Russian Media System in the
Context of Media Change:
Reconsideration of the
National
Professor Elena Vartanova
Faculty of Journalism
Moscow State University
One, Three, Two/Four, Five or Hybrid?
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One
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Three
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Hallin, D. and Mancini, P. (2004) Comparing Media Systems. Three Models of Media and Politics. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press
Two/Four
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UK: Curran, J. & and Seaton, J. (2003) Power Without Responsibility: Press, Broadcasting and the Internet in
Britain. London: Routledge
Poprtugal: Faustino, P. (2012) A Imprensa em Portugal - Transformações e Tendências (The Press in Portugal Transformations and Trends). Portugal: Formalpress
Finland: Nordenstreng, K. &, Wiio, O. A. (eds.) (2003) Suomen mediamaisema (Finnish Media Landscape).
Helsinki: WSOY
Russia: Beglov, S. (2002) Chetvertaya vlastʼ: Britanskaya Modelʼ (The Fourth Estate: British model). Moscow:
Moscow University Press; Woronenkova, G. (1999, 2011) Putʼ dlinoju v pjatʼ stoletij: ot rukopisnogo listka do
informacionnogo obshestva. Nacionalnoe svoeobrazie SMI Germanii (The path length of five centuries: from
hand-written sheet to the information society. The national identity of the media in Germany). Moscow: Moscow
University Press; Sharonchikova, L. (2006) Pressa Francii v menjaushemsja mire (The Press of France in a
changing world). Moscow: RAN; Urina, N. (2010) Zhurnalistika I Politika: Italjansky Opyt Vzaimodejstvija
(Journalism and politics: the Italian experience of interaction). Moscow: Moscow University Press; Tkacheva, N.
(2009) India: Mediasistema v uslovijah liberalizacii economiki ( India: The media system in a liberalized
economy). Moscow: Moscow University Pres
Siebert, F., Peterson, T. and Schramm, W. (1956) Four Theories of the Press. Urbana: University of Ilinois Press
One or five?Research on BRICS media systems: Thussu, D. (2013) Communicating India's Soft
Power: Buddha to Bollywood. New York: Palgrave
Hybrid
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Hardy, J. (2008) Western media systems. New York: Routledge, Chadwick, A. (2013) The Hybrid Media System:
Politics and Power. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Media System or Media Trends?
• Globalization
• Rise of new media
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digitalization
convergence of platforms
media mobility
interactivity
• ‘Entertainization’ of content
• Mediatization of reality
• Role of advertising and PR
Media System or Media
Corporation?
• Critical Political Economy
– how capitalism/market works
– systems manufacturing consent
• Media Economics:
– National and global media industries in focus
• Media Management:
– micro level
– newsroom management + managoing
innovations and creativity
Media or Political System?
• Democracy
– Public sphere – public service broadcasting
– Transparency: impact of new media
• Press Freedom
• Political Elites and Parties
– Political parallelism
• Civil Society
– Journalism vs. social networks
Ideal vs. Real
• ʻNormative media theory and associated
research seemed to presume that there could be
only one ideal model of a media system on
which all should aspire. This view has long been
challenged, but the door has been opened to
contemplate alternate kinds of media system
arrangements that might be appropriate
culturally or material for a given country.
McQuail, D. (2013) Zhurnalistika I Obschestvo [Journalism and Society].
Moscow: Faculty of Journalism, p. 5.
Changing the Focus: 2010s
• From global trends: to national nuances
• From global companies: to national adaptations
• From global/international institutions: to national
networks
• From dominating paradigms/concepts: to
national theoreticizing
Why National? (1)
• Legislation = rules and legal frames for media
business and performance
• Culture = media production and consumption
– Moral/ethics = value system(s) in media
• History = collective identities and collective
agreements in a society and in/between
communities as reflected by media
Why National?(2)
• Geography = the size matter (distribution,
Imperial mentality, cost of technology,
economic/cultural/religious/identity
diversity)
• Language = journalism roles and
functions
– Role of news media
– Publicistics
Media systems
– Always universal: variables
– Always national: contexts
– Always hybrid: under pressures of economic,
social, and time change