for many social problems. The authors raise the issue of the media’s level of responsibility during this social transformation, which appeared to be one of the most crucial conditions for its successful implementation. Keywords: authoritarian culture, social transformation, civic society, perestroika, glasnost, Soviet media

Journalism as a definition emerged more than two centuries ago and became actively promulgated in the study of media by core Western countries. Meanwhile, this term is often interpreted too freely, the term and practice are transgressing in the 21st century. This is a theoretical paper that seeks to understand how the role of journalism and mass media have mutated and why as interpreted by scholars. On the one hand, it is followed with a lack of its complex essence is hindered by contemporary political, social, economic and technological challenges that occur in the way of its development. It is caught between the utopian and idealistic theoretical and conceptual projections that are intended to be the basis of its social capital and legitimacy and the practical dilemmas and hardships (economic and political) of the contemporary era that shift the profession away from the aforementioned ideals.

The Russian media frequently wrote about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (1996-99, 2009-21), analysing his role in Middle Eastern affairs, especially with regard to Palestinian-Israeli relations, the Syrian civil war, and the Iranian nuclear programme. Examining Netanyahu's image in the Russian press is crucial not only for understanding the political priorities of twenty-first-century Russian media but also for investigating Moscow's role in international politics given its keen interest in the Middle East.

Relations between Russia and Israel seem to be better than ever. In recent years, the two countries have signed twenty intergovernmental agreements. The legal framework for their cooperation is imp...

The Middle East is one of the ‘unreliable links’ in the international security system. This became apparent once Iran began developing its nuclear program decades ago, and in recent years, the program has reinforced the challenges to international security. The steps taken by the UN and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as well as US sanctions have not yet achieved positive results. Although Russia formally supported these sanctions, its political interests and attitude to Iran differ significantly from that of the United States and its allies. Russia seeks to consolidate its position in the region, challenging American policies. This article investigates political contradictions regarding the implementation of Iran’s nuclear strategy and observes the position of the Russian print media as a source of information. Despite the active development of online news in Russia, print media continue serving as a popular information source in the country. This holds especially true for local officials, who are responsible for making government decisions, thus determining our increased interest in these forms of media. The Russian press, when covering the ‘Iranian nuclear issue,’ do not serve as unbiased sources of information, but suggest propaganda influence, albeit flavored with thorough knowledge of the political situation.

This article envisages the features of interaction in the field of mass information between China and Russia including the activities of the unions of journalists in both countries. It can be argued that these contacts have been entirely built under the influence of political relationships between the two countries, which changed at different stages of cooperation. The motivation for interaction did not arise from the needs of the media industry or the mass audience, but was largely determined by the political intentions of the powers. This factor still plays a crucial role in the media cooperation between China and Russia. Although today the above cooperation is filled up with more diverse content than before, political insights still have a great importance and a significant impact on the media sphere. The entire evolution of this process lasting for many decades provides scholars with an investigative background regarding media trends in authoritarian and post-authoritarian countries.

This article analyzes the substantive approaches used by the Soviet press when reflecting the topic of the repatriation of Jews from the USSR to Israel in the 1970s. This period is of particular importance in the course of studying information propaganda as an independent socio-political activity aimed at the formation of a certain type of mass consciousness. During this period, information propaganda of the Soviet mass media was perceived as an essential basis for strengthening ideological and political positions of the Soviet Union by leveling the complexities of its daily life. The study of how exactly these media promoted the topic of repatriation seems to be new in the study of the information space. The disclosure of this topic through the use of extensive empirical material enables to see the patterns of development of this space at the final stage of the Soviet period, which in turn, determines the relevance of the study in modern conditions, when manipulative priorities anew have become noticeable in the practice of the Russian media. The authors envisage the editorial policy of such an influential central newspaper as Izvestia. This publication, like all the other Soviet media, was attached to propaganda priorities, which predetermined manipulative approaches when covering the topic of repatriation. In order to determine the main trends of manipulative influence, we used structural-functional and systemic methods, as well as a method of content analysis, which together afford to see the patterns of development of the Soviet print media in the disclosure of the topic presented in the title of this article. The results of the research are not only theoretically but practically oriented, since they provide understanding of effective methods of influencing the audience and using them in everyday media practice. Keywords: media, Soviet ideology, propaganda, manipulation, class approach, Zionism, Jews

ABSTRACT The content of mass information in any society is closely linked to the patterns of its political development. A typical example of this concerns the modern Russian media, which have been influenced particularly by their embeddedness with the authorities. Indeed, the Russian media have served as the mouthpiece of the country’s political leaders, and this fact has left a significant imprint on media coverage. To understand the symbiotic relationship between Russian political leaders and media, this article focuses on the Syrian Civil War, which is currently one of the most important issues on the international political agenda. The Russian government’s role in the conflict over the last several years has affected the Russian media’s tremendous interest in this topic. Nonetheless, Moscow’s participation in the war was determined uniquely by how the communication sphere related the conflict to its audience so that its involvement in the Syrian imbroglio was not an objective reflection of reality. Guided by the political interests of the authorities, the Russian media created an emotionally oriented story, which intended to advance an extremely positive interpretation of Russia’s role in this conflict in the minds of the audience. Therefore, in terms of propaganda, these media acted not as “pure” promoters of the state’s will, but rather as its “interpreters.” This study highlights how leading Russian publications approach this agenda and the consequences this fact has for the Kremlin’s political priorities. The authors come to a definite conclusion regarding Russian media’s unconditional dependence on the political priorities of modern Russian society. It was crucial for the Kremlin that the media present a positive view of Moscow’s involvement in the conflict given that Russia’s military presence in Syria caused a very controversial reaction throughout the world and led to increased tensions and contentious disputation between Russia and many Western countries. Therefore, the Kremlin needed to justify its policies and did so through manipulating the Russian public by means of a large-scale propaganda campaign conducted through the Russian media. This phenomenon is pivotal to understand not only the case of Russia’s involvement in Syria but also contemporary international media development.

There is an increasing amount written on the decline of professional journalism around the world. One of the factors that are used to illustrate the decline of journalism is the interaction and collaboration between journalists and public relations (PR) practitioners in the production of mass media news content. On a theoretical and conceptual level, the aims and goals of the two professions are quite different, even though there are a number of superficial similarities between these forms of mass communication. Studies of the interaction between journalism and PR in the United States reveal a certain underlying tension, yet simultaneous mutual dependency. An indicative survey was conducted across different cities in the Russian Federation to understand the perception of professional journalists and PR practitioners on the current level of interaction between their professions. The answers were remarkably similar and reveal a deep concern for the direction of journalism, which many viewed as being subordinated to PR.

The article analyzes the features of Soviet emigration and repatriation in the second half of the 1960s through the early 1970s, when for the first time after a long period of time, and as a result of political agreements between the USSR and the USA, hundreds of thousands of Soviet Jews were able to leave the Soviet Union for good and settle in the United States and Israel. Our attention is focused not only on the history of this issue and the overall political situation of that time, but mainly on the peculiarities of this issue coverage by the leading American printed media. The reference to the media as the main empirical source of this study allows not only perceiving the topic of emigration and repatriation in more detail, but also seeing the regularities of the political ‘face’ of the American press of that time. This study enables us to expand the usual framework of knowledge of emigration against the background of its historical and cultural development in the 20th century.

The article considers the peculiar features of the Soviet Aliyah as one of the leading themes of the Russian-language periodicals in Israel. Special attention is paid to the articles published in the 1970-2000s in the most prominent “thick” literary-political journals - “Vremya i My” and “22” which covered the fate of the Russian and Soviet Jews, as well as the phenomenon of repatriation. The study of the topic makes it possible to resolve several scientific problems. First of all, the analysis of the publications enables the authors to identify the key problems that are reflected in their content: the historical prerequisites for the formation of repatriation ideas in the minds of the Soviet Jewish intelligentsia, the attitude of the Soviet authorities to this phenomenon, and the evolution of the perception of the migration process as such and its various stages by the Israeli society. The studying of the above journals allowed distinguishing the contents specificity of each of them. The “Vremya i Mi “ journal was characterized by demonstrative anti-Sovietism, based on the commitment to the concept of human rights and liberal values. In turn, the “22” journal was aimed at the development of Zionism ideas and strengthening of the position of those Jews who sought deep integration into the Israeli society. However, the both periodicals had similar content features: the articles published in them were of high analytical and artistic level. Both “Vremya i Mi” and “22” were characterized by a common desire to understand the problems of Jews’ repatriation and their adaptation in Israel. The both journals made a significant contribution to the history of Israel periodicals and to the formation of self-consciousness of the Russian-speaking population of this country. The article is presented in the historical context. It reveals the main stages of the emigration of Jews from the USSR and modern Russia and the evolution of the reflection of this process on the pages of the journals.

The Russian-language media published beyond Russia have always paid attention to the diversity of existing life. There are many research works dealing with their operation. However, the focus of these media on the 'Jewish topic', fairly significant in their content, remains virtually unstudied. The authors of this article bridge this gap to some extent by analyzing the activities of the Russian-language periodicals of the 1970s, when the above topic gained momentum due to an increase in emigration and repatriation from the USSR. Examining the content of such journals as "Noviy Zhurnal", "Posev" and "Kontinent", involved in the coverage of the 'Jewish topic', the authors have a chance to evaluate the spiritual state of the emigrant wave at that time.

In this chapter, the authors examine sexual health not only as a definition, but also how it is prioritized in media coverage. This determines the structure of the chapter. At first, we dwell upon the theoretical frameworks of sexual health. Then sexuality and a “female issue” in Russian society based on its historical evolution are explored. Next, attention is given to media coverage of the sexual health issue. Following this, we examine the content of some contemporary female journals, such as the Russian version of Cosmopolitan, Zhenskoe zdorovye (‘Women’s Health’) and Psychologies as defining pivotal priorities for the topic of sexual health in modern Russia.

This article investigates professional values shaped in the Russian journalistic community. The main attention in this regard is paid to the historical development of these values and their transformation nowadays, in the years of modern political transformation of Russia. The comparative analysis of different historical periods in the history of Russia helps to highlight how journalistic values changed. In order to be provable, the authors envisage the results of their empirical survey, conducted in two Russian cities: St. Petersburg and Ekaterinburg. The former relates to metropolitan cities, whereas the latter can be attributed to provincial cities, and this defines the difference in journalistic values. The survey was carried out within the international research project ‘Media Systems in Flux: The Challenge of the BRICS countries” supported by the Academy of Finland for 2012-2016. The authors discuss the outlines of journalism as a social actor and independent profession given the context of modern media transformation and new information trends which became noticeable following the appearance of online and digital journalisms emerging as one of the most pivotal tendencies (Deuze, 2003; Deuze, Blank, Speers, 2010). These processes are especially intensive in big cities, an audience of which, to the very much extent, relies on new social media as trustworthy sources of political, economic and cultural information.

Este artigo investiga os valores profissionais que definem a comunidade jornalística russa. Uma atenção especial foi dada ao desenvolvimento histórico desses valores e sua transformação na Rússia pós-União Soviética. A análise comparativa de diferentes períodos históricos ajuda a destacar as mudanças nos valores jornalísticos. Os autores apresentam os resultados de uma pesquisa empírica, conduzida em duas cidades russas: São Petersburg e Ekaterinburg. A primeira representa as áreas metropolitanas enquanto a segunda faz referência às cidades provincianas. Essa distinção resulta em diferenças expressivas na forma como os valores profissionais serão interiorizados pelos jornalistas. A pesquisa foi conduzida no âmbito do projeto de pesquisa internacional Media Systems in Flux: The Challenge of the BRICS countries”, financiado pela Academia da Finlândia entre 2012-2016. Os autores também discutem os contornos do jornalismo como um ator social e como uma profissão independente no contexto da evolução mídia e da informação noticiosa nos dias de hoje, resultado da emergência da mídia on-line e digitala.Este artigo investiga os valores profissionais que definem a comunidade jornalística russa. Uma atenção especial foi dada ao desenvolvimento histórico desses valores e sua transformação na Rússia pós-União Soviética. A análise comparativa de diferentes períodos históricos ajuda a destacar as mudanças nos valores jornalísticos. Os autores apresentam os resultados de uma pesquisa empírica, conduzida em duas cidades russas: São Petersburg e Ekaterinburg. A primeira representa as áreas metropolitanas enquanto a segunda faz referência às cidades provincianas. Essa distinção resulta em diferenças expressivas na forma como os valores profissionais serão interiorizados pelos jornalistas. A pesquisa foi conduzida no âmbito do projeto de pesquisa internacional Media Systems in Flux: The Challenge of the BRICS countries”, financiado pela Academia da Finlândia entre 2012-2016. Os autores também discutem os contornos do jornalismo como um ator social e como uma profissão independente no contexto da evolução mídia e da informação noticiosa nos dias de hoje, resultado da emergência da mídia on-line e digital