Building a New Democracy? Television, Citizens and Voting in Russia, 2001

The media played a critical role in bringing about the collapse of Communist rule in Russia as well as in building a post-communist state. While virtually all other institutions were discredited by the end of the Soviet era, the media remained credible to millions of Russian citizens, informing them on details of the new Russian state ranging from rules for voting to specific campaign messages from dozens of new political parties. Yet it would be difficult to argue that the process of transition since 1991 has resulted in the creation of an independent mass media system in Russia. This project studied the factors that are limiting the independence of the Russian media as a way of examining the interaction among the state, the media and citizens in developing democracies. In particular, this project was interested in the following questions:<br> 1. Has there been development of an independent media in Russia? While earlier studies suggest that certain media outlets, particularly the NTV television station, challenged the government on critical issues, it appears that there are no longer any national television networks that regularly provide alternative viewpoints.<br> 2. What has happened in the journalistic sphere to discourage the growth of independent media? This study considered media models as well as economic factors, such as the lack of investment opportunities for media outlets.<br> While this project considered the role of the print media, it focused on television, which has an overwhelming media influence in Russia. Of particular interest was the role of the media, particularly television, in the formation of political parties and vote choice in parliamentary and presidential elections in Russia.