Proliferation or pluralism? Mass media in post-communist societies
Dušan Relijć
The transformation of the news media in post-communist countries over the past 15 years has
produced unexpected results: there is now a vast proliferation of all kinds of media outlets, but it
remains to be seen whether pluralism and a culture of political tolerance will prevail in many
countries in transition. Especially in most areas of the former Soviet Union, governments and strong
private interests tend to consider the media only as a tool to ensure their control over society and
eliminate unwanted criticism. The influx of Western capital into the media-markets of Central and
South-Eastern Europe helped stabilise the financial situation of many media outlets but also
diminished the space for local companies.