Post-Socialist Self-Censorship:Russia, Hungary and Latvia

This article argues that today in Central and Eastern Europe self-censorship, journalistic freedom and autonomy are just as severely affected by economic constraints, oligarchic influences and new authoritarianism as they are by their Communist pasts. Either way, journalists know exactly what to report, what to omit and how to advance their careers. This is reminiscent of adekvatnost’; a distinct strategy employed by Russian journalists, who regard this skill as an expression of professionalism. It implies having a ‘feel for the game’ and the ‘right instinct’, which allows them to enjoy a certain level of freedom in their work and express their creativity. The authors’ interviews with Latvian and Hungarian journalists, editors and producers examined the extent to which adekvatnost’ might be a feature of journalism beyond Russia, in particular when a media system faces rising populism and authoritarianism, paired with oligarch-dominated ownership. As such, knowledge gained about journalistic practices in the countries under investigation might also be useful in understanding media development beyond the post-Communist space, including Western Europe

Russian Philanthrocapitalism

This article investigates philanthropic practices among Russia’s super-rich. Based on interviews with multimillionaires and billionaires, it ponders whether and to what extent philanthrocapitalist concepts are compatible with traditional Russian approaches to elite philanthropy, which have been shaped and controlled by country’s strong state. Overall, consciously and unconsciously, Russian philanthropists have selectively adopted a number of philanthrocapitalist principles, while some of them merge them with beliefs molded by their Soviet past and their self-perception as belonging to the intelligentsia. Based on diverse and eclectic models, they have constructed distinct ideas about their lives and their role in Russian society. This acts as a lever to build up trust in the new social hierarchy and fashion a new generation of supposedly deserving upper-class youth

A brief history of news making in Russia

In this introductory article to our special issue on newsmaking in Russia, we provide a context for how the study of journalism evolved in Russia in contrast to Europe and the US. This brief historical overview helps make sense of the specific trajectory of journalism studies: from normative Cold War perspectives to a highly diverse and vibrant field that considers journalistic agency, the interplay of commercialisation and media control and the complexities of a rapidly changing media environment. The contributions to this special issue present nuanced approaches to self-censorship, the impact of digital technologies and political intervention

Rich Russians’ Morality of Success

This article explores the dominant morality wealthy Russians adhered to in their vision of how society should be organized and the role they see for themselves. The interviews with, and observations of, 80 Russian multi-millionaires and billionaires, their spouses, and their children, which the article is based on, were conducted from the late 2000s to the late 2010s, a time when Russia’s rich were most settled in their positions. The interview analysis highlights the role of Soviet history and shows how it is integrated into, and harmonizes with, contemporary upper-class Russians’ notions of meritocracy. The author argues that drawing on international sociological research considerably advances our understanding of how Russian elites ideologically construe and morally legitimize the concentration of money and power in their own hands, and how they model themselves as ‘good’ in their actions and ‘deserving’ of their fortunes. Conversely, the article suggests that these new findings on Russian elites (in particular their references to their superior genes and their unwavering preference for private capital as a means to develop society, if necessary, to the detriment of democracy) offer great insights into, and have the potential to complement, established scholarship on Western elites (who emphasize hard work but tend to gloss over biology)

Russia's Oligarches

ISSN:1863-042

From the Maidan to the Donbas: the Limitations on Choice for Women in Ukraine

‘I am normally a pacifist but this is a step I’ve had to take’, explained Mariya Berlins’ka about her decision to join the conflict in eastern Ukraine and become a drone operator. Since she started volunteering for the army, Berlins’ka has become a celebrity in Ukraine. Her daily schedule resembles that of a busy politician: a talk on the legal status of women in the army, an interview for a TV channel, a panel discussion on gender-based violence, another public debate. I first met Berlins’ka in April 2014 in Kyiv, immediately after the Maidan protests. Makeshift tents covered the central streets, paving stones were still upturned following street battles, and people were in a state of shock: no one had expected blood to be shed in Ukraine’s capital in peacetime. Berlins’ka was visibly shaken by what she had experienced. This was before the start of the full-scale conflict in eastern Ukraine, her involvement with the army, and her celebrity status. She could still choose to walk away from the barricades and go back to her old life as a graduate student. She did not